Abstract
In this study Cognitive Therapy was for athletes who complained of competitive anxiety, such as getting anxious when making mistakes in a game, or feeling impatient and irritated during play. It becomes sometimes a problem for clients to have limited time for counseling as they have to participate in several games and they need trainings accordingly. Therefore counseling with athletes is obliged to be done within the specified seasons and time. Thus only three months (seven sessions) were allowed for counseling in this case, and the results showed that competitive maladjustment could be improved in the short term. There were three reasons why such an improvement occurred in the short term. Firstly, a targeted belief and principle could be decided during the phase of assessment. Secondly, the cognitive appraisal of the athlete was changed. Thirdly, the athlete became less attached to the belief of mistakes and perfectionism, and this can be the most effective factor to the improvement. By applying Cognitive Therapy approach to athletes with competitive anxiety, this study focused on how the athlete' s cognitive appraisal including their sense of maladjustment was changed in the process of the therapy, and it considered the effectiveness and future problems.
