#251 Dr Carla Edwards - Athlete Maltreatment in Sport

I’m delighted to speak to Dr Carla Edwards in this week’s episode. Carla is a psychiatrist whose practice focuses on the treatment of mental illness and psychological struggles in athletes.   Carla completed her Bachelor of Science and Masters’ degrees in Chemistry at Mount Allison University. While completing her degrees, she also competed on their varsity volleyball team, accumulating such awards as Conference Rookie of the Year and First Team All Star for each of her five years of competition. She was inducted into the Newfoundland and Labrador Sport Hall of Fame in 2015. Carla obtained her medical degree at Memorial University of Newfoundland before completing a psychiatry residency at McMaster University. She has been an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry in the Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences at McMaster University since 2005.  Carla is President at the International Society for Sports Psychiatry which aims to carry the science and practice of psychiatry to the athletic community, so that all people may enjoy the benefits of healthy participation in sports. The Society develops the field of sports psychiatry and advocates for mental health and wellness in sports. Carla also holds leadership positions with the Canadian Academy of Sports and Exercise Medicine, Student Athlete Mental Health Initiative, and U SPORTS. Additionally, Carla is involved with the Safe Sport International Athlete Working Group, the Canadian Football League mental health program and the NCAA Mental Health Advisory Group. Drawing from her extensive experience working with athletes Carla has written a paper entitled “Athlete Maltreatment in Sport” which we discuss in detail. You can find the paper here: https://www.sportsmed.theclinics.com/article/S0278-5919(23)00068-6/fulltext

Om Podcasten

Join Sport Psychologist, Dan Abrahams, on The Sport Psych Show as he aims to demystify sport psychology for players, coaches and parents by speaking with some of the most influential people in sports performance today. Dan is on a mission to learn more about how sport psychology philosophies, tools and techniques positively impact participation, progression and performance in sport. He wants to learn more about how to drive participation – what motivational tools engage players and inspire people to play and stay in their sport. He wants to explore how players can progress quicker and more effectively – what is great practice and training? And how does learning in sport really happen? Finally, he wants to hear what his guests have to say about the psychology of performance – how do they think players can improve their ability to high perform consistently under pressure? Discover simple and practical tools and techniques by listening in to Dan’s conversations with elite competitors, sports coaches, sport scientists, and psychologists.