Coaching performing artists.

Abstract

The area of sport, exercise, and performance psychology (SEPP) incorporates a range of often nontraditional yet increasingly more common contexts for applied practice and research. The world of performing arts is one such area where psychologists have been providing coaching and consulting services to help elite performers be the best they can be, using tailored approaches to meet the unique needs and industries that these individuals work in. In contrast to elite sporting settings, where SEPP is often embedded into sport programs and organizations, performance psychology within the performing arts comprises a variety of operational and service-delivery models and is often limited in scope by the lack of funding support for professional health services. Furthermore, specialist training and supervision for psychologists wishing to work within this area are required to ensure the profession meets a growing need to develop appropriate knowledge and skills related to the various performing-arts contexts in which a SEPP practitioner may work. The following article outlines the author's experiences working within the performing-arts sector, including learning and recommendations for other practitioners considering coaching or consulting with this interesting yet distinctive population.