Date
6-19-2024
Department
School of Behavioral Sciences
Degree
Doctor of Education in Community Care and Counseling (EdD)
Chair
Fred Volk
Keywords
phenomenology, professional counselor, sport counseling, mental health, athletes
Disciplines
Counseling
Recommended Citation
White, Tanya M., "The Phenomenological Experiences of Licensed Professional Counselors Working With Athletes" (2024). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 5731.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/5731
Abstract
The purpose of this Phenomenological study will be to discover the comparative clinical experiences of licensed professional counselors (LPC) providing psychotherapy for athletes. The data will identify the barriers between understanding the professional identity and the lack of exposure to licensed professional counselors (LPCs), understanding the role of the licensed professional counselor, and developing therapeutic alliances with athletes throughout their athletic careers and post-career. This research seeks to address the identity and clinical qualifications of licensed professional counselor’s equivalency to other mental health professionals currently employed in the field of sports. It will uncover barriers that have been experienced and practices implemented to ensure mental wellness remains a priority throughout the career and retirement phase of individuals employed as professional athletes. Sport psychology has been marketed as a specialized field focusing on peak performance among athletes under the managed care of sport psychiatrist, clinical psychologist, or sport psychologist trained in physiology or kinesiology. The latter designation is one in which academic curriculums are not typically based in counseling, psychotherapy or therapeutic approaches but more so focusing on the physical peak performance of the athlete. This research will also define sports psychology, sports counseling, athletic counseling and determine whether the term sports psychotherapy is more conducive for the inclusion of qualified involvement with the overall mental health care of current, deselected, and retired athletes.
