Phenomenological consulting: A viable alternative for sport psychology practitioners

In this article we present a consulting framework grounded in existential phenomenology that provides sport psychology consultants a vehicle for gaining an in-depth understanding of athletes' thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. This framework, which we are calling “phenomenological consulting,” encourages sport psychology consultants to resist a priori assumptions about athletes' experiences and to view them more as co-consultants than as clients. Phenomenological consulting emphasizes the value of athletes' voices during the consulting process and encourages them to develop self-awareness, control, and ownership of mental training.