Is This The Best Terminology?
Before I get into the core premise of this article, which is to compare and contrast the process of receiving and delivering sports psychology sessions via WebCam versus in-person sessions, I want to spend a few minutes just discussing terminology and labels.
You may want to put on your hard hat for this, as it’s a minefield 🪖.
The term most commonly used in scientific research is sports cyberpsychology. You’ll see this term commonly referenced at the bottom of this article, where I’ve included numerous references showing the effectiveness of sports psychology sessions via WebCam. Big thanks to my colleague, Dr Michelle Pain, for helping me with the research for this article.
And perhaps it’s just my personal opinion, but the word “cyber” immediately makes me think of the movie “Terminator 2” and antivirus software on your PC.
It goes without saying that at Condor Performance, we will not adopt this label to refer to our primary webcam-based mental toughness training.
ChatGPT made these suggestions:
❓Video-Based Sport Psychology [Sessions]
❓ Webcam-Based Sport Psychology [Sessions]
❓Virtual Sport Psychology [Sessions]
❓Remote Sport Psychology [Sessions]
❓Online Sport Psychology [Session]
It would be fantastic if you could use the comments section at the bottom of this article to pick the one that you think is the most appropriate and provide a quick rationale for why ⬇️ .
Without wanting to influence you, my favourite is ‘webcam-based Sport Psychology’. In the fewest possible words, this literally describes the work that we do most of the time. In fact, one of our sport psychologists has such a strong preference for delivering sessions this way that she no longer conducts any in-person consultations. And therefore it would not be incorrect to refer to her as a webcam-based Sport Psychologist (yes, she has the endorsement). If we were looking to start an acronym for this type of mental training, it might be wbSP.
For those who think that, eventually, the term Performance Psychology will subsume Sport psychology (listen to this Podcast for more on this), it would simply be Webcam-Based Performance Psychology (wbPP).
When Did It All Start?
I can’t recall the exact date, but the first session I (and, by extension, anyone at Condor Performance) delivered, in which the client was not in the same room, was a phone session with a New Zealand-based weightlifter.
It was around 2006, and although Skype was available, it was too unreliable compared with a phone connection. This New Zealand athlete found me (it was just me then) online (no idea how) and asked whether phone sessions were possible. I say fine, and we have never looked back.
So you can imagine the euphoria when, a couple of years later, we (2 or 3 of us by then) started delivering our first sessions via webcam. Although Skype was far from perfect at the time, it did the job. It’s almost as if the technology was invented for sport psychology and for sport psychologists.
As the years passed and we grew, and as technology improved, it became increasingly clear to us that we needed to deliver sessions (a core part of our monthly approach to mental training) this way.
Which Platforms Are Best?
Zoom is the most widely used video conferencing platform globally and at Condor Performance.
Google Meets and Microsoft Teams would be the silver and bronze medalists at this stage. Although we’re not at that point yet, our preference is to ask the client which platform they are most comfortable with and use it.
I imagine a time when, in training the next generation of Sports Psychologists, it will be necessary to become highly proficient with all the leading platforms (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, and Webex).
Pros and Cons
There is one genuine and unavoidable advantage of a session that takes place when the performance client and the performance psychologist are in the same room (we call these Same Place Sessions). The psychologist can observe the individual’s entire body language.
By this, I mean they can see their arms and legs. Typically, webcam-to-webcam images show only the upper body, so facial expressions are visible, but overall body language is obscured (out of view).
How important is it for a sports psychologist to observe a client’s body language during sessions? Answer: not that important.
The face will provide us with almost everything that we need to know in this regard. Don’t get me wrong, we are fascinated by both understanding and helping our clients improve their body language, but not so much within the consulting process, and much more so when they’re under the pressure of sporting competitions. I would much rather receive video footage of my client’s body language whilst they are competing than ask them to sit further away from their WebCam so that I can see them from head to toe.
Psychological Safety
Some clients, especially new ones, may feel slightly more comfortable in a consulting room with the door closed. However, a highly skilled practitioner (we only allow such practioners to join our team) should be able to recommend various ways in which sports psychology sessions via WebCam can provide the same degree of psychological safety.
And of course, there are advantages to doing everything with a webcam.
Arguably, the biggest is the unbelievable convenience of this approach. Given the nature of our work, a significant portion involves consulting with elite athletes who spend considerable time “on the road”.
Imagine this scenario. One team member is working with two professional cricketers, each playing for a different IPL franchise. The sessions take place seamlessly from the comfort of these players’ hotel rooms. Neither athlete knows that the following day they will be competing against a fellow Condor Performance client. Further benefits include:
- No travel required by either party
- Use of screensharing and online whiteboards
- Very easy to record sessions if required/requested.
