Exploring the Understanding and Application of Motivational Interviewing in Applied Sport Psychology

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30The clear reporting of the counseling approach (and theoretical underpinning) applied by sport 31 psychologists is often missing, with a tendency to focus on intervention content rather than 32 therapeutic processes and relationship building. Well defined psychotherapies such as Motivational 33Interviewing (MI) can help fill this void and provide an underpinning counseling approach (in an 34 athlete-centred manner) as a framework for delivering interventions such as psychological skills 35 training (PST). This article describes the role of MI as a framework upon which PST sport psychology 36 interventions can be mapped and delivered. The paper presents an athlete case study to explain the 37 role of MI at each phase of the interaction. Robust, well-defined applications of MI in sport require 38 further research although evidence from other psychological domains suggests that it can be 39 successfully blended into sporting contexts. 40

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confidence: 99%

Enhancing Athlete Engagement in Sport Psychology Interventions Using Motivational Interviewing: A Case Study

Mack

Breckon

O’Halloran

et al. 2019

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“…Taken together, these findings indicate that sport psychology practitioners need to be prepared to work with athletes who present initially as ambivalent or discordant, and to work with this as it arises, responding to sustain talk and ambivalence in a non-confrontational way (Apodaca et al, 2016). This has previously been identified as something which is perhaps missing in applied sport psychology in the UK (Mack et al, 2017), and may begin with a recognition that sustain talk and ambivalence towards change are naturally-occurring aspects of the change process (Miller & Rollnick, 2013;Miller & Rose, 2009). Athlete reluctance to engage with sport psychology support has been acknowledged for at least 30 years (e.g., Orlick, 1989), and yet strategies for overcoming this are yet to be widely acknowledged and implemented within the discipline.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 78%

“…Findings revealed ways in which MI can enhance the work of practitioners working in different roles in sport (e.g., psychologist, counselor, coach). Participants have confirmed that the four core components of MI (spirit; technical skills; four processes; language of change) are as pertinent to working in sport as they are to working in any other setting, something which has been questioned in previous research (Mack et al, 2017). Significant overlap can be seen between sub-components of the MI spirit (see Table 1) and components of the 'real relationship' in sport psychology as outlined by Longstaff and Gervis (2016), indicating that MI is one way for students, neophyte and established practitioners to develop and maintain these relational aspects of their practice.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 90%

“…One approach which seeks to maximise the working alliance, and is starting to receive attention in applied sport psychology (Mack, Breckon, Butt, & Maynard, 2017;Mack, Breckon, O'Halloran, & Butt, 2019;Turner et al, 2019, Wood, Mack, & Turner, 2020, is motivational interviewing (MI; Miller & Rollnick, 2013). MI is a counseling therapy which was founded on the principles of client-centred psychotherapy of Carl Rogers (1959), yet is different to traditional Rogerian counseling, in that it is intentionally directional (Markland, Ryan, Tobin, & Rollnick, 2005).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Practitioners’ Use of Motivational Interviewing in Sport: A Qualitative Enquiry

Mack

Breckon

Butt

et al. 2021

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This study explored the use of motivational interviewing (MI) in sport contexts by experts in that approach. Specifically, the purpose was to understand which aspects of the MI approach are deemed valuable for working in sport and to begin to understand how these aspects are best applied. Nine practitioners participated in semistructured interviews, and thematic analysis identified themes related to core and subcomponents of MI (e.g., relational spirit, technical microskills, applied tools, and the MI communication styles continuum). Additional themes relate to integrating MI with other interventions, the challenges of working with athletes (e.g., mandated attendance, ambivalence about change), and unique aspects of working in sport contexts (e.g., frequency, duration, and location of contact points). The participants also outlined essential ingredients for an MI training curriculum for practitioners in sport. This counseling approach appears to have valuable relational and technical components to facilitate the building of the therapeutic alliance, enhance athlete readiness for change, and support delivery of action-oriented interventions in applied sport psychology.

“…The importance of this alliance has been understood in counselling psychology at least since the conception of person-centred counselling (e.g., Rogers, 1957), and the delineation of the features of a strong working alliance (agreement on goals; assignment of tasks; development of bonds; Bordin, 1979). Links can clearly be made to the sport psychologist-athlete relationship, and yet in sport psychology, there is scant guidance on how to actually cultivate these relational bonds (Mack, Breckon, Butt & Maynard, 2017). This is perhaps because of an emphasis placed on the Canon and other outcome-orientated therapeutic tools and techniques, over the relational, person-centred aspects of the alliance.…”

Section: General Conclusionmentioning

confidence: 99%

One Case, Four Approaches: The Application of Psychotherapeutic Approaches in Sport Psychology

Turner

Aspin²,

Didymus

et al. 2020

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Practitioners in sport and exercise psychology tasked with service provision in any environment can decide which framework(s) they draw on to inform their applied work. However, the similarities and differences between psychotherapeutic approaches are underrepresented in current literature. Therefore, this paper brings together practitioners from 4 dominant psychotherapeutic approaches to address a specific hypothetical case. Four different cognitive-behavioral approaches are outlined: rational emotive behavior therapy, cognitive therapy, schema therapy, and acceptance and commitment therapy. Each practitioner outlines the particular approach and proceeds to address the case by covering assessment, intervention, and evaluation strategies that are specific to it. Similarities and differences across the approaches are discussed, and implications for practice are put forth. Finally, two other practitioners introduce motivational interviewing as an additional framework to foster the working alliance.