Acceptance and Commitment Approaches for Athletes’ Wellbeing and Performance

Elite sport can be an unforgiving and harsh environment. This book explores psychological predictors of wellbeing and performance excellence in elite level athletes, and presents an innovative approach for optimizing mental wellbeing and sporting performance. Jointly developed by performance psychologists, clinical psychologists and sport scientists the Flexible Mind approach draws on contemporary psychological theory and research to help athletes build ‘psychological flexibility’ - the ability to experience challenging thoughts and emotions and still be true to one’s values. A range of case studies relating to different sports are used to demonstrate how three core components - Being Present, Being Open and Doing What Matters - can improve athletes’ performance and wellbeing. This book will be a game-changing resource for sports psychologists, mental health practitioners, coaches and support staff who are committed to helping athletes to excel and stay well.

“This book provides the reader with solid theory and research on the psychological issues that face athletes. And then, they go one step further and provide a very engaging read, with memorable ways to enliven the work, and it all comes together as a very useful resource. I can see this as being very welcomed by all those who work with athletes. A great handbook to give to coaches. Many aspiring athletes are still very young adolescents and helping them manage their skill along with their mental wellbeing is critical. If you work in this field, I think this is essential.” (Louise Hayes, PhD, clinical psychologist, author of The Thriving Adolescent, Your Life Your Way, and Get out of Your Mind and Into Your Life for Teens) 

“Our ability to learn, unlearn and relearn is one of the biggest differences in forming high performance cultures. The authors offer us a rich supply of research, tips and techniques to speed and facilitate this process. This bookis an invaluable resource.” (Damian Hughes, Visiting Professor of Organisational Psychology and Change, author and co-host of The High Performance Podcast)

“Psychological flexibility is thundering into sport and mental performance coaching because it opens up new and effective ways to think about training, toughness, competition, and life balance. The Flexible Mind leaves no stone unturned in its honest, thorough, and skillful application of the model to that most human of all human behaviors: organized athletic competition. I learned something on almost every page. Highly recommended.” (Steven C. Hayes, Foundation Professor of Psychology, University of Nevada, Reno and originator of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy or Training)

“This is an important book: accessible, practical but with real substance. It distils one of the fastest growing models of how humans react to their situation and tailors it beautifully to the needs of athletes and their coaches. In a world ofindividual, gimmicky ideas, its expert authors bring you real science applied to real performance and well-being issues.” (Dr Ray Owen, Consultant Clinical & Health Psychologist. Author of Facing the Storm & Living with Enemy)

“This is an essential guide for anyone coaching athletes towards excellence. Grounded in the latest behavioural science and based on a powerful behavioural change model, this ground-breaking, practical, and clearly presented programme will help athletes to develop resilience and achieve peak performance in the high-pressure context of elite sport. I cannot recommend this book enough.” (Dr Mike Sinclair, Consultant Counselling Psychologist, Clinical Director of City Psychology Group, and co-author of Mindfulness for Busy People, The Little ACT Workbook, The Little Depression Workbook and The Little Anxiety Workbook)

“This book provides a comprehensive toolbox of evidence-based insights driving elevated athletic performance. However, the benefits are not limited to athletes. Rather, this exceptional text simultaneously opens the door to enhanced outcomes across a range of personal and professional settings. If you’re looking to take your game to a new level in any key area of life, this is your ticket!” (Bradford Cooper, PhD, CEO of US Corporate Wellness, Co-Founder of Catalyst Coaching Institute, Host of Catalyst Health, Wellness & Performance Coaching Podcast)

“An essential read for anyone in the field of sports psychology. Whether you work with professional or amateur athletes, you’ll find many practical tools within these pages that you can instantly start using for good results. If you’re keen to improve not only the mental health of athletes, but also their performance under pressure, and their life satisfaction outside the sport, this book is for you!” (Dr Russ Harris, Author of The Happiness Trap and ACT Made Simple)

“The Flexible Mind...a book I wish I had when I was doing my training nearly 20 years ago!A great blend of empiricism and application of ACT with athletes to promote both performance and wellbeing. This book will provide practitioners with the needed guidance as they hone their craft in promoting psychological flexibility.” (Jonah Oliver, National Performance Psychology Lead, Australian Institute of Sport)

“If you are interested in improving athletes’ wellbeing and performance then this book is an absolute must buy. It is scientifically solid, intensely practical and at the cutting edge of innovation, providing you with a comprehensive manual with a step-by-step guide for delivering The Flexible Mind approach. This book is a game changer.” (Joe Oliver, founder of Contextual Consulting and author of The Mindfulness and Acceptance Workbook for Self-Esteem)

