When should I refer a client to a Sport & Exercise Psychologist?

Consider referring when: progress has plateaued despite good physical compliance and no structural reason for it; fear of re-injury dominates the presentation even after clinical clearance; there is a clear identity, grief, or meaning element to the client's experience; pain catastrophising or hypervigilance is maintaining avoidance; the client is living with a long-term condition and has become disconnected from movement; or you are running out of appointment time to address the psychological dimension properly.

How does the referral process work?

The referral process has three steps. First, a brief email or call to discuss the client — no formal paperwork required at this stage. Second, a 15-minute informal conversation with the client to establish whether working together makes sense, with no pressure or formal assessments. Third, if the client proceeds, Andy keeps the referring professional informed where relevant and appropriate, working to complement rather than duplicate existing treatment.

What is the difference between a Sport & Exercise Psychologist and a Clinical Psychologist?

A Sport & Exercise Psychologist (SEP) specialises in the psychological factors affecting movement, exercise, and physical performance — including kinesiophobia, fear-avoidance, return-to-sport anxiety, and identity disruption after injury. A Clinical Psychologist is better placed for broader mental health concerns such as severe depression, panic disorder, trauma (PTSD), or eating disorders.

Do clients need health insurance to be referred?

No. Andy Blyth accepts both insured and self-funded clients. Accepted insurance providers include Allianz, Aviva, Vitality, and WPA.

What psychological issues does Andy Blyth work with in rehabilitation settings?

In rehabilitation settings Andy works with: kinesiophobia (fear of movement and re-injury); pain catastrophising; identity disruption after injury or illness; psychological readiness to return to sport or exercise; poor rehab adherence despite physical capability; and prolonged despondency or loss of confidence tied to athletic identity.

For Professionals | Andy Blyth, Chartered Sport & Exercise Psychologist, Edinburgh

Who I Work With

Two professional audiences, one shared challenge.

Physical recovery and exercise engagement both have a psychological dimension that is often undertreated — not because practitioners don't recognise it, but because addressing it sits outside the scope of most professional training. That's where I come in.

Physiotherapists & Rehab Specialists

When physical progress stalls despite good compliance

Fear of re-injury, identity disruption, and catastrophising are predictable responses to injury — and they can drive the clinical presentation as much as any structural finding.

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Gym Owners & Fitness Professionals

When the environment shapes whether people come back

Gym anxiety, fear of judgment, and loss of confidence are barriers that live in the psychological environment of your facility — and they're more addressable than most people realise.

Learn more →

Rehabilitation Professionals

Your clients are doing everything right. Some still aren't progressing.

Physical recovery and psychological readiness don't always move at the same pace. When a client is physically cleared but still not loading, returning, or engaging — the barrier is usually psychological. That's not a character flaw. It's a predictable response to injury, pain, or illness, and it's addressable.

What I work with

Kinesiophobia & fear-avoidance
The client who's physically ready but won't load the joint — or won't return at all. Changing the relationship with movement rather than simply encouraging it.
Identity disruption after injury or illness
The loss of self that comes when a health condition changes what someone can do, or who they feel they are. Particularly relevant in cardiac, neurological, and long-term conditions.
Pain catastrophising & threat appraisal
When pain is being processed as danger rather than sensation — and where that cognitive pattern is maintaining avoidance and limiting progress.
Psychological readiness to return
Functional capacity and psychological readiness don't always align. Working with the confidence and willingness to re-engage — not just the physical capacity to do so.

When to Refer

Consider a referral when...

Progress has plateaued despite good physical compliance and no structural reason for it

Fear of re-injury is dominating the presentation even after clinical clearance

There is a clear identity, grief, or meaning element to the client's experience

The psychological component appears to be driving the presentation as much as the physical

The client is living with a long-term condition and has become disconnected from movement

You're running out of appointment time to address the psychological dimension properly

Accepted insurance providers

Fitness & Gym Professionals

The environment shapes who comes back. Psychology shapes the environment.

Gym anxiety, fear of judgment, and loss of confidence aren't niche problems — they're reasons people don't return. A psychologically informed gym environment doesn't require everyone to become a therapist. It requires the right conversations, in the right places, supported by the right culture.

A Three-Level Model

Working at the level that makes sense for your environment.

1

The Individual — Direct psychological support

One-to-one work with gym members who are struggling with anxiety, avoidance behaviours, fear of judgment, or loss of confidence after illness or injury. Referred through you, delivered by me, with clear communication back to your team where appropriate.

2

The Staff — Psychologically informed conversation skills

Practical workshops for personal trainers and fitness coaches covering behaviour change, motivation, and simple evidence-based conversational approaches drawn from solution-focused practice and acceptance and commitment therapy. Not therapy training — but enough to have better conversations with members who are struggling.

3

The Environment — Organisational consultancy

Working with owners and managers on the culture, policies, intake processes, and messaging that shape the psychological environment of your facility. What does your gym communicate before anyone speaks to anyone? What assumptions does your onboarding make? What do your walls say about what matters here?

Referral Process

Simple, straightforward, and respectful of your client relationship.

1

Get in touch

A brief email or call is enough to start. Tell me about the client or the conversation you're thinking about. No formal paperwork required at this stage.

2

15-minute conversation

I'll speak with your client informally first — no pressure, no assessments. We establish whether working together makes sense before anything is agreed.

3

Collaborative from there

If we proceed, I'll keep you informed where relevant and appropriate. The goal is to complement what you're doing, not create a parallel track.

Download the referral guide

A practical guide on when and how to refer for psychological support.

Clients can be seen through insurance or self-funded

The psychological side of movement.
Your clients may already be living it.

Two professional audiences, one shared challenge.

When physical progress stalls despite good compliance

When the environment shapes whether people come back