The experience of a vivid multiculturalism connected to the need to validate every individual and the openness to a large spectrum of possibilities when facing an issue naturally draws me towards an Integrative and Evidence based method, while having a strong connection with Person Centered approach for the unconditional validation of a person, a Systemic vision of interactions and due to my personal experience an Interpersonal approach when it comes to the attachment patterns, which is highly relevant when it comes to athletes and their attachment patterns to coaching figures. As well, having grown in a French speaking location and being a son of baby-boomers (so a certain closeness to the pre and post World Wars ways of thinking the world and specifically initially through French literature and philosophy), the influence of Existentialism is undeniable while the Postmodern influence leads me towards a constructivist approach such as a Solution-Focused Therapy (Prochaska & Norcross, 2018).
With that in mind, considering the patient as being able to find its own solutions because of genuinely being in control and having the resources to change, being a moderator and facilitator as a consultant and providing the psychological safety and justice to the patient, adapting the therapeutic plan to the precise needs of the client rather than processing its situation through a single lens, providing a larger perspective and finding the existential “WHY” and its related identity are the key elements from all the theories mentioned above that I integrate in my daily practice. That approach resonates the most with current times as the complexity of globalized influences and lifestyles fractions identities and issues. The connection to each of the challenges a patient encounters must be addressed in a unique way: as an analogy, we have all seen large cargo boats needing help in smaller channels or harbors, and usually a tugboat takes over. I like to provide as many tugboats as needed in order to keep the cargo moving in different direction for a controlled cruise: a holistic range of tugboats rather than a single one managing it all.
Therefore I remain opened to many other theories: I realize that Experiential Therapies and the need to find one’s authentic self through experience has an echo in me because of having to create precise custom experiences for my athletes to reach the needed level of self-awareness and be ready to move on and grow, as well as my role as a consultant requires this active and adaptive stance. For instance the solution talk that promotes a Solution-Focused Therapy is one. If not using Psychoanalytic and Psychodynamic Theories, their purpose is to define the clear line between what is related to Sport and Performance and when referral is needed for substantial psychopathologies and knowing about is part of our ethical responsibility (Prochaska & Norcross, 2018 ; Aoyagi et al., 2017). Another large question mark is related to Interpersonal Therapies. Indeed if attachment styles can be seen in the relationships most athletes have with coaches along their careers with the same impact as the initial attachment with caregivers, and the notion of role transition is another key component of a athletic life and identity. A Transactional Analysis could be used if an athlete seems to have a thinking pattern correlating to the theory or a perspective over his or her identity that entangles different developmental ages. It could be then contextually used to reach for an inner dialogue across an athletic career path and help providing a sense in the continuity of choices embraced by an athlete since an early age. Exposure Therapies contains the notions of shifting from a reaction to a response and opens the gate to neurological explanations and methods, that would be related to bio-feedback and other procedures that are used in SPP consultancy (Prochaska & Norcross, 2018 ; Aoyagi et al., 2017 ; Carlstedt, 2012 ; Siegel, 2020). Finally, Implosive therapy as an acute method could rebalance the cognitive and emotional needs of an athlete and work over arousal management.
I do believe this summarizes even more my choice for an Integrative and Evidence based method ; indeed every theory contains a possible element that would provide in a specific case a solid base from which to be applied on every unique situation that every patient is and experiences, while keeping me agile in my thinking and promoting my growth and abundance oriented mindset, where collaborative efforts create new and unforeseen opportunities (Aoyagi et al., 2017 ; Aoyagi & Poczwardowski, 2012).
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