Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Sport Psychology Center — Mental training with VR, AI, and professional counseling

This page collects the most frequently asked questions athletes, parents, coaches, and sports clubs ask us before starting a program with the Sport Psychology Center. The answers reflect our approach, which integrates immersive virtual reality, artificial intelligence (AI), and consulting with sports psychologists with over ten years of experience in competitive settings, up to Serie A.

The center and the method

1What is the Sport Psychology Center?
The Sport Psychology Center is the first Italian sports psychology center to integrate three complementary tools into a single program: virtual reality (VR) to simulate competition scenarios, specialized artificial intelligence (AI) available 24/7, and individual counseling with professional sports psychologists. The goal is to offer athletes of all levels scientific, personalized, and measurable mental training.
2How are you different from a mental coach or another sports psychologist?
The main difference is methodological and technological. In addition to the traditional clinical interview, we integrate virtual reality simulations that reproduce real-life competition situations, and MAT, an AI that guides you between sessions with immediate feedback, mood tracking, and progress reports. This allows for continuity, objective data, and a journey that doesn't end when you leave the office.
3Is sport psychology a scientific discipline?
Yes. Sports psychology is an internationally recognized branch of psychology, with decades of scientific literature behind it. It studies the cognitive, emotional, and motivational factors that influence an athlete's performance and well-being. Current research confirms that, given equal physical preparation, mental variables—anxiety management, focus, decision-making under pressure—often make the difference in athletic results.
4Who are the professionals at the center?
The team is led by Fabio Zarra, a sports psychologist with over 10 years of experience in the Italian Serie A, and Virginia Marino, a clinical psychologist specializing in learning disabilities, with a decade of experience working with young competitive athletes. Alessandro Marino is responsible for technological innovation and data science applied to sports. You can find their full profiles in the "About Us" section of the website.

Who we are addressing

1Do I have to be a professional athlete to contact you?
No. We work with athletes of all levels: professionals, amateur competitors, youth athletes, amateurs, and athletes who simply want to improve their performance and mental well-being. The program is tailored to the individual's real goals, not their competitive level.
2Are your services suitable for young athletes and minors?
Yes. A significant portion of our work is dedicated to youth sectors. For minors, the program begins with the consent and involvement of their parents, who receive an initial informational interview. The setting, VR tools, and MAT language are adapted to the age of the athlete.
3Do you work with teams, sports clubs and federations?
Yes. We offer support for sports teams and organizations: workshops, team building programs, ongoing support during the season, and training for coaches and technical staff. For group projects, please contact us directly to create a customized program.
4Can I contact you even if I play an individual sport such as tennis, golf, athletics or cycling?
Absolutely. Individual sports often place even more intense mental pressure, because the entire burden of performance falls on the individual. Our method is effective for team and individual sports, from soccer to tennis, from racket sports to motorsports, from endurance sports to precision sports.

Typical problems and objectives

1In which areas do you actually intervene?
The most common requests we receive concern:
- Reactivity and speed in decision-making
- Peripheral vision and selective attention
- Resilience and managing defeat
- Stress management and performance anxiety
- Psychological recovery after an injury
- Mental recovery after intense training or close competitions
- Attentional focus and ability to stay in the present
- Self-confidence and managing internal dialogue
2I suffer from performance anxiety: I perform well in training but I collapse in competition. Can you help me?
It's one of the most common situations we face. The problem is almost never a lack of technical skill, but rather the way the mind and body react to the competitive environment. We work on three levels: understanding the mechanisms that trigger anxiety, progressive exposure through VR (which recreates the stress of competition in a safe environment), and building personalized pre-performance routines.
3I've suffered a serious injury. How can mental therapy help me?
Recovering from an injury is a process that involves both the body and the mind. We work on managing frustration and the fear of pain, maintaining motivation during rehabilitation, visualizing the return to the field, and preventing so-called "sports trauma"—the fear of reinjuring that many athletes carry with them even after physical recovery.
4I've lost motivation. Is this normal? Can I regain it?
Yes, it's normal, and yes, it can be regained. Loss of motivation is often not a problem of willpower but a sign that something has changed—goals that have become meaningless, accumulated fatigue, conflicts within the team, a changing sporting identity. This process helps you clarify what you really want and rebuild solid, lasting motivation.
5Can we also work on growth goals, not just problems?
Absolutely. Many athletes contact us not because they have a problem, but because they want to push themselves further: improve focus, speed up decision-making, raise the bar for performance. Sports psychology is also, and above all, training for mental abilities, just like you train for strength in the gym.

