Foundation

Dr. Piatigorsky’s eclectic approach — Dialectical Sports Skills (DSS) — selects effective, evidence-based principles while omitting methods that lack empirical support. The model is informed by Dr. Piatigorsky’s extensive research training within the University of California system, the National Institute of Mental Health, and other respected academic institutions.

DSS integrates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and traditional mental performance techniques to make a unified clinical sport psychology protocol. It harnesses “thinking, feeling, and acting” as mechanisms of change.

Specifically, DSS consolidates elements from the Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders (Barlow et al., 2018, Oxford University Press), the gold-standard CBT for psychiatric symptoms shared across conditions, with core parts of the DBT Skills Training Manual (Linehan, 2014, Guilford Press), the gold-standard treatment for emotion dysregulation and associated challenges.

Furthermore, DSS taps into performance skills derived from the sports sciences, as surveyed in Foundations of Sport and Exercise Psychology (Weinberg & Gould, 2023, Human Kinetics), along with other multidisciplinary sources spanning the broader fields of psychology and allied disciplines.

Together, these skill-sets translate naturally to elite sports. The techniques that strengthen mental health and life functioning likewise improve mindset and athletic performance.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness refers to intentional, time-limited exercises that are performed with focused attention in the present moment without judgment. Consistent mindfulness practice strengthens concentration, mind-body integration, emotion regulation, and well-being, all of which improve performance. A mindful focus is essential for effective skill use and for achieving a state of flow.

Dialectics

Dialectical thinking recognizes that opposing forces can coexist, and when synthesized, they can generate a new construct with evolved meaning. Such thinking helps reconcile apparent opposites, such as emotion vs. reason, doing vs. being, or winning vs. losing. This process transforms rigid, all-or-nothing thinking into a nuanced, adaptive perspective.

The central dialectic in DSS balances change with acceptance. Change strategies help clients modify what can indeed be changed, while acceptance develops tolerance for what cannot. Such balance fosters a composed, settled Wise Mind.

Sports Psychology

DSS draws on traditional sport psychology areas such as motivation, confidence, performance anxiety, and routines. Focused on performance and athletic success, these applied skills complement clinical practice, where such goals are typically secondary and seldom targeted.