What Is
Positive Educational Psychology?
PEP takes the best from Educational Psychology such as:
- Assessment and knowledge of processes underlying effective learning
- Understanding of learning difficulties and psychological barriers to learning
- Knowledge of the latest interventions in terms of removing those barriers, such as effective study and teaching skills
And the best from Positive Psychology such as:
- Awareness of and development of Character Strengths
- Understanding how to increase motivation and create Flow and Flourishing for individuals
- Coaching to enhance skills and awareness of how to create a more satisfying life
The Focus of Positive Educational Psychology
Is more preventative in nature and has a more specific focus on wellbeing. It focuses on enhancing emotional and academic resilience and motivation in order to raise attainment. Whereas traditional educational psychology tends to become involved when a problem is there to be solved, Positive Educational Psychology can become involved before there is a problem and can help enhance wellbeing for all students and staff.
The primary route for this is via training and strength coaching for both students and staff.
Positive Psychology
Positive psychology is the ‘scientific study of what makes life worth living’ and is based in sound neuroscience principles and the latest findings about how our emotions and motivation actually work.
It draws upon Positive Psychology’s emphasis on individual strengths and personal motivation to enhance learning and promote motivation and achievement. At PEP the focus is how to make the best of our mental health and personal strengths in order to meet the demands we face and foster flourishing, well-being and emotional and academic resilience.
Recent research has shown that a Positive Psychology intervention is at least as effective as CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) for mild depression. Read the report here.
A fundamental core concept in Positive Psychology is the belief that learning is a life-long process and as adults we continue to develop and grow. Recent evidence from neuroscience shows this to be true; our brains can grow new connections and create new brain cells even in our very mature years. In order to thrive and flourish we need to work within our fields of strength, feel supported in our environment and work within our ‘stretch zone’ where new learning takes place. We need to learn to accept failure as a natural part of learning and work within a Growth Mindset model and Positive Educational Psychology will have something to offer adults, adolescents and children.
At PEP we do:
Assessment
We do educational psychology assessments including:
- Post 16 Assessments
- DSA Assessments
- Access Arrangements
- School Based Assessments
Coaching
Coaching is a way of working with people that focuses on supporting them to improve an area of their life they would like to change. It can have a more open agenda or it can be more specifically focused on an area such as:
- Improving Study Skills and Organisational Skills
- Revision Techniques
- Managing Exam Anxiety
- Feeling Isolated and Unhappy (Mild Depression)
Workshops & Training
- We provide tailor made programmes for both staff and students including in both group and individual sessions.
- We also deliver workshops for parents on how to support their children in a number of different ways.
- We also deliver workshops to students in for example character strength.
About Me
Jeanette Carlsson
Educational Psychologist
I have been an educational psychologist for over 20 years in a number of different settings, including both Local Authorities and the independent sector, providing a variety of services to staff and students, including assessments for the higher education sector. I apply a number of positive psychology strategies and I feel very strongly that everybody would benefit from knowledge of these principles and I know it helped me to recover and move forward. I am therefore keen to provide positive psychology training in schools and organisations.
What People Are Saying
"Meeting you, the assessment and all the feedback has for us been “life changing’. I feel like we finally have a clarity and approaches to move forwards very positively. V and I are so grateful and we can’t thank you enough for your professionalism, clarity and kindness."
"Thank you so much for everything you have done with A – it really is much appreciated. It has been very good for his self esteem to have his strengths articulated as he often forgets them when thinking about the negatives"
"The Strengths evaluation was helpful in that it helped me to get a different view point and to see things in a different manner in terms of giving me 5 ways in which to tackle problems"
"Whilst working together and being able to articulate freely and talk problems through with Jeanette really helped me solve the issues I wanted to resolve. Although I came to the conclusions myself I couldn’t have got there without Jeanette’s help"
"The assessment does seem to have really helped I, - perhaps giving her the realisation that if she doesn’t understand something it’s not because of lack of intelligence but just needing things explained in a different way, which is great"
"I found the sessions very helpful, especially the positive psychology approach. I liked the practical tasks that meant I didn’t just come and talk but was actively making changes. I always felt encouraged after our sessions. Thank you"
Ready to Make a Change?
Get in touch to have a conversation to see how I can help you to achieve your goals whether they are achievement focused or emotionally focused.
