ABSTRACT
Why would an athlete be resistant to treatment? Some quick answers might be: pressure from a coach, fear of being perceived as mentally weak, worry that one’s shameful secrets will be revealed, or doubts about psychology really helping. To begin to address these reasons and others, we will first consider what characterizes resistance. Resistance is a psychological state that comprises the forces in the client that oppose getting help from others, or prevents a client from confronting deep personal issues during treatment (Beutler, Moleiro, & Talebi, 2002). One must consider the many forces within an athlete – what are they, and how do they contribute to resistance to (and in) therapy?
