Author | Performance Psychologist
BA(Hons) Psychology, Dip. SOC, MCET
OPSMC - Geelong Campus

Richard Bennett has been a practicing psychologist for fifteen years. After three years mastering his skills in the fields of Clinical, Counseling and Health Psychology, Richard opened his private practice thesurfersmind.com and began pioneering the field of Surf Psychology. Richard was the first psychologist to travel globally on the Association of Surfing Professionals World Tour. For four years he conducted applied research and worked closely with many of the world's top competitive surfers, free surfers and extreme big wave riders. His pioneering work culminated in the release of his seminal book "The surfer's mind: The complete, practical guide to surf psychology" in 2004.

In 2005 Richard commenced at the NSW Institute of Sport and for the next six years worked with emerging through to elite athletes and teams from more than thirty sports. As an integral member of the Sport Science Sport Medicine team for each sport, Richard also worked closely with coaches on athlete management and coach development.

Richard has served in several senior positions for Australian Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth Games campaigns and for Australian Institute of Sport and Olympic Winter Institute of Australia Development Squad and National Team programs. In 2010 he was appointed Principal Psychologist for the Australian Paralympic Committee to lead psychology servicing for the 2012 Australian Paralympic Team campaign in London.

Richard has expertise with a diverse range of "performers" including singers, dancers, actors/actresses, musicians, writers, artists, extreme athletes and adventurers, corporate managers and board level executives. Richard has also been an active environmentalist for more than twenty years, applying his knowledge and skills in Eco Psychology to cultivate mindfulness and harmony with our natural environment.

Richard is available for appointment with athletes and performers only and joins the OPSMC team at the Geelong Campus in August 2011.

Qualifications:

• Registered Psychologist, Psychology Board of Australia
• Honors Degree in Psychology, Deakin University, Geelong
• Bachelor of Arts - Majors in Psychology and Sociology, Deakin University, Geelong
• Diploma of Solution Oriented Counseling, Centre of Effective Therapy, Melbourne
• Advanced Training in the Reiki Method of Natural Healing, Denise & John Crundall USUI SHIKI RYOHO, Warrnambool

Involvement with Teams and Associations:

Current

• Principal Psychologist at Australian Paralympic Committee
• Principal Psychologist - Australian Paralympic Team, 2012 London Campaign

Previous

• Senior Psychologist - NSW Institute of Sport, 2005-2011
• Performance Psychologist - Australian Institute of Sport, 2005-2010
• Performance Psychologist - Olympic Winter Institute of Australia, 2006-2010
• National Team Psychologist - 2010 Commonwealth Games, Delhi, India
• National Team Psychologist - 2010 Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada
• Principal Psychologist - 2008 Paralympic Games, Beijing, China
• National Team Psychologist - 2008 Olympic Games, Beijing, China
• National Team Psychologist - 2006 Commonwealth Games, Melbourne, Australia
• Surf Psychologist - Association of Surfing Professionals World Tour, Global, 2000-2003
• Senior Psychologist - Portland Community Psychiatric Service, Portland, Victoria, 1997-1999

Professional Memberships, Associations & Affiliations:

• Centre of Effective Therapy, Melbourne, Australia
• Surfers Medical Association, Aptos, California, USA
• Surfing Australia's National Coaching Advisory Panel, Casuarina, Australia

Greatest sporting moments…

…have all happened in the ocean