A Guide to what an Educational Psychologist does and what to expect
What is Psychology?
Psychology is all about finding out why people think and act the way they do.
What is an Educational Psychologist? (or EP for short!)
An Educational Psychologist helps children, parents/ carers and teachers with any problems they may have.
An EP uses psychology to help with learning and behaviour and to try and make tings better for people in school.
What is the EP going to help me with?
The EP can help with any difficulties you may have at school. This could include difficulties with friends, learning, behaviour or with your thoughts and feelings.
The EP will work with you to help understand the things you're really good at and the things you're not so good at so your teachers and other people know how to help you.
What activities will the EP do with me?
That depends on what your needs are. It may be that you will do some activities and puzzles and be asked some questions. The EP may talk about how you feel. Sometimes the EP will look at what happens in class.
What will be the results of the EP's visit to see me?
The EP will often talk to your teacher and parents and a plan will be put together, which will involve you. this plan will help you in any area where you may be having difficulty.
The EP will write down this plan in a report and this will be shared with your class teacher and parents/ carers. This will then help everyone understand what they need to do to make things even better for you.
The EP will then find out how you are doing during regular school visits.
Don't worry!
Plenty of children and young people see an Educational Psychologist. This usually happens because someone has raised a concern about how you are doing and they want some help in thinking how they can make things better for you.
This person may have been your teacher, your parent/ carer or yourself. The EP can discus this with you when you meet.
All EP's will have studies Psychology at University, will have experience of working with children and have done further study to become Educational Psychologists.
You will normally see the Educational Psychologist in school and different schools have different Educational Psychologists.