Cognitive therapy (CT)

Cognitive therapy (CT) is a short-term and present-orientated structured therapy focusing on changing cognition to generate helpful adaptations to emotions and behaviors. CT incorporates various techniques to facilitate such change, each of which assumes that negative thoughts result from underlying schemas and dysfunctional beliefs. One of the distinguishing features of CT is the complex model of stressors, reactions, and beliefs on which it is based. This chapter details the key theoretical assumptions of CT and critically considers the evidence base for the application of CT in sport to date. The authors then propose and explore a hypothetical case study to bring the approach to life and, in particular, to describe the structure, process, and content of CT as applied in real-world settings. The case used in this chapter is a coach who presents with maladaptive evaluations of situations that occur during her coaching role. We include example tasks and activities that would be used with, and agreed between, the practitioner and the coach to offer practical insight. We evaluate the effectiveness and strengths and limitations of CT alongside directions for future research, practice, and innovation.