Cecilia Åkesdotter

Cecilia Åkesdotter is a Senior Lecturer in Sport Science at the Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences (GIH), affiliated with the Department of Physiology, Nutrition and Biomechanics. She holds a PhD in Sport Science and is linked to Karolinska Institutet's Department of Clinical Neuroscience under Professor Johan Franck's group. Her roles include teaching in coaching, health promotion, and elite coaching programs, focusing on sports psychology, stress management, and motivational interviewing.

Her research investigates mental illness prevalence, coping strategies, and psychiatric diagnoses among Swedish elite athletes, employing both quantitative and qualitative methods. Her work addresses stigma, treatment-seeking behaviors, and life stories of athletes with mental health challenges. Recent publications explore themes like psychiatric disorders in elite athletes and eating disorders through poetic narratives.

Åkesdotter is a CBT-trained psychotherapist specializing in elite sports and serves as a sports psychology advisor for the Swedish National Orienteering Team and Solna Gymnasium. Her athletic background includes gold medals in ITF Taekwondo and ongoing involvement in martial arts and running.