Performance Psychology in Action: A Casebook for Working With Athletes, Performing Artists, Business Leaders, and Professionals in High-Risk Occupations

Performance Psychology in Action: A Casebook for Working With Athletes, Performing Artists, Business Leaders, and Professionals in High-Risk Occupations Edited by Kate F. Hays Washington, DC, American Psychological Association, 2009. 337 pages, $69.95. ISBN: 978-1-4338-044-4.

This book follows on the highly successful work by the editor and her colleague Charles Brown, You're On! Consulting for Peak Performance (Washington, DC: American Psychological Association; 2004). The text gives the consultant or student a practical experience in various aspects of performance psychology. One of the frustrations of training in psychiatry and psychology is not having the opportunity to watch senior staff in action. Because of confidentiality, students may not be present during the treatment of a patient. Residents learn by describing their work to their teacher and then receiving feedback. This book takes the reader behind the scenes to the consulting office and reveals the process of consultation in transcripts as the authors describe their reasoning for choosing their particular response or technique.

There are four major sections and a conclusion. Part 1, Mental Attributes for Peak Performance, provides descriptions of the basic mental skills necessary for successful performance. One particular set of techniques...