FAQ - Keerthana Swaminathan

FAQs

How can you help us?

Can help with either working on the athletes’ or team’s mindset or can also work on creating a better performance environment for the athletes. A diagnosis of the issue will be done followed by the planning and execution of the intervention which will include sessions or group sessions or workshops for the required individuals

Will you take workshops for coaches?

Yes of course

Will you take workshops for parents or athletes?

Can be done for both

Will you work with academies, organizations, and individuals outside of Chennai?

Yes, it will be partly in-person and partly online.

Why is it important for us to create a better environment for our athletes?

Athletes look for role models everywhere. Parents and coaches are very important role models. If the environment is not conducive to grow, then there are chances that they chose to quit or underperform. When the environment is conducive for growth, they end up performing better and sustaining it for a longer period of time.

How old does the athlete need to be to work with you?

To engage my services, I require that the athlete is a minimum of 8 years old. There is no upper limit on the ages of the athletes I will work with.

How can you help us as an organization?

I can help you to either work on your organisational culture and transform it, or conduct workshops on particular topics or have individual sessions for your employees. I will help them perform better and still focus on their well-being. Both are not mutually exclusive.

Do you work with the clinical population?

No I don’t work with a clinical population

What is the minimum age of starting mental conditioning?

The minimum age would be 8 years.

What is the usual procedure when you work with a client?

I would conduct an intake session along with an assessment with the client, after which depending on the assessment, I would be suggesting the next steps.

Do you work exclusively with learning disabilities?

If the athlete has issues pertaining to performance or sport, I would be working on that even if he/she does have a learning disability. However, I would not be working specifically with learning disabilities.

Which are the sports you work with?

The sports I work with range from badminton, to swimming, chess, motorsports, shooting, snooker, billiards, etc

Do you help runners and cyclists achieve their goals?

Yes, I do.

Do you think I can overcome my mental roadblocks?

Yes, with my techniques, assessments, and exercises, I am confident that you can overcome your mental roadblocks.

How can you help me achieve my goals?

I assess you during the intake session and work on the identified problems

Do I have to be a full-time athlete to come to you?

Not at all. You can come to me even if you are pursuing your sport only part-time or even as a hobby. The only criteria I have is that you want to improve your performance.

Do you help with eating disorders?

Yes, I can help with basic ones, not ones that have been clinically diagnosed.

Do you help with lifestyle modifications in terms of sleep, food habits, alcohol habits, exercises?

Yes, I provide help with lifestyle modifications.

Would you help me get into a healthier lifestyle or a sustainable one?

Yes, I have services designed specifically to help you with that goal.

When working with a client, what values do you follow?

Trustworthiness – To create a safe space for my client to express themselves.
Empathy – Every human being has a story, accordingly judgement and bias should be avoided from the parent and athlete’s perspective.
Acceptance – Everyone has reasons for their behaviour and makes mistakes, so they should be accepted for who they are.
Empowerment – Work with the client to make them independent.
Balance/stability – To encourage my client to lean towards both rather than going towards any extreme
Client-centric approach – To put my client and their needs first above anything else
Ethics – To maintain strict client confidentiality/privacy and neutrality in my dealings with them
Process-oriented – When focusing on performance; look for long-term results rather than short-term gains

What is your school of thought when it comes to sports psychology and behaviour transformation?

My school of thought is to offer empathy and neutrality, diagnose rather than advice to help the client reach their true identity, and removes all labels from the situation to encourage the client to feel free while performing and growing. I show the client that they can achieve a balance between high-performance and also feel happy and free all the time. I do not believe in quick fixes or short-term cures; I spend time with you to diagnose your challenge and offer scientifically-tested interventions to improve your performance for a lifetime.