Refers to an overall level or standard of competency
attained which, thereby, ascribes credibility and
authority to a professional. Appropriate credentials are
unique to specific professions, and may be gained
through a variety of educational and experiential opportunities
as required by local, state, national, and/or
international bodies governing that profession.
Professional credentials are usually prominently indicated
to potential consumers (e.g., resumes, electronic
signature blocks, business cards), and may be used by
consumers to discriminate among practitioners.
Examples of credentials include, but are not limited to,
educational experiences completed (e.g., certificates,
degrees), professional certifications or licensures, indications
of current or former clientele (in keeping with
ethical guidelines), and professional references.
Within the profession of sport, exercise, and performance
psychology (SEPP) in the United States, appropriate
credentials have long been controversial owing to the
profession’s considerable footholds in both sport and
exercise science and mental health occupations, which
generally require very different educational and experiential
pathways (Aoyagi, Portenga, Poczwardowski,
Cohen, & Statler, 2012). In an effort to move beyond the
controversy, the Association for Applied Sport
Psychology (AASP) established its certification program
in 1992, which requires substantial knowledge and experience
in both sport and exercise science and psychology
disciplines rather than requiring that professionals be
trained exclusively in one or the other. Although
AASP’s initial certification program was strengthened to
achieve national accreditation in 2017, the overarching
goal of establishing a professionally and publicly recognized
credential for sport psychology practitioners in the
USA remains paramount. In consideration of a more
global perspective of this issue with respect to SEPP professionals,
Vosloo and Quartiroli (2014) investigated the
credentialing practices (i.e., training, work activities, and
title use) of professionals representing 29 countries on 6
continents. Although participants indicated widely varying
standards among countries, the researchers found a
consistent pattern of training activities, including predominant
educational discipline (i.e., sport science/kinesiology
or counseling/psychology), advanced degree
requirements, experience in service delivery, and supervision,
all of which indicate the possibility for global
guidelines for professional credentials in SEPP.
