Getting Established in Applied Sport Psychology : An Examination of Two Experienced Nordic Practitioners’ Stories About Their Transition into Establishment

Abstract: This qualitative study explored sport psychologists’ transition into professional establishment through the stories of two highly experienced Nordic sport psychology practitioners. At the time of the study, the two males (named Charlie and Billie for the study) had worked applied with clients for more than 20 years and were each holding a master’s degree in sport psychology. Narrative interviews were administered to investigate the participants’ stories of the transition from novice professional to experienced professional practitioner, with each interview lasting about one and a half hour. Additionally, participants were enquired on one follow up interview each to allow for further elaboration. The researcher then took the position of the story analyst (Smith, 2017) and conducted a thematic narrative analysis based on the gathered data. A narrative theme of “paving the way” emerged, relating to how the participants had to create their own work within a field that was not yet nationally developed or recognized and, as a consequence of this, had to pave the way for sport and exercise psychology as a professional and an academic field in their respective country. The findings are discussed based on common and individual reflections between the participants in relation to the overall narrative theme, their transition in general, previous literature, and theoretical frameworks. The practical implications provided by this study may assist novice and semi-experienced practitioners striving to get established, as well as supervisors and educational institutions to better support and prepare students for their upcoming careers as applied sport psychologists.