Sport Psychology Improving your soft skills and counselling skills as well as being humble in applied practice

The importance  of counselling skills (Humanistic) and or Gestalt depending upon your bag is a pre requisite now and a necessity for all BASES Sport Psychology (Scientific Support) Accreditation and so the importance of these skills, counselling, empathy and listening skills have been highlighted by BASES. However, how many of us perhaps look beyond the counselling certificates and diploma's that are available and challenge our 'comfortableness' as sport psychologists with working in the voluntary sector, albeit wit the homeless or within charity work to improve our soft skills and indeed be humbled by what us outside the big arena of the greed within certain professional sports.

Having spent an evening with the homeless on the streets of London recently and speaking and listening to their experiences, it really hit home for me, how cushioned and indeed the question what are we doing as sport psychologists and sport scientists to assist with the those who are less privileged an indeed are out in on the streets, perhaps dreaming to be the next David Beckham and or Mark Ramprakash, however due to circumstance and finding themselves on the street and homeless, unable for the moment to be able to fulfil and live and be their potential. What can we do?

I think a lot..We as professionals and i think istadia could give to a charity perhaps to Centrepoint whereby i am a commited giver each month. I think we ALL can give and think more for those who could have more and have the opportunity in this country, indeed in London, who do not readily have these opportunities.  One of my Sport Psychology Supervisee students Rebecca Symes is giving her time to being a Princes Trust Mentor and also works (voluntarily for the Rainbow Trust) for young business people first starting up businesses.The skills and experience learnt from the charity and voluntary sector can be fulfilling and indeed a fantastic platform to improve your self -awareness and  development and assist more importantly for others and to enable them to be more aware and fulfil their potential. Being a humanist is and was for me spending an evening with the homeless in London a truly humbling experience.