ABSTRACT

Student-consultants often have a wealth of information from their own sport or coaching experiences, yet their personality and athletic background would not be adequate to successfully engage with a client; thus, science and theory are a necessary foundation for optimal client work (e.g., Tammen, 2000; Tod, 2007). The student-consultant may draw from literature in psychotherapy, counseling, sport science, and sport psychology or choose an integrative approach by forming their own theory of optimal performance that then guides case conceptualization, goals, and methods of intervention (Aoyagi & Poczwardowski, 2011; see also Chapter 1 ). For example, a client may present with catastrophizing thoughts (e.g., “I’m never going to play again or be as good as I was!”) regarding their return to sport from a season-ending injury. The student-consultant would be able to conceptualize the client’s concerns through a cognitive-behavioral (CBT) lens because there is clear evidence of the client engaging in a common thinking trap or irrational belief (i.e., catastrophizing thoughts). Then work with the client could implement CBT-specifi c skills such as self-monitoring of automatic thoughts and cognitive restructuring to challenge the thinking trap and develop a rational and healthy response to the thoughts. As illustrated, the theoretical orientation drives the type and scope of interventions with the client, in which the student-consultant will aim to work in a collaborative manner to help clients develop a mental toolbox of skills (e.g., relaxation, self-talk, imagery, mental routines,

etc.) that match the client’s ability (i.e., physical and psychological). For clarity of our presentation, the fundamental skills of interest in this chapter will center on concentration, attention, and focus. Additionally, developmentally appropriate self-doubts and anxieties are part of the growing and learning curve for student-consultants and need to be factored into one’s individual style of service delivery, addressed in supervision, and resolved, also using the tools of our own trade (Christensen & Aoyagi, 2014). (Please see other chapters for a discussion of these relevant issues.)

One of the pragmatic aspects of sport psychology is that clients will recognize the mental component to performance and most will have an intuitive sense of the skills and mental climate that help them perform their best. In contrast, this can present some challenges when the process of how to cultivate these skills and mindset may be less transparent, especially when the athletes’ sport skills are seemingly much more profi cient relative to mental components. Selecting language and illustrations that are familiar to the athleteclients (e.g., words such as dedication , effort , commitment , and determination —simple demonstrations of mind-body connections) will increase their motivation to practice mental skills in a similar manner to rehearsing physical skills. Beyond the initial “elevator pitch” regarding what mental skills are and why they are important, student-consultants must use developmentally appropriate language and demonstrations that have the potential to resonate with the client and, furthermore, provide sport-specifi c examples to engage the client in the joint process of working together.