Dr Dez Interviews
Dr Desaree Festa as a guest on several recent Podcasts & Interviews
Bills Team Sports Psychologist Dr. Desaree "Dr Dez" Festa
Talks Mental Health & Women In Sports
Buffalo Bills team reporter Maddy Glab talks with Buffalo Bills Team Sports Psychologist, Dr Dez, about working with players, women in sports and the importance of mental health.
This week, a vital profession is brought to the forefront as Dr. Desaree Festa, Team Sport Psychologist of the NFL Buffalo Bills, joins Eli Hallak to discuss the importance of Mental Wellness in Sport. Join us for an honest conversation about the benefits of being embedded with an Organization full-time, the value of self-care, and why athletics is a vehicle to express who you are; it does not define you.
Kirsten is joined by Dr. Desaree Festa, Sports Psychologist for the Buffalo Bills! "Dr. Dez" discusses her profession as a sports psychologist, the tools she gives her athletes, and how anyone can use them within their life!
High-level sports organizations like the Buffalo Bills achieve high performance by integrating sports psychology into their training to optimize their athletes' mental wellness and performance.
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This emphasis on psychological aspects reflects a broader trend among high-level athletes who understand that mental preparation and well-being are crucial components of overall success in sports and beyond.
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In the first installment of this two-part episode of Mastering Momentum, Dr. Newman invites Dr. Desaree Festa, a sports psychologist for the Buffalo Bills, to discuss high performance from her unique perspective.
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Dr. Festa walks listeners through her professional journey in psychology and the behind-the-scenes of what she does in her current role with the Buffalo Bills.
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Listen in for valuable insights into sports and performance psychology, and the integration of mental health and mental performance in high-performance athletes and coaches. Plus, the five core psychological skills involved in sports and performance psychology, and the one key strategy that will help any athlete optimize themselves and their performance.
What You’ll Learn
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[2:42] How Dr. Newman and Dr. Festa met
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[4:58] What sports psychology is, and how it's different from other fields of psychology
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[5:43] The distinction between mental performance and mental health in sports psychology
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[7:17] How sports psychology optimizes both the person and the high-performer
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[8:08] The five core psychological skills used in sports psychology
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[13:30] The importance of differentiating between outcome-driven goals and performance-driven goals
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[17:06] The importance and challenges of visualization (the fifth psychological skill) to enhance performance as a supplement to a physical practice
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[19:47] Dr. Festa's professional journey and her role with the Buffalo Bills
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[23:29] The integration of mental health and mental performance in sports psychology
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[32:30] The key to any type of work in sports psychology
Dr. Newman sat down with Dr. Desaree Festa, a sports psychologist for the Buffalo Bills, to discuss high performance from her unique perspective and the five core psychological skills involved in sports and performance psychology.
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In this episode, they are exploring the significance of developing professional habits and routines to help athletes access self-awareness, a critical skill for peak performance. They deiscuss how self-awareness leads to the desired mental and emotional states required for peak performance and how you can use tools such as Heart Rate Variability (HRV) training.
What You’ll Learn
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[01:38] The importance of self-awareness in sports psychology and performance
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[02:23] Athletes engaging in self-study to heighten their awareness of their performance
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[04:43] Strategies for working on self-awareness (seeking feedback, journaling, and reflection)
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[06:49] The relationship between self-awareness and taking action to improve performance
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[07:50] Self-regulation through professional habits and game day routines
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[10:48] The importance of rehearsing and practicing routines to make them automatic and maintaining consistency even during travel
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[12:56] Introduction of HRV biofeedback as a tool for self-regulation
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[15:09] Explanation of baseline HRV and in-the-moment HRV training
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[20:03] Explanation of HRV training, its focus on the mind-body connection, and the use of breathing techniques to optimize heart rate variability
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[21:42] The purpose of HRV training for peak performance (rather than solely promoting relaxation)
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[23:03] Examples of different protocols for HRV training
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[23:40] Using HeartMath along with portable devices like emWave2 and Inner Balance for HRV training
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[24:17] Discussion on how HRV training can be helpful for other high performers in optimizing their performance
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[25:12] Resources for learning more about HRV and biofeedback and practitioners in the field
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[25:58] The importance of mastering nervous system regulation for confident performance
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[26:25] HRV resources and tools mentioned