The Use of Hypnosis in an Applied Sport Psychology Setting

Abstract

Many psychologists are becoming involved in helping sportspeople to prepare for competition. These psychologists have a number of techniques at their disposal and one of these is hypnosis. There are benefits in using hypnosis with sportspeople but some misconceptions about its nature need to be overcome. This article outlines how hypnosis has been introduced and used at the South Australian Sports Institute and consideration is given to how it can be used with other techniques, to help sportspeople achieve their goals. Two case studies are presented, together with guidelines on the use of hypnosis in an applied sport psychology setting.