Consulting boundaries : 'The burned-out consultant and the importance of self-care'

• Mike at 49 years old is an experienced professional in the field of sport psychology. He holds a dual position as a part-time mental performance consultant and teaching sport psychology as adjunct faculty at a local college. A strong work ethic and, at times, perfectionistic tendencies are rooted in his past as an elite athlete. He competed as a distance runner for 13 years. Upon graduation, Mike ended his running career and decided to pursue graduate studies in the United States in applied sport psychology. While flourishing professionally, his personal life had taken a toll. He got married shortly after finishing graduate school and decided to move to Europe. Things got even more challenging with his children's birth and seemed impossible for Mike to juggle the multitude of demands, and to balance time with his family with professional responsibilities. Lack of self-care became a more pressing issue in coping with the multiple demands of consulting, teaching and research. This chapter discusses Mike's story, his experiences, personality traits, situational factors, symptoms experienced, actions taken to overcome his burnout and lessons learned from the experience, and key aspects of a sport psychology professionals regarding prioritizing self-care and preventing burnout.

Subject headings

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Psykologi -- Tillämpad psykologi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Psychology -- Applied Psychology (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Idrottsvetenskap (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Sport and Fitness Sciences (hsv//eng)

Keyword

athlete

balance time

burnout

mental performance consultant

self-care

sport psychology

Professional Consultation

Psychologists

Work-Life Balance

Samhällsvetenskap/Humaniora

Social Sciences/Humanities

Publication and Content Type

vet (subject category)

kap (subject category)