The three tools: VR, MAT and consultancy

1What is virtual reality (VR) applied to sport?
VR allows you to immerse yourself in immersive sports scenarios through a headset. You can practice your reaction time, decision-making under pressure, emotional management, and peripheral vision in environments that realistically reproduce competition situations. The advantage is being able to endlessly replay critical situations in a safe environment, with the ability to analyze and correct your reactions.
2Your experiences are set in football. Are they suitable for my sport?
Of course, they're absolutely fine, and we'll explain why. The cognitive skills we train in our experiences—reactivity, rapid decision-making, peripheral vision, attentive focus, managing stress under pressure—are applicable to any sport. What changes from one sport to another is the "setting" of the situation (the court, the opponents, the objects on stage), not the mental mechanism you're training. A tennis player who improves his decision-making time in a soccer experience will directly transfer those cognitive gains to the tennis court, because the brain is exercising the same function.
Added to this is the work of MAT and professional consultancy, which are always personalized to your specific sport: the mental training plan, visualization exercises, and pre-race strategies are tailor-made for your discipline.
We're also actively working on developing new environments and activities for other sports, so we can offer increasingly discipline-specific VR experiences. If you'd like to be the first to know when new environments are available, please email info@sportpsychologycenter.com with your sport name. This will also help us prioritize development.
3Do I need to own a VR headset to train?
No. The site also offers experiences that can be used on PC; the tour can be done in both 3D and VR mode.
4What is MAT and how does it work?
MAT is our artificial intelligence specialized in mental training. It works like a 24/7 mental coach: you can ask questions, get personalized advice, build a mental training plan, receive real-time feedback, and track your mood over time. Super MAT, the advanced version, remembers previous sessions and generates downloadable reports on your mental training.
5Does MAT replace the psychologist?
No, and he doesn't want to. MAT is an ongoing support tool that complements the professional's work: it keeps the practice alive between sessions, collects useful data for the process, and responds to immediate practical needs. However, clinical work, diagnosis, and interventions on complex issues remain the exclusive responsibility of the team's psychologists. The MAT disclaimer is available on the website.
6Can I try MAT before purchasing a plan?
Yes. The MAT Free plan is free and allows you to ask the AI ​​unlimited questions. It's designed specifically to help you get to know the tool before considering a Premium or Pro plan.
7How does a consultation with a professional take place?
Individual counseling is a dedicated session with one of our sports psychologists. It begins with an initial consultation to understand your situation, define measurable goals, and agree on a plan. Subsequent sessions focus on the agreed-upon objectives, integrating VR exercises and MAT activities between sessions when appropriate.

Plans, prices and access methods

1What plans are available?
We currently offer four access methods:
-MAT Free — free: unlimited questions on the AI ​​MAT
-Premium — €19.99/month: Unlimited MAT questions, 3 VR accesses per week, statistical reports included
-Pro — €49.99/month: Unlimited MAT questions, unlimited access to VR experiences, statistical reports included
-Individual consultation with a professional — €80 per session
2Can I cancel my subscription whenever I want?
Yes, you can. Premium and Pro subscriptions are monthly and can be managed independently from your personal area on the app. For specific cancellation and refund procedures, please consult the Terms and Conditions linked in the footer of the site.
3Do sessions with the professional have a standard duration?
Yes, individual sessions last an average of 50-60 minutes. The optimal frequency is agreed upon together: typically, sessions start weekly or fortnightly, then become more frequent as the process stabilizes.
4Is it possible to book an initial introductory interview?
Yes. You can book an appointment directly through the Calendly link available on the website, or email info@sportpsychologycenter.com to arrange an initial consultation.

Practical aspects, privacy and online

1Are the sessions held online or in person?
Both options are available. Consultations with professionals can be done via video call, while VR sessions can be held either on-site or in the comfort of your home with a headset, or in 3D from your computer. MAT is also always accessible online, wherever you are.
2Where do you physically operate from?
The registered office is at Via Cagliari 188, Quartu Sant'Elena, Cagliari (Italy). For logistical details about in-person sessions, please contact us using the contact information on the website.
3How private is the process? Who can see what I say?
Everything you share with the center's professionals is covered by the professional secrecy required by the Italian Psychologists' Code of Ethics. The data collected by MAT is processed in compliance with European data protection legislation (GDPR); for details, please consult the Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy linked on the website.
4Can my parents, my coach or my company know what I say in sessions?
No, not without your consent. Confidentiality is a fundamental value even for minors: parents are involved in the general aspects of the program and educational topics, but the specific content of the sessions remains confidential, except in situations where the health of the athlete or others is at risk.
5Am I entitled to insurance reimbursement for sessions with a psychologist?
In Italy, many supplemental health insurance policies include psychological services. We recommend checking with your insurance provider for reimbursement conditions. Upon request, we can issue a medical invoice in your name, which can be used for both insurance reimbursement and tax relief.
6Are psychological expenses tax deductible?
Yes. In Italy, the services of a registered psychologist are deductible as medical expenses on your income tax return, according to the rates established by current legislation. Keep the invoice: our invoice includes all the necessary information.

How to get started

1How can I start a journey with you?
Three simple ways:
-Book an introductory appointment from the Calendly link on the website
-Write to info@sportpsychologycenter.com describing your situation in a few lines.
-Call Fabio directly (+39 347 776 2626) or Virginia (+39 320 334 1175)
2What happens after the first contact?
We schedule an initial consultation to understand your situation, your goals, and the level of urgency. From there, we'll work together to develop the most suitable combination of tools—MAT only, MAT plus VR, individual counseling, or a comprehensive program—and define the timing and modality.
3How long does a complete course last?
It depends on the goals. Targeted programs for a specific event (an important race, a category change, a return from injury) can last a few weeks. More extensive growth programs develop over months, with fewer appointments over time. We always agree on measurable goals and review periods.
4Can I follow you on social media to stay updated?
Yes. We publish regular content on our Instagram profile @sport_psychology_center and on the website blog, where you can find articles on mental training, performance, and news from the center.

For any other questions not covered in this list, please write to info@sportpsychologycenter.com: we will respond within 24-48 business hours.