Some Of The Different Models Incorporated Within The Workshops And Private Consultations:
Sports Psychology
Sports Psychology is used throughout the work we do. It is the practical application of psychological principles in a sports setting. It covers such issues as Mental Toughness, effective goal setting, understanding motivation, building confidence, using imagery, changing the channel on negative self-talk and using it to improve your performance and confidence. Considering stress and pressure, and ways of handling these and the art of surviving difficult times.
NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming)
NLP is often used for ‘fast’ or accelerated change. It is known for being one of the quickest ways to help delete negative emotions and replace them with new positive thoughts and behaviours, improving many difficulties including overcoming fears, anxieties, phobias, and improving self-confidence.
Neuro: (Neurology) – The Mind and How We Think –
Our direct experience of the world comes to the brain via the nervous system. We use our senses to interact with the world. Every new thought and behaviour we have produces a new ‘connection’. It is useful to think of it as the pathways/connections we use all the time (when you unconsciously do the same thing), are well travelled thought patterns! Sometimes they lead us to think, feel and behave in a way that is not helpful. This also includes an understanding of how we store our memories, whether they are positive or negative and the effect of our imagination.
Linguistic: – How We Use Language and How It Affects Us –
How we use language to give order and meaning to our senses. We have our own unique ‘understanding’ of our own world, (our beliefs) how that impacts on us and how we express it to ourselves and others. We look at how language can be utilised to make significant changes to our beliefs and the way we feel.
Programming: – How We Sequence Our Actions To Achieve Our Goals –
A great deal of our behaviour runs in unconscious patterns that we are not aware of. This is great if they are working constructively for us, but very stressful if they are not!
We have a way, using a collection of powerful techniques, to influence our brain’s behaviour, though the use of language and other types of communication to help us ‘recode’ the way we respond to certain stimuli. NLP has proven to be extremely effective for riders in helping to change thought and behaviour patterns when riding.
Hypnotherapy
Hypnosis is one of the most powerful ways to regain your confidence. It works at a much deeper level and you can alter how you think and feel with the use of this very relaxing and enjoyable way of working.
Hypnosis has been around for thousands of years in virtually all cultures around the world. It has been proven as a powerful and effective technique particularly suitable for helping riders make positive changes to the way they think, feel and react when riding. It is useful for many emotional and psychological problems and is used extensively by many psychotherapists, psychologists and psychiatrists. Hypnosis has been adapted for use in many areas of medicine and has been approved for use by the British Medical Association since 1955 and by the American Medical Association since 1958.
You cannot just tell yourself to be brave, it’s not something you can change consciously.The mind works both consciously and unconsciously. Lasting changes need to take place at an unconscious level and this is why hypnotherapy has been so successful with horse riders. We change patterns of behaviour within the mind and make those significant positive changes you are looking for to increase your confidence safely at a deeper level than any other way of working.
Visualisation
The use of visualisation is extremely beneficial. Because our unconscious does not register the difference between what we visualise and what is actually happening, the use of visualsation plays a very important part in making big changes.
An Australian Psychologist, Alan Richardson took a group of basketball players, divided them in 3 groups and tested each player’s ability to make free throws. In the experiment, he asked the 3 groups to take part by:
- Group one would practice 20 minutes every day.
- Group two would only visualise themselves making free throws, but were not allowed to practice for real.
- Group three not not practice or visualise at all.
The results were amazing. There was significant improvement on the group that only visualised; they were almost as good as the players who actually practiced. Group three came a poor third.
There are lots of work we can do simply with guided visualisation.
Timeline Therapy
Using Timeline Therapy will help you gain emotional control when you need it the most. Limiting decisions, (I’m not good enough/I don’t ride well enough/etc) can hamper your ability to create reachable goals. There are many techniques in Timeline Therapy which can enable riders to move forwards towards their dreams and goals. It is also a great tool to help rider clarify any confusion that stops them making any important changes.
Transactional Analysis Therapy
Transactional Analysis is one of the most accessible theories of modern psychology and has wide application in clinical, therapeutic and personal development. It is especially important for riders to understand and is covered in virtually all my work with riders. TA is:
- a theory of personality
- a model of communication
- a study of repetitive patterns of behaviour
Often we repeat thoughts, feelings and behaviour and feel trapped by these. TA is a very exciting and useful method to help riders understand what is happening in different situations.
Gestault Therapy
Considering what is truly experienced rather than what is your ‘interpretation’ of events, we explore thoughts, feelings, behavious, beliefs and values in order to develop awareness of how you respond to situations and events in your life and with your horse. This gives you the opportunity to identify your choices, your patterns of behaviour and any obstacles that hold you back.
