Sport psychology consulting effectiveness: The athlete's perspective (original) (raw)
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The Sport Psychologist, 2015
The purpose of this investigation was to; (a) examine what experienced SPCs perceived to be the necessary components of the sport psychology consulting relationship, and (b) examine individual contributions of the SPC and client to the consulting relationship. Purposeful sampling was used to recruit 10 experienced SPCs (8 male and 2 female, M age = 50.44 years, M years consulting experience = 21.67 years) who held current sport psychology accreditation/certification and who had considerable consulting experience. Following individual interviews, extensive content analysis revealed that the sport psychology consulting relationship was reflective of (a) rapport, (b) respect, (c) trust, (d) a partnership, and (e) a positive impact on the client. Members of the consulting relationship made individual contributions to the relationship; SPCs contributed; (a) honesty, (b) commitment, (c) knowledge and expertise, (d) counseling skills, and (e) professional ethical behavior. With clients con...
Male and Female Athletes' and Nonathletes' Expectations about Sport Psychology Consulting
Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 2001
The purpose of this study was to explore expectations of athletes and nonathletes about sport psychology consulting. Tinsley's (1982) Expectations About Counseling-Brief form was revised using sport psychology terms. The revised instrument, Expectations About Sport Psychology Consulting (EASPC) questionnaire, was administered to 111 athletes (64 male and 47 female) and 166 nonathletes (72 male and 94 female) attending an NCAA Division I university. Confirmatory factor analysis showed that the data fit the hypothesized 3-factor model (i.e., personal commitment, facilitative conditions, and consultant expertise). A 2 (College Sport Participation) 2 (Gender) MANOVA and follow-up discriminant function analyses revealed that females had higher expectancies of personal commit
Effective Sport Psychology Consulting Relationships: Two Coach Case Studies
The Sport Psychologist, 2013
The purpose of this study was to investigate the components necessary for the development of an effective applied sport psychology consulting relationship between a sport psychology consultant (SPC) and a coach. To address this purpose, two SPC-Coach consulting relationship case studies will be presented. Following purposeful sampling methods, members of two SPC-Coach consulting relationships (2 SPCs and 2 elite coaches) participated in individual interviews to discuss their perceptions of effective consulting relationships. Inductive \content analysis was conducted to search for common themes both within and across the two case studies (Weber, 1990). Three categories emerged with shared similarities between both case study relationships as important to the development of effective consulting relationships between SPCs and coaches; (a) SPC knowledge; (b) trust; and (c) friendship. In addition, two categories individual to each of the case study consulting relationships emerged; (d) SPC fitting in with team culture; and (e) flexibility.
Sport psychology consulting at elite sport competitions
Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology, 2014
The purpose of this investigation was to examine what experienced sport psychology consultants (SPCs) believed to be essential for consulting effectiveness at elite sport competitions (i.e., pinnacle sporting events). A purposeful sampling method was used to recruit 10 experienced SPCs (8 male and 2 female, M age ϭ 50.44 years, M years consulting experience ϭ 21.67 years) who held current sport psychology accreditation/ certification and who had considerable experience consulting at pinnacle sporting events (e.g., Olympic Games, World Championships, World Cups, European Championships). Following individual participant interviews, extensive inductive content analysis revealed that effective consulting was reflective of building a relationship with clients that has a positive impact on the individual and which the client is both happy with and will continue to develop. Additionally, fitting in but not getting in the way, consistent SPC behavior and working closely with coaches were perceived as essential while working at elite sport competitions.
2004
MANCOVA was conducted with past sport psychology consulting experience as a covariate and attitudes about sport psychology as dependent variables. Follow-up univariate and discriminant function analyses were then performed to identify the attitudes that maximized differences related to gender, nationality and type of sport. Results revealed that attitudes about sport psychology services might be influenced by gender, nationality, and type of sport. Sport psychology practitioners must be sensitive to how personal characteristics and past experiences influence athletes' expectations and attitudes toward sport psychology consulting to improve the services they offer.
Novice consultants' experiences: Lessons learned by applied sport psychology students
Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 2010
Objective: Applied sport psychology (ASP) literature reveals a number of publications on reflective practice and professional philosophies of well-established sport psychology consultants. However, there is much less interest in studying how novice consultants make the first steps in their careers and how they perceive the field of ASP in their respective countries and themselves within the field. The objective of this study is to analyse and structure lessons learned by students during their one-year ASP education and supervised practice in Sweden. Method: Thirty-seven ASP students (23 males and 14 females) took part in this study. The data were extracted from the students' final reports on their six-month interventions with athlete-clients. Altogether 278 raw data units (lessons learned) were identified. Results: We used both inductive and deductive analyses to create 33 themes and four categories named professional tools, consultanteclient relationship, learning process and experiences, and professional philosophy. These four categories were further structured into three levels reflecting the students' learning process and exploration of the profession with the shifts from analysis to synthesis and from concrete to more generalized and strategic lessons learned. Conclusion: The study provides insight into the novice sport psychology consultants' reflective practice. The results are discussed using career development, scientist-practitioner and cultural sport psychology perspectives. Applications and future research directions are outlined.
