Mental performance consultants: exploring the impacts of reflection during initial practice development

ABSTRACT

The use of reflection to assist students in developing their initial practice is evident in the literature in many fields when it comes to building a practice that is informed by theory. In this article, the authors explore Mental Performance Consultants’ (MPCs) experiences with the practice of reflection during their participation in a higher education programme (with a focus on theory and practice) and while developing their initial consulting practices. Three MPCs (current and former students of the higher education programme) participated in a semi-structured interview which was subsequently followed by a second interview where they simultaneously drew a modified Rappaport timeline to illustrate their identity and professional development journeys. The authors used this data and a content analysis of participants’ relevant coursework to create three portrait vignettes to represent the MPC’s development journeys with specific focus on the impacts of reflective practice. Although reflective practice is well documented as an ongoing professional development tool for MPCs, the results of this article highlight the significance of utilizing reflective practice for self-growth, identity development, and autonomy in those crucial beginning years of becoming a professional.

KEYWORDS:

• Reflective learning
• reflective practice
• mental performance
• practice development
• higher education

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. Mental Performance Consultants are practitioners specializing in the areas of mental performance and/or sport psychology. This term is used and recognized by the Canadian Sport Psychology Association (CSPA) and the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP).

2. The timelines included in this manuscript are replicas of the originals. The authors have made minor changes to information (specifically dates and names) to maintain the anonymity of the participants.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Erin Kraft

Erin Kraft is a doctoral candidate in the School of Human Kinetics at the University of Ottawa. As a former swim coach with over 10 years of experience, Erin primarily coached children with developmental disabilities. She holds a master’s in education where she examined coaches’ experiences teaching children with Autism Spectrum Disorders in aquatic programs. More recently, Erin’s research interests have shifted and focus on developing social learning spaces, as an approach to facilitate learning opportunities in sport. Her doctoral research uses these social learning spaces to increase gender equity and leadership diversity across sport and to expand the learning capabilities of Canadian Parasport coaches.

Cassandra M. Seguin

Cassandra M. Seguin is a doctoral candidate at the University of Ottawa, where she is studying concussion recovery, sport psychology, social learning, and coaching. She has actively been working as a mental performance consultant in Canada since the completion of her MHK degree in 2016. Cassandra is also a student member of the Canadian Sport Psychology Association (CSPA) and the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP). Her interest in reflection comes from her athletic experience as an NCAA Division I and National Team ice hockey goaltender, and from her applied practice, where she encourages active reflection as a critical tool in goal achievement, injury rehabilitation, and positive living.

Diane M. Culver

Diane M. Culver is an associate professor at the School of Human Kinetics at the University of Ottawa in sport pedagogy and psychology. She was a senior coaching consultant for the Coaching Association of Canada before entering academia in July 2007. Her research interests are coaching and coach development, social learning theory, and women in sport leadership. Her previous working experience includes coaching for the Canadian National and New Zealand Olympic Ski Teams. She consults with athletes and coaches and is currently using social learning theory to build learning capability in various sport networks and communities of practice.