Abstract

Sport psychologists who wish to practice ‘in the field’ face the challenge of utilising the theories developed, discussed and learnt in the laboratory and classroom, in less controllable, less predictable environments. Practitioners also require a greater range of applied resources to help guide them through the everyday problems that need to be solved as a consultant in elite and amateur sport. This article provides some solutions to the dichotomy between theory and practice. It outlines four lessons the author has learnt in over a decade working as a sport psychologist. Practitioners need to speak the language of the client, be both inductive and prescriptive, immerse clients in the language of improvement, and help clients understand that progress using sport psychology is simple but not always easy.