Reply To: Need Some Advice
Hi Alicia. Thank you for your question. I know it’s something that’s of interest to a number of people. In addition to what Mike mentioned, you might also contact Dr. Ray Miltenberger at USF. He and his students are doing a lot of research in this area and are presenting regularly on it at conferences. As far as credentialing, many of us working in the field have HSF specific certifications like Health Coach and of course the behavioral science part of the training is lacking. This is understandable considering the technical and broad body of knowledge that comprises our science and the purpose and audience of these more general certification programs. Eventually, maybe there will be a more formalized specialization track within our own discipline, but for now, you might want to take a look at certification as a consultant through the Association of Applied Sport Psychology (AASP). This is the certification that most people who refer to themselves as “sports psychology consultants” or “sports psychologists” (depending on whether they meet the requirements to use the title psychologist in the state where they practice). You can get certification at the Masters or Doctoral level. They are restructuring their certification this year, and the new requirements will most likely involve obtaining any missing graduate level course work in their core topics (both exercise science and psychology), experience requirements, and the passing of a comprehensive exam. You can also be a member of the AASP without certification and get the Journal of Sport Psychology. The website is http://www.sportpsych.org . Hope this is helpful. – Laraine
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