A career path for those who love sport, both local and global, and wish to help shape the world’s greatest athletes.
What Sport Psychologists Do
Sport psychology professionals use their knowledge of psychology to enhance clients’ development and well-being through sport and exercise
Sport Psychologists are registered Psychologists, and use psychological assessments and interventions to diagnose and treat mental issues related to sport performance.
They typically support athletes in dealing with mental and emotional pressures that relate to participating in competitive sport. They also help in the development of specific techniques and mental fortitude in order to overcome performance anxiety, or other mental issues related to their sport of choice. Sport Psychologists can work as consultants, therapists or trainers, working with individuals, teams, parents and coaches.
They may follow an individual or team to the place of their competition, or meet with them privately. Sport Psychologists need to be flexible with their work, with typical workplaces including private practices, locker rooms, hotels or sports fields.
Skills
Sport Psychology provides you with the following valuable skills
Registration
How to become a Registered Psychologist
The standard pathway to obtaining a psychology area of practice endorsement in Australia is completion of an accredited higher degree (or equivalent overseas qualification) in one of the approved areas of practice, followed by a Board approved registrar program.
The following steps will guide you through the relevant information required to become a Registered, Accredited Psychologist in the fields of Clinical neuropsychology, Clinical psychology, Counselling psychology, Forensic psychology, Organisational psychology, Sport and exercise psychology, Health psychology, Community psychology and Educational and developmental
psychology.
The very first steps of your Psychology career will likely be an Undergraduate Degree, followed by an Honours year or a Graduate Diploma.
After completing an Honours or Graduate Diploma year, in order to take on any of the career pathways listed above in Australia, a Psychology Graduate must either:
- Undertake Postgraduate Studies (e.g. Master of Clinical Psychology) OR
- Complete a two-year Internship as part of the 4+2 program* OR
- Complete a mixture of both, through a fifth year of study and a one-year Internship as part of the 5+1 program
*Note: APAC and AHPRA have started to phase out these pathways as alternatives to postgraduate study.
For information on 4+2 or 5+1 programs, see the Psychology Pathway page.
For information on Postgraduate Psychology programs, see the Psychology Pathway page.
Provisional Registration is enables an individual to complete a period of supervised practice that is required to be eligible for general registration as a psychologist.
Postgraduate Study Pathway:
Students that are enrolled in a psychology higher year degree accredited at fifth year or higher must be provisionally registered from the start of enrolment in the degree. Students maintain provisional registration for the duration of enrolment in any component of an accredited qualification, including coursework, practicum and research thesis (except for doctoral students granted early general registration).
Click here for more information about Provisional Registration for Postgraduates.
4+2 Internship Program Pathway:
Click here for more information about Provisional Registration for the 4+2 Pathway
5+1 Internship Program Pathway:
Click here for more information about Provisional Registration for the 5+1 Pathway
Once completing the Registrar program, supervision period, and applying for practice endorsement, provisional psychologists may apply for General Registration.
Those individuals who completed Provisional Registration after Postgraduate studies are exempt from the national psychology examination until June 30, 2019, and may directly qualify for General Registration.
Those individuals who completed Provisional Registration after the 4+2 or 5+1 Programs must pass the national psychology examination in order to qualify for General Registration.
Click Here for more information on General Registration.
Supervision is a required part of both Provisional Registration and Registrar Programs.
In order to complete your required Supervision, you must find a currently accredited and registered psychologist who will agree to supervise you.
To search the AHPRA database of ALL registered Psychologists in Australia who are qualified for Supervision, Click Here
NOTE: When contacting a potential supervisor, make sure you have read their area of specialty. You will NOT be supervised by a Sports Psychologist if you are applying for an Clinical Psychology pathway.
The registrar program is a period of advanced supervised practice in one of the nine approved areas of practice. The program enables development of the core competencies relevant to the area of practice to the level of depth and expertise expected of an endorsed practitioner.
The registrar program consists of three components:
- psychological practice
- supervision with a Board approved supervisor
- active continuing professional development
Click Here for more information on the Registrar Program
Psychologists with general registration that have completed an approved postgraduate degree followed by a period of approved supervised practice in a particular area of practice can apply for an area of practice endorsement on their general registration.
Endorsement of a psychologist’s registration is a legal mechanism under the National Law to identify practitioners who have an additional qualification and advanced supervised practice recognised by the Board.
Individuals who received Overseas qualification can apply for a Transition Program to qualify for General Registration in Australia.