Interested in becoming a Certified Mental Performance Coach, or research in the Mental Performance or sport and exercise psychology field of study? Below you will find links to interesting websites and professional organizations.
At Ithaca College, our graduate program in Mental Performance, sets you up to complete the CMPC course requirements, and begin the process of accruing mentored direct contact hours. These contact hours occur as part of being assigned to work with one of the many IC athletics teams that we provide Mental Training to.
What is a Certified Mental Performance Consultant?
From the Association for Applied Sport Psychology website: "Certification as a Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC) demonstrates to clients, employers, colleagues, and the public at large that a certified individual has met the highest standards of professional practice, including completing a combination of educational and work requirements, successfully passing a certification exam, agreeing to adhere to ethical principles and standards, and committing to ongoing professional development. These individuals have obtained objective validation of their expertise in helping clients develop and use mental, life, and self-regulatory skills to optimize performance, enjoyment, performance, and/or personal development in sport or other domains (e.g., performing arts, military). CMPCs are individuals with a master’s or doctoral degree in sport science, psychology or a closely related field who have met specific course requirements and have completed an extensive, mentored applied experience. The disciplines included within the sport psychology field applicable to those holding the CMPC designation include: clinical psychology, educational psychology and clinical mental health counseling, social work, industrial-organizational psychology, and sport psychology from a sport science basis. A CMPC may work with a wide variety of participants in sport and performance."
It is important to note that a CMPC does not engage in mental health service delivery unless they also possess the relevant training and state licensure as a mental health professional to do so.
Looking for mental skills training services?
- Finding a Certified Sport Performance Consultant https://appliedsportpsych.org/certification/cmpc-directory/
Will the Ithaca College Graduate program in Exercise and Sport Sciences prepare me for certification as a Certified Mental Performance Consultant?
Yes, it will and largely will depend on your undergraduate background. The following courses meet the course knowledge areas required:
ESSG 61400 - K1. Professional Ethics & Standards
ESSG 51200 & ESSG 51300 - K2. Sport Psychology
ESSG 52000, ESSG 53800, ESSG 52100* - K3. Sport Science (Please note that pre-reqs may be required for these courses depending on your undergraduate training. This knowledge area can also be fulfilled with undergraduate course requirements).
The K4 area: Psychopathology can be fulfilled with an undergraduate course requirement: Psych 32100 (Abnormal Psychology), and is not a required course in the curriculum. Some students may also fulfill this criteria in their undergraduate degree, depending on their background.
ESSG 51400 & ESSG 61600 - K5. Helping Relationships
ESSG 61000 & 61100 - K6. Research Methods
ESSG 64500 - K7. Psychological Foundations of Behavior
ESSG 60200 - K8. Diversity and Culture
400 Mentored experience hours: ESSG 61800 & ESSG 61900 - these courses provide the mentoring and direct contact & support activities necessary to begin the accumulation of these hours. This occurs during a student's second year of graduate study.
If you have any questions, contact me: jvosloo@ithaca.edu or our graduate program chair: dking@ithaca.edu
Want to learn more about Sport and Exercise Psychology as a discipline or field of study?
- Association for Applied Sport Psychology www.appliedsportpsych.org/
- North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity www.naspspa.org/
- American Psychological Association www.apa.org/
- American Psychological Association, Division 47 (Sport Psychology) www.apa.org/about/division/div47.aspx
- American Psychological Association, Division 38 (Health Psychology) http://www.apa.org/about/division/div38.aspx