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RESOURCES FOR SPORTS MEDICINE PROFESSIONALS

CCSPA provides evidence-based resources that support ethical, interdisciplinary collaboration, helping sports medicine and allied providers integrate psychological factors into care while respecting scope of practice and medical decision-making.

Sports medicine professionals play a critical role in supporting athletes through injury, recovery, return-to-play decisions, and long-term health. Physical recovery is only one component of successful rehabilitation—psychological readiness, confidence, and emotional regulation are equally essential to safe and effective outcomes.

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CCSPA provides evidence-based resources to support collaboration between sports medicine and mental performance professionals. These resources are designed to help athletic trainers, physicians, dietitians, and allied providers recognize psychological factors that influence recovery, integrate mental skills into care plans, and refer appropriately when additional support is needed.

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CCSPA promotes ethical, interdisciplinary approaches that enhance athlete care while respecting professional roles, scope of practice, and medical decision-making.

Therapy Band Exercise
How can Sport Psychology Services Help Sports Medicine Professionals?
Injury Recovery & Rehabilitation

Sport Psychology professionals can help providers learn:

  • Psychological responses to injury (fear, frustration, identity disruption)

  • Supporting motivation, adherence, and confidence during rehab

  • Mental strategies that complement physical rehabilitation plans

Return-to-Play & Psychological Readiness

Sport Psychology professionals can help providers learn:

  • Differentiating physical clearance from psychological readiness

  • Recognizing fear of re-injury and hesitation during return

  • Supporting graded exposure and confidence rebuilding

  • Recognizing athletic burnout that impedes recovery

Integrated & Interdisciplinary Care

Sport Psychology professionals can help providers learn:

  • Best practices for collaboration between sports medicine and psychology

  • Communication across disciplines while maintaining scope and ethics

  • Coordinated care for high-risk or high-pressure athletes

  • How to effectively implement Mental Health Screeners

Referring to Professionals for Help

Sport Psychology professionals can help providers learn:

  • Red flags that suggest an athlete may need mental health support

  • The difference between mental skills coaching and mental health therapy

  • How to involve mental performance or mental health professionals appropriately

Seeking Self-Help

Sport Psychology professionals can help providers learn:

  • Signs that staff may need their own mental health support

  • How to manage work-life balance, burnout, compassion fatigue, and secondary stress in sports medicine

  • How to develop healthy relationships with co-workers and staff

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