Educational Psychologists and therapeutic intervention: enabling effective practice

MacKay (2007) suggests that educational psychologists (EPs) are a key therapeutic resource for children and young people, especially in educational contexts such as schools and argues for a renewed focus on therapy within educational psychology practice. This project explored the role of EPs in relation to the delivery of therapeutic interventions and supporting emotional well-being, first through the use of an online survey completed by more than 450 EPs working in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Questionnaire responses revealed that 90% of EPs use therapeutic interventions as part of their current practice, in a variety of educational settings, with children and adults. A wide range of therapeutic interventions were reported, with the most popular being Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Personal Construct Therapy (PCP). As well as in direct work with children and young people, therapeutic interventions were used in groupwork, consultation and assessment and also at a systemic level through training or developing the skills of others. Enablers and barriers to EPs providing therapeutic intervention were also established. The second part of the research sought to establish what features enable and ensure effective provision of therapeutic interventions by EPs. This comprised four site visits to four educational psychology services (EPSs) reporting effective delivery of therapeutic interventions, during which focus groups were undertaken with EPs and commissioners/stakeholders and documentary analysis completed. Thematic analysis of the transcripted data yielded a number of key aspects which appear to be facilitative of effective practice.