The Dad and the Lad: Who Is My Client?

This article discusses an applied case study with a young footballer and his father. Contacted initially to offer psychological support to the athlete, after conducting his needs analysis, the practitioner was left questioning who his client really was. This paper outlines how the practitioner arrived at the decision to work with the father rather than the athlete, before reflecting on how his own experience as a young athlete fueled his commitment to work with this case. Drawing upon acceptance and commitment therapy, the intervention's aim was to increase the father's psychological flexibility and explore ways he could better support his son. The evaluation suggested that working alongside the practitioner helped the father (a) gain clarity with regard to what was important to him as a parent and (b) begin to behave in a manner that was more aligned to his son's needs. By virtue of the changes he observed in his father, the young athlete also discussed the implications this had for his own mindset and performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]