What is Mental Skills Training?

Mental skills training, also referred to as mental performance coaching or consulting, is focused on training individuals to develop skills that affect their ability to perform at peak levels. Think of us as strength and conditioning coaches, but for the brain!

Typically, we work with individuals and groups that experience high-pressure situations regularly like athletes and performing artists, but just about anyone could benefit from the skills gained through mental skills training. Some (but certainly not all!) of the many benefits provided through mental skills training include:

• Improved Focus and Concentration

• Increased Resilience and Mental Toughness

• Enhanced Confidence

• Stress and Anxiety Management

• Improved Motivation and Goal Setting

• Better Emotional regulation

• Enhanced Visualization and Mental Imagery

• Optimized Decision Making

• Improved Teamwork and Communication

• Overall Well-being and Life Satisfaction

What's the difference between a Mental Performance Consultant, mental performance coach, mental skills trainer, etc?

A lot of these terms get used interchangeably because at the end of the day, we focus on the same area of development - mental skills training.  All of our work is focused on enhancing the mental skills of our clients and helping them achieve peak performance.

The major difference comes down to certifications and requirements for their field. For example, a Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC) receives their certification through the American Association of Sports Psychology (AASP). This means that the process to become certified as a CMPC is highly regulated and requires a master's level education in a performance psychology specific field along with hands-on training and supervised hours, not unlike what a clinical mental health professional would need to accomplish to become licensed in their field.

Do CMPCs and other Mental Performance Coaches provide the same services as a mental health professional?

Not quite.

Just like a strength and conditioning coach may provide training that overlaps with the care provided by a doctor or physical therapist, it is important to note that the training provided by CMPCs and Mental Performance Coaches is not meant to replace the care provided by licensed mental health professionals. While many of the skills used in Mental Skills Training may be similar or even the same as those used by licensed mental health providers, their focus differs. CMPCs and Mental Performance Coaches primarily concentrate on enhancing mental performance in specific situations or states, whereas licensed mental health professionals are more likely to address broader psychological traits and provide comprehensive mental health care.

For example, when helping a client who might be suffering from anxiety, a CMPC would focus on state-anxiety or situation anxiety that occurs when trying to accomplish a certain task or goal. If the client was just feeling generally anxious all the time to a point where it interfered with not only their performance in a specific task, but their entire lives, this would be referred to as trait-anxiety and would be better helped by a licensed mental health provider. In both cases, certain skills and training exercises such as those used in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or Dielectric Behavioral Therapy may be used, the but the degree to which they would be implemented and the scope would be different as the CMPC would be focused on performance while the licensed mental health provider would be focused on function.

Some CMPCs and mental performance coaches are licensed mental health providers and vice versa, but not all of them. This can make it hard to find a professional that specializes in both. On the other hand, it can also be helpful to see one professional to handle your general mental health while you see another to handle specific mental issues that affect your performance, such as an individual who might be experiencing depression seeking out the care of a licensed mental health professional for that matter while they see a CMPC for their stage fright or mental issues they experience while training. There are benefits to seeing one or both depending on your specific situation, experiences, challenges, etc. It can be tricky sometimes to determine what level of mental services you need. Don't worry, though, because we will often to try help you find the professional you need if we are not a good fit!