Welcome to Sport and Performance

Complete Rider Workshops	One to One Sessions	Sport Psychology Workshops
Phil Johnson	Video Analysis & Psychology	Every Boys Dream
BBC Radio 5 Live Special	Wednesday 28th March 21.30- 23.00	Football Academies

Phil Johnson will be taking part in a discussion on professional Football Academies, and topics raised in the book by Chris Green "Every Boys Dream", led by Jonathan Legard. Phil will draw on his extensive experience from working in a number of academies; Nottingham Forest, Liverpool, Bristol Rovers, Bristol City, and Football CV. Work at other clubs, Plymouth Argyle, Swindon Town, Barnet, and Forest Green Rovers, also inform his perspective, along with time spent with parents, coaches and players.

BBC Radio 5 Live Special: Wednesday 28th March 2012 21.30 - 23.00 or listen later on BBCiPlayer

Competition anxiety / choking Or sport trauma? Read on!

Sport Trauma: Groundbreaking Interventions

In 2011 whilst writing and researching on Post Traumatic Stress amongst equestrians, Phil discovered that practitioners in the USA had developed both the concept of Sport Trauma, and were active in helping to resolve them. As a result of financial and time investment in training, and further research, Phil is now qualified in Eye Movemement Desensitisation & Reprocessing (Shapiro 2001), and Brainspotting (Grand 2003).

Being able to understand that competition anxiety, specifically identified as 'choking' in sport, often has its origins in either major traumatic events, such as career threatening injuries, but more so with an accumilation of personally experienced 'traumatic' events, which affect not only negative thoughts, limiting self belief, low mood, and so on, but directly affects physiology.

Trauma is emotional and cognitive, in the sense the we memorise traumatic events with negative thoughts, and often strong or supressed emotional feelings. However, cognitive behavioural approaches have as research indicates (Grand & Goldberg 2011), impacted little on the problem. Trauma is physical not just emotional and cognitive, and unless the approach is able to resolve and desensitise physical held trauma in the body, reprocessing of the emotion and negative thoughts is prevented.

With the interventions of EMDR, Brainspotting and Somatic Experience, Phil has enabled athletes in rugby, football, squash, equestrianism, archery, swimming, golf, skiing, running, to resolve such issues, including YIPS.

To find out more contact Phil with your concerns and arrange a brief discussion without charge.

Chartered Sport & Exercise Psychologist:

Phil Johnson B.Sc C. Psychol, AFBPS, FHEA

Dip Psych; C. Psychol; Dip Psychol Football, Fellow Higher Education Academy Dip Soc Sci CQSW Registered Practitioner (Health Professions Council) Accredited EMDR & Brainspotting Practitioner

Lecturer in Equestrian Psychology;

Lecturer in Applied Sport Psychology

Lecturer in Nutrition & Exercise Physiology

Clinical, Educational, Counselling, Performance Sport Psychologist

Phil is one of the first 160 Chartered Sport & Exercise Psychologist in the UK and FA Approved Sport Psychologists. A UEFA level 2 football coach and ex-Bolton Wanderers FC player, he is rare in the level of experience he brings to the field, literally and metaphorically.

Qualified in social work and a specialist in mental health (clinical psychology) he has worked with professional footballers at the Tony Adam’s Sporting Chance Clinic, where the focus is on recovering from addiction and life-style problems. A part-time lecturer in sport and exercise science Phil is able to bring his psychotherapy and group working skills to teams, coaches and elite athletes whatever their sport or context. Integrating psychological thinking with robust nutritional and exercise science; players and teams have felt the difference in their own health, well-being and winning performance. As an entrepreneur he has worked in both the ski and equestrian industries and has ‘coached’ ‘performance’ to businesses in the music, film, banking and IT sectors.

QUALITIES “I believe I have high level observational skills, which are key for any psychologist. I can detect a great deal from body posture, facial expression, and how well people develop ‘rapport’; their ability to communicate.” Probably the most difficult skill is listening, especially for people with a lot to say! Trust is central to any successful relationship and my practice is governed by the Code of Conduct of the British Psychological Society (BPS).

I am a specialist in the use of imagery and studied it for five years before being accredited as a teacher in imagery. See my article “On Field Discipline” ( articles). I consider myself able to understand the root cause of a problem quickly. Once identified, I can then set a strategy in place to deal with it, short-term and long-term. The pace of life today often leaves us little time to reflect, when it is often the very thing we need to do. However, reflecting with someone who will listen, is trustworthy and will give honest feedback is really the way to achieve growth and development. That’s what psychologists do well, especially in the performance context, where self-belief is crucial.

Provides Stage 2 Sport Psychology Traineeship Supervision for the British Psychological Society

SPECIALIST SPORTS

• Football is my main sport and one where I can be psychologist, coach, mentor, observer for players to coaches, manager and Board, giving an holistic approach.
• Skiing is much more the athlete and the mountain, the skis the snow, whilst the whole run is in the head! i'm a qualified ski techncian!
• Equestrianism: This has been my main sport for the last three years. The rider/horse relationship is stronger than many athletes have with their coaches! As one of handful of lecturers in Equestrian Psychology, I can relate to equine learning and behaviour, rider psychology and how they combine under equitation science. Whether you are a weekend rider, Novice eventer of 4Star / Olympic rider, I bring a wealth of knowledge and interventions that help the riding partnership to work to its best.
• Golf has such a universal need for reflection and overtakes many people’s live’s, such is the drive to do well! YIPS seems common amongst golfers, and my approaches with EMDR and Brain Spotting have significant success in these areas.
• Modern Pentathlon makes varied and significant demands on the athlete and individual sports such as tennis requires absolout focus. I'm based in the south-west of England (Bristol), but access all areas. Contact me for a range of psychological issues in sport or in life:
• Cricket demands of the individual working within the team context and has a special form of momentum.
• Squash: Another sport which is considered to be like 'chess' in terms of the psychological strategy required for success. Phil works with a range of elite squash players, and has a link with Bristol Squash Club
• Fencing; although this again is considered 'chess with swords' the 'mental game' is significant. Phil works with GB ranked and Eurpean ranked fencers in foil, epee and sabre.
• Surf; Attentional focus is critical to the three minutes competion 'window' and so mental preparation is crucial. Phil supports Croyde Surf Club, N Devon.
• Rugby Union & Rugby League, working at Premiership, Chapionship, and level and academy level, considering the team strategy, communication systems and self belief that make teams perform well at elite levels. Kicking issues are a main reason for referral.
• Swimming; has been in Phil's potfolio for several years and presents as one sport where 'overtraining syndrome' is common, especially amongst young elite swimmers. Self-esteem is a cornerstone in a swimmer's development.
• Tennis; the original home of momentum analysis, do read Andre Agassi's autobiography! A tough and sometimes lonely sport, where support is crucial, ask Andy Murray!
• Archery:
• Kayak
• Bowls
• Cycling
• Running
• Dog Agility

"Planning is everything” Eric Cantona "Life-style is 50% of performance” Arsene wenger

e su in the end it’s that psychological difference that decides whether you win or lose”

Sven Goran-Eriksson ....

le is required to be successful in sport. It’s certainly mostly a matter of psychology and in the end it’s that psychological difference that decides whether you win or lose”

Sven Goran-Eriksson ....