Short-term consulting with elite athletes

Abstract

Psychological work with elite athletes has its own characteristics. The article presents a theoretical justification for the use of short-term counseling with elite athletes, discusses the goals and objectives of short-term counseling, and describes two cases of working with elite athletes. The sport of the highest achievements is always associated with various objective and subjective difficulties; therefore, the main condition for the development of personal qualities of athletes is their readiness to overcome difficulties. The purpose of short-term counseling is to help elite athletes in situations of activity crisis that distinguishes it from other psychotherapeutic practices. The methodological justification of short-term counseling is the subject-activity approach developed by the outstanding Russian psychologist S. L. Rubinstein, according to which in the process of activity there is the formation and development of personal qualities of a person, as well as the development of his consciousness. In the course of 1-3 meetings, a sports psychologist can help athletes understand their own goals better, reevaluate the crisis situation, realize their resources, develop alternative solutions, and set athletes up for a pro-active behavior strategy.