Sport psychology consultants' experience of using hypnosis in their practice

The purpose of this study was to address sport psychology consultants' experiences of using hypnosis in their practice. Furthermore, it was the intent of this study to gain a better understanding of how hypnosis is used as a performance enhancement technique in applied sport psychology. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with six sport psychology consultants (all Ph.D.) that had training and experience related to hypnosis. From the analysis of interview data two broad categories of themes emerged: (a) Contexual Information, and (b) Interview Process. Each category consisted of three major themes. Participants discussed a number of ways hypnosis has been used in their practice to help facilitate athletic performance. In addition, participants discussed topics related to assessing if and how hypnosis was a good intervention for different clients, myths and misconceptions, legal and ethical issues, and a variety of cultural factors sport psychology consultants need to be aware of when using hypnosis with athletes. This study was exploratory in nature and provides useful information for other sport psychology consultants who might be considering incorporating hypnosis into their practice.