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Robert J. Harmison, Ph.D.
Kibler Professor of Sport Psychology
Email: harmisrj@jmu.edu
Phone: 540-568-7959
Office: Johnston Hall, Room 115
Educational and Professional Qualifications
Licensed Psychologist in Arizona
Certified Consultant, Association for Applied Sport Psychology
U.S. Olympic Committee Sport Psychology Registry
Ph.D |
University of North Texas |
M.A |
University of Arizona |
B.A. |
University of Arizona |
Biographical Statement
I was born in Chicago, IL and lived most of my life in Phoenix, AZ. I am married to my beautiful wife Jennifer and the proud father of four incredible children (Merrill, Lily, Schuyler, and Annika). I’m often asked how I became interested in a career as a sport psychologist. My answer is simple: I love sports! Despite my love for the game of baseball, my talent as a pitcher couldn’t take me beyond the Jr. college ranks, so I made one of the most difficult decisions of my life up to that time. I decided to hang up my glove and cleats and pursue another strong interest of mine – the study of psychology. Soon thereafter I stumbled upon the field of sport psychology, which turned out to be a perfect mix of two of my strongest passions. And the rest they say is history....
Teaching Interests & Program Affiliations
| Faculty: | Counseling Psychology |
|---|---|
| Courses: | Sport Psychology Athletic Counseling |
Scholarship
My research interests include: mental toughness, performance enhancement in sport, characteristics of effective sport psychology consultants, and sport psychology consultation-seeking behavior.
Selected Publications
Harmison, R.J. (2006). Peak performance in sport: Identifying ideal performance states and developing athletes’ psychological skills. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 37, 233-243.
Weinberg, R.S., Harmison, R.J., Rosenkranz, R., & Hookom, S. (2005). Goal setting. In J. Taylor & G. Wilson (Eds.), Applying sport psychology: Four perspectives (pp. 101-116). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
Tonn, E., & Harmison, R.J. (2004). Thrown to the wolves: A graduate student’s account of her supervised practicum experience. The Sport Psychologist, 18(3), 324-340.
Professional Service
In addition to being on faculty in the Graduate Psychology department, I am the Director of Sport Psychology for JMU Athletics and the Director of the JMU Center for Sport Psychology. In these two roles I oversee and provide sport psychology services to JMU athletes and coaches and direct educational outreach programming to the athletic community in the Shenandoah Valley and surrounding region. I am an active professional member of the Association for Applied Sport Psychology and Division 47 (Exercise and Sport Psychology) of the American Psychological Association. I also enjoy providing sport psychology consultation services to athletes and teams outside of JMU, most notably the U.S. Snowboard team including athletes that represented the U.S. at the 2002, 2006 and upcoming 2010 Olympic Winter Games.
