Is "Trading Psychology" really just a load of bull?


This is a Forex Guest Post provided by Brian McAboy of www.InsideOutTrading.com

 

“Brian McAboy brings a unique and very effective approach to helping you get past your trading issues. Bringing success tools from other industries, Brian’s experience as a trader combined with Quality Assurance principles and Business Insights, you get proven techniques and tips that bring quick and long lasting results in your trading.”


That it's not really there to solve your trading problems, but to keep you stuck in a mindset where you'll keep trading and buying trading systems?

 

Some think that perhaps yes, indeed it is.

"It is certainly used more often to explain one's failure than helping one to become successful." is how one trader expressed feeling about the matter.

 

I've heard of some "Trading Psychologists" that want you to believe that you need a year's worth of 'therapy' and to invest upwards of $8,000 to resolve your trading issues.

 

It seems that most trading psychologists take the approach that you’ve got some deep personal problem that has nothing to do with trading directly, like your relationship with money, or your self-image.   

 

Many traders when they come to me say, “What I need to fix is ME.  I just can’t seem to stick to my system no matter what I try.”  And I can tell they’re buying into the personal-problem thinking.

My position is that you’ve already got what it takes from a personal standpoint. 

The greatest ‘problem’ traders have is a lack of training.  Being a self-directed, independent trader is not as simple as just placing trades.  It requires considerably more skills than that.

My experience has been that once you acquire the right training and the right skills, trading is no longer an emotional, stressful, and difficult activity.  And the results are very consistent.

This phenomenon is not uncommon outside the trading world.  

I learned it in my Quality Assurance days.  I’ve simply adapted what is effective elsewhere for traders and it works very well here too.

You have to change your perspective and stop looking at the current problem from the perspective that you have a personal problem and see it as one of a training problem.  

Only then you can move past it.

 

For example,

 

The notion that there's something wrong with you is just plain incorrect.

 

You've already demonstrated that you have what it takes to succeed.

 

If you weren't sufficiently 'okay' with money, success or discipline, you wouldn't be in a position to trade.

 

Just the fact that you got this far is proof that you've got the goods.

 

So let's step back for a minute...

 

Since the act of trading is a decision-making process, it only stands to reason that the mental game plays a major part in your performance and your ultimate success or failure.

 

BUT...

 

Is it possible that the traditional approaches to 'trading psychology' have beenmissing one or more key elements, and that is why the problems they try to alleviate persist?

 

Is it possible that the "Psychological" approach been addressing only SYMPTOMS and NOT the underlying cause of the problems being experienced?

 

So then is it also possible...

...since your trading is guided by your trading system...

Is it possible that if you are trying to trade with a system that is somehow flawed, that this could contribute to your emotions flaring up, and actually be creating the discipline problems?

And by attending to the issues with your trading system, thus alleviate the "psychological" issues?

 

For more on this thought process, and what you can do to get past your issues

 

Watch this short video

 

Cheers

Brian