160. Transferable Skills with University of Maryland Director of Sport Psychology Kristi Hall

160. Transferable Skills with University of Maryland Director of Sport Psychology Kristi Hall

Introducing Kristi Hall

Today I’m talking to the University of Maryland Director of Sport Psychology Dr. Kristi Hall about transferable skills.

Her Career Journey

Kristi earned her BS in Psychology at Virginia Commonwealth University before going on to earn her MS in Clinical Psychology at Virginia State University. She discovered that she wanted to be the one evaluating clients and got her PsyD in Clinical Psychology from the American School of Professional Psychology at Argosy in Washington, D.C. She spent eight years performing neuropsychological evaluations and working in forensic psychology before branching out into private practice. Kristi also worked with veterans at the VA in DC before taking her current role as the Director of Sport Psychology at the University of Maryland.

Transferrable Skills

When the Director of Sport Psychology position at Maryland opened up, Kristi took a leap of faith and applied. She successfully made the case for how the sum of her experiences and strengths could help student-athletes thrive and perform and landed a job that had everything she was looking for wrapped up in one role. She could show that she had worked with diverse populations, held leadership roles, and had helped individuals work through issues surrounding injury and identity, all of which would be required at Maryland. By embracing her transferrable skills, Kristi found a job that was a perfect fit.

Inside this episode:

  • Kristi’s early career experiences working in forensics psychology and working with juvenile sex offenders allowed her to develop empathy and learn how to work with everyone, both essential skills in psychology.
  • When she first ventured into private practice, she did so one step at a time. First working for others’ practices, Kristi ultimately founded her own practice, Wholesome Minds, where she’s committed to providing a space for people of color to seek therapy from a person who looks like them.
  • Kristi felt that she discovered sports psychology too late in her training to switch paths back then. She kept the idea in the back of her mind and found the momentum later on to change direction and sought out guidance from those already established in the field.
  • Even though she didn’t have formal training in working with athletes, Kristi shares how the sum of her experiences and skills made her the perfect candidate for her current job, shattering the misconception that women have that they must meet 100% of a job description to apply.
  • Kristi explains how scheduling regular check ins with yourself and advocating for what you need are both essential to avoiding burnout.

Resources

Related Posts