Recommendations for successfully integrating sport psychology into athletic therapy

Although sport psychology is still a relatively new concept in athletic therapy, there is a wealth of evidence to suggest that sport-psychology interventions can positively influence sports-injury rehabilitation.'Sport-psychology interventions during rehabilitation have been associated with positive outcomes including increased adherence, reduced stress and anxiety, and enhanced recovery rates. Despite these findings, however, there appears to be relatively little use of such interventions by athletic trainers and other sports-injury rehabilitation professionals. Several reasons have been suggested to explain this low rate of use, including a lack of knowledge of the potential benefits of sport psychology among both athletes and rehabilitation professionals, a lack of access to sport-psychology consultants or services, and the perceived stigma among athletes associated with consulting a sport-psychology consultant. In order to provide injured athletes with this potentially beneficial source of support, barriers to the use of sport-psychology services must be diminished