Growing up, Dr. Megan Cannon was always heavily involved in the sports world. “I grew up swimming, playing softball and dancing,” says Cannon. After graduating with a BA in psychology from Wilkes University, Cannon attended Nova Southeastern University in Florida, where she received both her PhD in clinical psychology and an opportunity to work with the sport psychology program.
“I began working with student athletes, both on issues of performance enhancement and overall mental health,” says Cannon. “It was a fusion of the sports world I grew up in and the more recent psychology world I was studying, and was a perfect fit for me.” After receiving her license, Cannon launched her Allentown-based sport psychology practice in August of 2018.
Cannon has worked with individual collegiate athletes as well as entire teams. Her approach is varied and tailored specifically to the athlete's goals. “I typically start by teaching the athletes about the concept, whether it's confidence, performance anxiety, motivation, goal setting, etc.,” says Cannon. “Then, work with them to build strategies on how to address it, because I don't want to just give them skills. I want them to know why they're using certain skills and how they will be of help to them.”
What is Cannon's advice for those looking to join this exciting field? “Ask a lot of questions,” she says. “Reach out to people currently in the field, find out how they got there, what their advice would be and things they've learned that may be helpful in your path.”
