APPLYING PSYCHODYNAMIC CONCEPTS TO SPORT PSYCHOLOGY PRACTICE

Sport psychology practitioners use various theoretical perspectives to inform their work. The potential contribution of psychodynamic concep ts to professional sport psychology practice is explored. The basics o f psychodynamic theory as it relates to normal personality, maladaptiv e functioning, and therapeutic intervention are reviewed. Specific att ention is addressed to free association, resistance, transference, and countertransference. Treatment procedures, such as confrontation, cla rification, and interpretation, are presented. Suggestions for includi ng psychodynamic principles within other frameworks are offered.