Overview
Performance Psychology in Practice is a two-day, interactive professional development workshop designed to strengthen psychologists’ applied capability when working with high-performing individuals. Drawing on Psychological Flexibility frameworks, contextual behavioural science, and contemporary performance psychology practices, the workshop provides a robust and evidence-based foundation for clinicians seeking to expand their practice in performance-focused settings.
Participants will develop a clear, practical framework for conceptualising and treating common performance challenges. These range from performance optimisation to performance stressors, from perfectionism to confidence traps. The workshop emphasises the integration of performance and mental health support, enabling psychologists to work effectively with clients who operate under sustained pressure in domains such as elite sport, medicine, the performing arts, and leadership environments.
Across two days, psychologists will engage in case studies, experiential exercises, and guided skills practice designed to mirror the realities of high-performance environments. These activities support the development of practical competencies in attentional control, emotional and arousal regulation, values-based training, and the cultivation of psychological flexibility under pressure.
The overarching aim of the workshop is to equip psychologists with applied, ethically grounded strategies that enhance performance, restore wellbeing, and promote resilience in high-stakes contexts. Participants will leave with a contemporary, evidence-informed toolkit that can be immediately integrated into their clinical and performance practice.
Learning Outcomes
Performance & Clinical Integration
- Differentiate between clinical presentations and performance-specific concerns commonly encountered in high-performing clients.
- Apply integrated case formulation frameworks that combine clinical, contextual, and performance-related factors.
- Identify and conceptualise issues such as fear of failure, mental blocks, identity challenges, perfectionism, and burnout within a performance psychology lens.
Psychological Flexibility & Contextual Behavioural Science
- Explain Psychological Flexibility and contextual behavioural principles relevant to high-pressure environments.
- Implement ACT processes (e.g., cognitive defusion, acceptance, values clarification, committed action) in performance-focused intervention plans.
- Use experiential and skills-based ACT exercises tailored to performers experiencing anxiety, avoidance, or high internal demands.
Applied Performance Psychology Skills
- Teach and apply attentional control strategies, including focus, refocus, and situational awareness in high-stakes contexts.
- Use neurobiological concepts (e.g., arousal, threat response, attentional systems) to guide assessment and treatment planning.
- Support performers in developing psychological flexibility, resilience, and consistent behavioural patterns under pressure.
Intervention Planning & Delivery
- Design evidence-based intervention plans that integrate clinical and performance goals.
- Deliver practical, skills-based interventions for managing anxiety, perfectionism, performance-related stress, and mental blocks.
- Adapt clinical tools to performance environments such as training settings, competition, and multidisciplinary team contexts.
Ethical & Professional Practice
- Demonstrate ethical considerations unique to performance settings, including confidentiality, dual relationships, and role clarity.
- Work collaboratively with stakeholders (e.g., coaches, medical staff, performance teams) while maintaining professional boundaries.
- Evaluate and reflect on intervention effectiveness to support ongoing professional development and high-quality client outcomes.
Overall Capability
- Integrate clinical and performance psychology approaches to deliver holistic, contemporary, and evidence-based care to clients operating under pressure.
- Apply new knowledge and skills immediately into their practice to enhance the wellbeing and performance of high-performing clients.
Presenter(s)
Caroline Anderson
Daniel Dymond
About the presenter(s)
Caroline has nearly 20 years working across clinical and performance psychology. A former Olympian (2004), she brings rare insight into elite performance, integrating evidence-based psychology with the realities athletes and high-performers face. Caroline is respected for her ability to build authentic, high-trust relationships and to translate complex psychological concepts into practical tools that make a difference under pressure. She was the Australian Olympic Committee Lead Psychologist for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and is The Lead Psychologist for the Melbourne Mavericks (Suncorp Super Netball). Her extensive experience includes senior roles with the AIS, VIS, AFLPA, and PFA, as well as work in UK Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services and acute psychiatric settings in Melbourne.
Daniel is one of Australia’s most progressive performance psychologists, known for his engaging, practical, and evidence-informed approach to performance development. Working daily in high-performance sport for approximately 15 years, he has a strong grasp of the psychological demands in sports, understands how experiential avoidance shows up, and how to move athletes towards effective action. Daniel blends contemporary psychology with methods used by the world’s best athletes and coaches to keep attention on what matters. He delivers learning experiences that are energetic, creative, and immediately applicable. Daniel is the Lead Psychologist at the VIS and Shooting Australia. He also works for Golf Australia supporting the transition from elite amateur to top100 professionals.
Notes
This content is a paid advertisement. All information and claims are provided by the advertiser and are solely their responsibility. The APS does not endorse or verify the accuracy of the content.