Becoming the Expert You Needed with Sport Psychologist Kara-Aretha Graham

Madam Athlete

On today’s episode, I’m talking to BPS Chartered Sport and Exercise Psychologist Dr. Kara-Aretha Graham about becoming the expert you needed.
Kara is currently a lecturer at East London University and a Chartered Sport Psychologist by the British Psychological Society. Her journey began during her time as a track athlete at the University of Iowa when she was diagnosed with cancer at the end of her freshman year. While she bounced back physically after treatment, she struggled mentally for months. Later, during her PhD, she was inspired to tell the experiences of NCAA women athletes as part of her thesis. While she thought she knew what she would find, Kara was still shocked by the layers of their stories and has used this to fuel her on her journey to becoming the expert psychologist she needed when she was an NCAA student-athlete.
We talk about:

• The unique demands placed on women athletes and how psychology can help.
• How the need to be perfect, which served us well in sports, can keep us from even getting started on projects in our careers.
• Sticking to your mission, even when others don’t yet see the potential.

If perfectionism is something you struggle with as well, I’ve put together a free guide on overcoming perfectionism to help you share your unique perspective with the world. You can find it at madamathlete.com/perfectionism.

You can find the show notes and more resources at https://madamathlete.com
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