Self portrait journeying deep in Indonesia
surfer - psychologist - author - pioneer
Richard dreamed of combining his passions for surfing and psychology to become a "Surf Psychologist" on the ASP World Tour. Then, on Christmas eve 1999, armed simply with his passion, Richard resigned from a full time Senior Psychologist position to embark on the journey of turning his dream into his reality.
At the time the pro surfing tour was yet to embrace the offerings of performance psychology and no one had even heard of a "surf psychologist". However, for the next three and a half years Richard worked full time on the ASP World Tour pioneering the field of Surf Psychology through global consultation and research with elite Junior, World Qualifying Series and World Championship Tour athletes as well as free surfers and extreme big wave riders.
Richard has presented papers at National and International Sport Psychology Conferences and published numerous articles world wide on the psychology of surfing. He has also worked in an advisory capacity to ASP International, the Surfrider Foundation, Surfing Australia’s National Coaching Advisory Panel and the Surfers Medical Association.
Richard’s pioneering work culminated in April 2004 with the release of his world first book “The Surfer’s Mind: The complete, practical guide to surf psychology". Now in its second release THESURFERSMIND sells globally in 30+ countries and Richard continues to work closely with competitive surfers from developing juniors to elite World Title campaigners, along with free surfers and big wave riders.
Over the last five years Richard has expanded his clientele which now includes many of Australia's top professional dancers, musicians and artists, along with corporate managers and board level executives. Richard also fulfils several senior positions in Australian Olympic/Paralympic sport including Senior Psychologist at the New South Wales Institute of Sport and Team Psychologist for the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games, the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games campaign. Richard was also the Chief Team Psychologist for the 2008 Beijing Paralympics.
A devoted practitioner of Yoga and Reiki, Richard joins his personal and professional journeying to deliver an holistic approach to individuals and groups for optimal performance and personal enrichment in sport, artistic pursuits, business and life.
Raised in the raw southern ocean power of his home break at Bells Beach, Richard now also enjoys the warmer waves of his new home base on Sydney’s northern beaches.
Please scroll down for a brief summary of Richard's professional roles,
qualifications and memberships...
Richard Bennett
BA(Hons) Psychology., Dip. SOC., MCET
Professional Roles
| 2010 | Team Psychologist Olympic Winter Games Campaign, Vancouver, Canada |
| 2008 | Chief Team Psychologist XIII Paralympic Games, Beijing, China |
| 2008 | Team Psychologist Olympic Games, Beijing, China |
| 2006 | Team Psychologist Commonwealth Games, Melbourne, Australia |
| 2006 - present | Performance Psychologist National Team Service Provider - Olympic Winter Institute of Australia |
| 2006 - present | Performance Psychologist National Team Service Provider - Australian Institute of Sport |
| 2005 - present | Senior Psychologist New South Wales Institute of Sport, Sydney, Australia |
| 2004 | Author THESURFERSMIND |
| 2000 - present | Surf Psychologist Association of Surfing Professionals World Tour - Global |
| 1999 - present | Performance Psychologist in Private Practice thesurfersmind.com, Sydney, Australia |
| 1997 - 1999 | Senior Psychologist Portland Community Psychiatric Service, Victoria, Australia |
Professional Qualifications
| 2005 - present | Registered Psychologist New South Wales Psychologists Registration Board |
| 1999 - 2005 | Registered Psychologist Psychologists Registration Board of Victoria |
| 1997 - 1998 | Advanced Training in the Reiki Method of Natural Healing Denise & John Crundall - USUI SHIKI RYOHO - Warrnambool |
| 1997 | Diploma of Solution Oriented Counselling Centre of Effective Therapy, Melbourne |
| 1995 | Honours Degree in Psychology Deakin University, Geelong |
| 1991 - 1994 | Bachelor of Arts - Majors in Psychology and Sociology Deakin University, Geelong |
Professional Memberships
| August 2006 | Awarded Full Membership to the specialist APS College of Sport Psychologists Sydney, Australia |
| 2000 - present | Surfing Australia's National Coaching Advisory Panel High Performance Centre, Casurina, Australia |
| 2000 - present | Surfers Medical Association Aptos, California, USA |
| October 1999 | Awarded Full Membership to the Australian Psychological Society Ltd (APS) Melbourne, Australia |
| 1997 - present | Centre of Effective Therapy Melbourne, Austalia |
| 1993 - present | Surfrider Foundation Sydney Northern Beaches Branch & National Office, Australia |