Improving Athletes’ Perspectives of Sport Psychology Consultation
Behavior Modification, 2004
Although investigations have consistently demonstrated the effectiveness of sport psychology interventions, these methods have been underutilized by athletes. In this study, 124 athletes completed the athletes’ Attitudes Toward Seeking Sport Psychology Consultation Questionnaire (ATSSPCQ) and were subsequently randomly assigned to receive one of the two semistructured interview formats. One interview focused on discussing the athlete’s experiences in sports, and the other focused on delineating sport psychology and its potential benefits to the athlete. Upon being interviewed, athletes were readministered the ATSSPCQ. Discussing sport psychology and its personal benefits was more effective in enhancing athletes’ perception of need for sport psychology than discussing sport experiences. However, neither interview format enhanced athletes’perceptions of openness to discuss personal issues with a sport psychology consultant and tolerance of stigma associated with sport psychology consu...
Behavior Modification, 2004
Although investigations have consistently demonstrated the effectiveness of sport psychology interventions, these methods have been underutilized by athletes. In this study, 124 athletes completed the athletes' Attitudes Toward Seeking Sport Psychology Consultation Questionnaire (ATSSPCQ) and were subsequently randomly assigned to receive one of the two semistructured interview formats. One interview focused on discussing the athlete's experiences in sports, and the other focused on delineating sport psychology and its potential benefits to the athlete. Upon being interviewed, athletes were readministered the ATSSPCQ. Discussing sport psychology and its personal benefits was more effective in enhancing athletes' perception of need for sport psychology than discussing sport experiences. However, neither interview format enhanced athletes' perceptions of openness to discuss personal issues with a sport psychology consultant and tolerance of stigma associated with sport psychology consultation. Indeed, participants who received the discussion of sports intervention reported a significant decrease in personal openness to discuss personal issues relevant to sports psychology from pre- to postintervention. Intervention effects were similar for male and female athletes. Study implications and future directions are discussed in light of these results.
Journal of Clinical Sport Psychology
The aim of this study was to investigate expert practitioners’ approaches to conducting a first sport psychology session with individual clients as there is sparse empirical literature on this topic. Nine expert Certified Mental Performance Consultants completed a semistructured interview where they discussed experiences conducting a first meeting with an athlete. Primary objectives included establishing the relationship, setting guidelines and expectations, understanding the client’s background, identifying presenting concerns, and formulating the treatment plan and building skills. Building rapport was an aspect used to establish the relationship while discussing confidentiality was utilized to set guidelines. Important strategies employed to increase the perceived benefits to services included conveying the consulting approach and philosophy. Lessons learned centered around doing too much and not appreciating individual differences of clients. Findings show expert consultants aim...
Sport psychology services in performance settings: NCAA D-I certified athletic trainers’ perceptions
Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology, 2015
The primary purpose of this study was to assess National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division-I (D-I) certified athletic trainers' (ATCs) perceptions of the benefits of sport psychology services for managing the performance demands of practice and competition (e.g., dealing with pressure, building confidence, improving focus). A secondary purpose was to examine ATCs' support for hiring sport psychology consultants (SPCs) in athletic departments. A total of 659 (341 males, 318 females) NCAA D-I ATCs completed a web-based survey that assessed the aforementioned perceptions and support. ATCs rated the following sport psychology services as most beneficial: managing anxiety and emotion, improving focus, dealing with pressure, and building confidence. Nonparametric testing was used to analyze the influence of personal and situational variables (e.g., gender, previous SPC experience) on ATCs' ratings. 2 analyses indicated that female ATCs, those willing to encourage SPC service use, and those having previous positive experiences with SPCs rated the benefits of services significantly higher than males, those less likely to encourage service use, and those with negative experiences (p Յ .001). Logistic regression analysis revealed that gender, work experience, previous encouragement of athletes to seek mental training, and previous positive SPC experiences predicted ATCs' support for employment of SPCs (p Ͻ .0001). Findings suggest that positive experiences were important prerequisites for obtaining ATCs' support for and encouragement of SPCs and their services. Building positive relationships by interacting effectively with ATCs and providing services that complement their efforts may facilitate the integration of SPCs within NCAA D-I athletic departments.