Abstract
Wondering how to become a recognised and relevant sport psychologist in your environment? Having trouble navigating the accreditation requirements (or lack of) to practise in your chosen country of practice? The aims of this workshop are to (a) outline the different pathways to becoming a sport psychologist in places of practice with and without formal accreditation frameworks, and to (b) chart your route to becoming the practitioner you want to be. Accreditation is a voluntary - yet strongly encouraged - step that aspiring practitioners should take to establish their competence to practise in an ethical manner, as well as demonstrate this assurance to their service-users, their peers, and the public. We will begin this workshop with an introduction of the value and benefits of becoming an accredited practitioner, which will be followed by an overview of the typical requirements of accreditation frameworks around the world. In particular, we will present input from practitioners across Europe, Asia, Africa, and Oceania, and share their challenges of practising in countries with no accreditation frameworks for sport psychology. Against this backdrop, through guided discovery, individual exercises and group discussions, participants are invited to reflect on their own desired development towards becoming an independent ethical practitioner in sport psychology, wherever they may practise. We envision participants leaving this workshop with a clearer idea of where they are and where they want to be in their practitioners’ journey, and the beginnings of a plan as to how to get there. The content and activities of this workshop are informed by our chapter on international routes to sport and exercise psychology in the book, Developing a Sport Psychology Consultancy Practice: A Toolkit for Students and Trainees, edited by Vaithehy Shanmuganathan-Felton and Stephen Smith, which participants are invited to thumb through during the workshop.