Combining clinical and sport psychology: are teams missing a trick?

Why is it so rare to see a sport and clinical psychologist wearing both hats for a top European sports team? US sides are constantly looking for practitioners with a background in both disciplines, so why aren’t clubs competing on the other side of the Atlantic as insistent on dual training?

Is it down to a lack of demand? Many sides still struggle to employ a single sport psychologist, whether that’s down to a lack of resources, understanding or embedded scepticism of the profession (among other things), so perhaps it’s no surprise that more thought isn’t granted to a dual role. Or are teams falling into the trap, perhaps consciously, of thinking that sport psychologists can cover both parts of the profession (and that they’ll draft in consultancy support in a crisis situation)?

Or is it a supply-side issue, driven by the way accreditation pathways are structured? It’s already expensive and time-consuming enough to qualify as a sport psychologist, without adding the investment and additional study required to become clinically accredited.

In this week’s post, I speak to a European sport psychologist who also wears a clinical hat, in an attempt to get a first-hand view of the situation. Selina Koch has worked for the German Football Association (DFB) for over five years, in addition to supporting FC Viktoria Berlin’s senior squad.

She explains:

• How she navigated the dual qualification pathway (and why changes to the German system might make it easier for students to do likewise)

• How much demand there actually is for psychologists with training in both parts of the profession

• How her background has helped highlight possible instances of malpractice