Collaborative and interdisciplinary teaching in sport and exercise: Learning from an equity, diversity, and inclusion workshop

Training in sport and exercise psychology that is collaborative and interdisciplinary provides trainees with key knowledge and skills that ultimately shapes their practice. When training is delivered in a collaborative and interdisciplinary manner, it demonstrates to trainees exactly how healthcare providers in different professions can work together to improve client outcomes. The purpose of this teaching note is to present an example of collaborative and interdisciplinary training used within an equity, diversity, and inclusion workshop that was provided to trainees enrolled on the Sport and Exercise Psychology Accreditation Route (SEPAR) training program offered through the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences. The SEPAR program was designed to provide trainees with an opportunity to gain knowledge, skills, and experience in order to apply and register as Practitioner Psychologists with the Health and Care Professions Council in the United Kingdom. The equity, diversity, and inclusion workshop was designed as a collaboration between sport and exercise psychologists and clinical social workers. Overall, the workshop helped trainees gain an understanding of key terms and definitions concerning equity, equality, diversity, inclusion, and social justice as well as legal responsibilities across sport and exercise psychology and social work. The workshop demonstrated how elements of equity, diversity, inclusion, and social justice can shape client intake, referral, needs analysis, case formulation, intervention selection and planning, and intervention delivery and monitoring. The workshop also helped convey how inclusive and socially just approaches can be used to create safe environments that can foster strong therapeutic relationships.