One Advantage That Trumps Them All
In terms of the number of qualified sport/performance psychologists we have, I gather we are now “top 3” in the world. By Feb 2026, we will have a consulting team of fourteen. Although most of them are still based in Australia, we do not have a single geographical home or headquarters. With the addition of Alexandra Mapstone, based in Liverpool (Merseyside), we now have consultants across six different time zones.
We are now contacted by about eighty potential clients per month (if you want to be one of them, contact us now). And most of these performers have preferences. Some want to work with a psychologist of a specific gender; others prefer someone who ‘really knows their sport’. And then the biggest request of them all. When the sessions can and can’y take place.
Now imagine the above, and on top of this, they want Same Place Sessions in Brisbane (for example). We now have an excellent performance psychologist in Brisbane, but he’s unavailable at that time and may be the wrong gender.
So when the enquiry comes through, and there is a willingness (or even preference) for a Webcam-Based Sport Psychology sessions, it becomes far easier for our New Enquiries Officers to book them in with a sport or performance psychologist based on their preferences.
Let me give you an example:
If the potential client is based in Sydney (NSW, Australia) and wants sessions at 7 pm on a Thursday, their time, this will be difficult for most of our East Coast (of Australia) psychologists. But if the sessions are via webcam, it is 5 pm for Jack (starting in 2026) in Perth and mid-morning for Alexandra in the UK. Happy days.
Evidence Brief: The Efficacy of Online Sport Psychology Consulting
Historically, face-to-face interaction was considered the “gold standard” for psychological support. However, a growing body of academic literature indicates that online delivery (telehealth/videoconferencing) is not merely a substitute but a distinct modality that offers equivalent therapeutic outcomes and, in specific contexts regarding accessibility and consistency, superior benefits for athletes.
1. Equivalence in Outcomes and Skill Acquisition
Research confirms that delivering mental skills training (MST)—such as imagery, self-talk, and anxiety regulation—is highly effective in digital formats.
- Effectiveness: Studies indicate that digital and remote interventions yield significant improvements in psychological skills and performance outcomes, comparable to traditional methods (Ong & Chua, 2021).
- Continuity: General reviews of telemental health (TMH) consistently show that clinical outcomes across various settings are equivalent to in-person care (Hilty et al., 2013).
2. The “Therapeutic Alliance” Remains Intact
The primary predictor of successful consulting is the therapeutic alliance—the trust and bond between athlete and practitioner. Sceptics often fear this is lost through a screen, but evidence suggests otherwise.
- Building Trust: Qualitative research on the lived experiences of athletes and practitioners shows that the “building blocks” of the alliance (trust, safety, and empathy) are consistently maintained in online settings (Williams, Lugo, & Firth, 2022).
- Focus on the Work: The medium of communication is less critical than the practitioner’s ability to facilitate a person-centred environment.
3. Advantages: Accessibility, Flexibility, and Reduced Stigma
Online consulting addresses barriers unique to the sports environment, including travel schedules and the stigma associated with seeking help.
- Stigma Reduction: Athletes, who often fear being perceived as “mentally weak,” may be more willing to engage in online counselling due to the privacy of accessing services from their own space rather than walking into a public clinic (Bird et al., 2018).
- Crisis Management & Travel: Post-pandemic analysis of high-performance sport psychology shows that online consulting allows for immediate “crisis” access and continuity of care while athletes are travelling for competition—support that was previously impossible with a rigid face-to-face model (Oblinger-Peters et al., 2023).
Conclusion
The academic evidence supports the use of online sport psychology as a primary service delivery method. It maintains the same high standard of care for the therapeutic relationship and skill development while providing greater consistency for athletes with demanding schedules.
References
Bird, M. D., Chow, G. M., Meir, G., & Freeman, J. (2018). Student-athletes and non-athletes’ stigma and attitudes toward seeking online and face-to-face counselling. The Sport Psychologist, 32(3), 202–211. https://doi.org/10.1123/tsp.2017-0063
Hilty, D. M., Ferrer, D. C., Parish, M. B., Johnston, B., Callahan, E. J., & Yellowlees, P. M. (2013). The effectiveness of telemental health: A 2013 review. Telemedicine and e-Health, 19(6), 444–454. https://doi.org/10.1089/tmj.2013.0075
Oblinger-Peters, V., Krenn, B., Moesch, K., & Håkansson, A. (2023). Lessons learned: Sport psychology practitioners’ experiences of working in performance sport during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Applied Sport and Exercise Psychology, 5(1), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1026/2941-7597/a000001
Ong, N. C., & Chua, J. H. (2021). Effects of an app-based mental skills training intervention on psychological skills and sports performance. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 19(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/1612197X.2020.1739110
Williams, J., Lugo, R. G., & Firth, A. M. (2022). Exploring the therapeutic alliance and race from sports psychologists’ and athletes’ lived experiences: A pilot study. Heliyon, 8(1), e08736. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e08736