“Using key concepts and practices from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy/Training, The Flexible Mind approach has the power to enhance sporting performance AND optimise wellbeing - it's literally a win-winfor elite athletes!  This practitioner's guide will bring the reader up to speed with the approach and help supercharge their practice.” (Dr Mary Welford, author of Compassionate Mind Guide to Building Self Confidence, Compassion Focused Therapy for Dummies and The Kindness Workbook)

“The Flexible Mind comes at a timely point in the world of high performance. By drawing on the work of reputable practitioners and a rigorous evidence base, this book provides a novel approach to developing and sustaining an optimal balance between performance excellence, mental health and wellbeing. An authoritative resource to usher-in the ‘WExceLLence’ era of high performance.” (Dr Chris Hartley, HCPC Sport & Exercise Psychologist, Lecturer at the University of Stirling)

“The book provides cutting edge, up to date coverage of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy/Training concepts and practical innovations using accessible language, metaphors and illustrations. Evidence supporting the innovations is presented in clear and digestible ways, and skills are provided in each chapter to help athletes excel not only their performance but their wellbeing also. I highly recommend this excellent book.” (Louise McHugh, Professor of Psychology, University College Dublin, Peer reviewed ACT Trainer)

“This is a comprehensive resource for both experts and beginners in work with athletes. The writers creatively yet deliberately offer an approach that is user-friendly. They bring to life Acceptance and Commitment Training processes that athletes will embrace. Everyone working with athletes should read this book. If you care about the wellbeing and performance of athletes, then get started on the journey towards ‘WExeLLence’ with The Flexible Mind!!” (Dr Rosco Kasujja, Senior Lecturer, School of Psychology, Makerere University)

“The Flexible Mind is built from evidence-based processes, it is clear in its rationale, and it offers the practitioner a concrete and engagingprogram to use in their work. Any person wishing to positively impact both the performance and the wellbeing of their athletes should look no further than this book. In fact, I am convinced that acceptance-based interventions in sport are going to grow in stature in the coming years, and I think this book will be at the forefront of that growth.” (Dr Nic Hooper, Senior Lecturer of Psychology, and author of The Unbreakable Student)

“The Flexible Mind is a must read for professionals who care for the mental health of athletes. The authors make a substantial and thought-provoking contribution to how Acceptance and Commitment Approaches can be used to support athletes experiencing challenges with mental health and performance. This book will make an excellent contribution to psychology training to improve the lives of athletes.” (Dr Gavin Breslin, Senior Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Psychology, Ulster University, and author of Mental Health and Wellbeing Interventions in Sport: Research, Theory and Practice; Practitioner Case Studies in Sport and Exercise Psychology; and Understanding Sport Psychology)

“This book provides a comprehensive, evidence-based approach to promoting mental health and athletic performance. It shows how the two are interconnected and inseparable. The book provides a ton of step-by-step, practical interventions. You can return to the book again and again to expand your intervention toolbox. This book is an essential addition to any sporting library.” (Joseph Ciarrochi, Professor of Psychology, Australian Catholic University, and author of The Thriving Adolescent and Your Life Your Way)

“Some approaches are enlivening and inspirational but aren’t supported by science. Other approaches might be backed up by good evidence but aren’t accessible or usable. The Flexible Mind is a rare gem that inspires the heart and guides the mind using the cutting edge of our science, with a whole lot of soul. I give this book my highest recommendation.” (Dennis Tirch, Founding Director of The Center for Compassion Focused Therapy, and author of Experiencing ACT from the Inside Out, and The ACT Practitioner's Guide to the Science of Compassion: Tools for Fostering Psychological Flexibility)

“An excellent introduction to The Flexible Mind approach and key reading for those interested in using Mindfulness- and Acceptance-Based approaches in sport. The authors have developed a very accessible and informative book packed with helpful vignettes, practice guides, case examples, and session plans.” (Chris Wagstaff, Reader in Applied Psychology at University of Portsmouth and Senior Performance Psychologist at Changing Minds UK)

Ross G. White is Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Liverpool, UK. He undertakes consultancy work in elite sport environments including providing mental health support to a Premier League Football Club academy and a Pro-14 Rugby Team. 

Lewis Charnock is a BASES accredited sport scientist (psychology) and Performance Psychologist at Everton Football Club Academy, UK. He has substantial experience working in youth and elite sport settings. 

Stephen Leckey is Lecturer in Sports Coaching at Ayrshire College, UK, having previously completed a PhD assessing mental toughness in Rugby Union. He is also Director of a sports performance consultancy, Athlete Focused. 

Victoria Penpraze is Senior Lecturer in Physiology and Sport Science at the University of Glasgow, UK. In a consultancy role she has more than 15 years’ experience providing sports science support and research within elite rugby, football and golf.

Andrew Bethell is a clinical psychologist. Andrew trained at the University of Liverpool, UK and currently provides mental health support to individual athletes, teams and staff groups across several high performance sport environments in the United Kingdom.