Chapter 3: A Holistic Wellness Approach Toward Counseling College Athletes

Each year over 400,000 students participate in intercollegiate athletic programs sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA, 2012). For many of these students, their experiences are positive and the memories they take from their time as student athletes last a lifetime. For others, their experience paints a different story. An estimated 10%-15% of college athletes will exhibit signs and symptoms indicative of mental health problems, which rise to the level of warranting help from a professional counselor, as a result of their role as an athlete (Hinkle, 1994; Murray, 1997; Par-ham, 1993). In these cases, the challenges of balancing the demands associated with being a student and an athlete, as well as the normal developmental issues associated with young adulthood, can have a deleterious effect on a student’s physical and mental health. In this chapter the Indivisible Self Model of Wellness (IS-WEL) is introduced as a potential treatment approach to use when working with athletes. Consistent with many student development models, the IS-WEL can be useful in helping athletes address the many challenges in their lives and enhance their overall collegiate athletic experience. Conceptually, the IS-WEL is a strength-based, choice-oriented, multidimensional approach that emphasizes the interconnectedness of various dimensions of an individual’s life (Myers & Sweeney, 2004). Counselors who apply this model are able to identify individuals’ strengths in particular dimensions and use these strengths to improve functioning and overcome deficiencies in other dimensions; this allows them to help their athletes and clients create positive change in their lives.