Conversations about Consultation

Emma Ní Chinnéide, Zahra Ahmed and Bethanie Atinuke Sonola
  • 3.5 (12)
  • SELF-IMPROVEMENT
  • MONTHLY

Welcome to our podcast, Conversations about Consultation. This is a series of digital audio files, made with a wide range of guests who have been generous enough to share their thinking on the topic of consultation in education. Our aim is to provide thought-provoking and engaging content that you can access at times and in places convenient to you, growing out of our shared interest in consultation. Emma teaches a module on consultation as part of the doctoral training in Child, Community, and Educational Psychology at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust. Jessica, Emily, Bethanie, and Zahra are either current or former doctoral students from the Tavistock and Portman Educational Psychology training. Our current co-hosts, Bethanie and Zahra, work in or are on placement in local authority settings, where they use consultation in their practice. Consultation has any number of different definitions and models. Given our training and background, we are especially interested in consultation as it is used in schools and community settings. We see consultation as a particular type of professional helping relationship, one that holds central the idea that it is the relationship between the consultant and those with whom they work that makes the difference. However, one aim of Conversations about Consultation is to speak with guests who perhaps use different lenses, modalities and approaches and who offer something unique and distinctive that can complement or contrast with our own. It may be a current trainee on a different programme whose research interests include consultation, or an early career practitioner reflecting on consultative working in schools. We speak with experienced practitioners from other disciplines who bring their expertise in working with children young people and their families; as well as psychologists who have been working in the field of consultation research and practice for many years. We hope you will find a conversation to listen to that engages your interest, offers a different perspective or even just provokes a new question or idea that leads to further conversations of your own. You can follow us on BlueSky to join in the conversation at @CACpodcast.bsky.social

  1. System-wide Consultation - Shannon Steven

    6 DAYS AGO

    System-wide Consultation - Shannon Steven

    Shannon Steven is a school psychologist who has worked in education for over 18 years and is a keen advocate for the profession. Shannon loves to learn and is passionate about the promotion of the wellbeing, and the prevention of illbeing of young people in schools and in the wider community. She has experience working across the Department of Education, Catholic Education and Independent school systems, in primary, secondary, composite and boarding contexts. Shannon is a registered teacher, has taught ATAR and has completed her Master of Psychology (Counselling) at Curtin University, and the Masters of Applied Positive Psychology and Coaching Psychology (MAPPCP) at the University of East London. Shannon is a Past President of the School Psychologists Association of Western Australia (SPAWA) and the Australian Psychologists and Counsellors in Schools Association (APACS) and continues to be on the APACS committee. Shannon is currently a lead psychologist at Catholic Education WA and works part time in private practice. In todays episode we reflect on transitioning to a system-wide consultation service delivery model and what she and her colleagues are learning along the way.

    48 min
  2. The Tree of Change Consultation Framework - Dr LeMarra Williamson

    17 APR

    The Tree of Change Consultation Framework - Dr LeMarra Williamson

    Dr LeMarra Williamson is a Senior Practitioner Educational Psychologist and Academic Tutor at the University of East Anglia and the University of East London, where she contributes to the training and supervision of doctoral students on the Educational Psychology Doctorate (EdPsyD) programme. Her career combines professional practice, teaching, and research, with a strong emphasis on equality, diversity, and inclusion, and on ensuring educational psychology works in ways that empower children, families, and schools in diverse communities. Her research and practice are underpinned by a commitment to strength-based and collaborative approaches. She has worked extensively with schools, families, and young people to move beyond deficit narratives and instead identify, amplify, and build upon existing strengths and resources. A central contribution to the field has been her creation of the Tree of Change consultation framework, a model of practice designed to support more inclusive and positive educational psychology consultations. The Tree of Change shifts focus away from “what is wrong” towards “what is working,” by exploring existing resources and strengths (the roots), the collaborative process of consultation and shared understanding (the trunk), and the strategies, actions, and positive outcomes that emerge (the branches and leaves). Research into this framework has shown that it not only leads to more balanced and strength-focused action plans but also amplifies the voices of pupils, families, and teachers, particularly in communities where traditional models may otherwise have been deficit-based. Dr Williamson’s research has been published in peer-reviewed journals, including her 2022 article in Educational and Child Psychology, and she continues to supervise and support trainee educational psychologists conducting research in areas such as SEND, inclusion, and youth experiences in educational and legal contexts. Alongside her academic role, she remains committed to her applied work as a practitioner psychologist, using consultation, assessment, and intervention to support children’s learning and wellbeing. Through her teaching, writing, and professional practice, Dr Williamson has made a distinctive contribution to the development of strength-based, inclusive educational psychology, with the Tree of Change providing a framework that bridges research, theory, and practice. Faculty profile: https://research-portal.uea.ac.uk/en/persons/lemarra-williamson/

    48 min
  3. Learning from experience - Dr Sebastian Kraemer

    23 MAR

    Learning from experience - Dr Sebastian Kraemer

    We are honoured to have with us Dr Sebastian Kraemer, a distinguished clinician, writer and honorary consultant at the Tavistock & Portman NHS Trust. Over the past half century, Sebastian has shared his reflections and learning with others, drawing deeply on his experiences with colleagues, patients, and their families. After a first degree in philosophy, Dr Kraemer studied medicine, trained in paediatrics and then in psychiatry, completing his child and adolescent training at the Tavistock Clinic. He was on the clinic staff as a trainer and consultant psychiatrist from 1980 to 2003, at the same time as combining his paediatric training with systemic therapy as a consultant psychiatrist in the Whittington hospital paediatric department. Dr Kraemer has also been facilitating staff groups since the late 1970s and this is now his main work, along with a membership of a regular family therapy reflecting team, based in a north London GP surgery. During this episode we reflect together on on the process of consultation, the use of structure and learning from working with groups. To see a list of his publication please visit his website: www.sebastiankraemer.com

    1hr 25min
  4. Feeling seen and bringing the 'storied self' into consultation - Dr Michael O'Loughlin

    19/01/2025

    Feeling seen and bringing the 'storied self' into consultation - Dr Michael O'Loughlin

    After teaching for seven years in Dublin, Michael O’Loughlin earned a Ph.D. in Psychology from Columbia University in New York. He later trained as a psychoanalyst at Adelphi University on Long Island and is now Professor in the College of Education and Health Sciences and the Derner School of Psychology at Adelphi. Michael teaches courses for teachers, school psychologists and clinical psychologists in training. Of the many books he has authored or edited, five of those books focus specifically on children and adolescents including Precarities of 21st century childhoods, released in 2023. He is editor of the book series, Critical Childhood & Youth Studies from Bloomsbury. Alongside directing the Adelphi Asylum Project, he has a private practice for psychotherapy and psychoanalysis with a strong emphasis on child, adolescent, and family work. Web: michaeloloughlinphd.com Faculty profile: https://www.adelphi.edu/faculty/profiles/profile.php?PID=0064

    1hr 12min
  5. An introduction to our new co-host - Bethanie Atinuke Sonola

    19/01/2025

    An introduction to our new co-host - Bethanie Atinuke Sonola

    We're meeting with Bethanie Atinuke Sonola, year 2 trainee Educational Psychologist completing her doctorate at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust. This short episode is to say a big welcome to Bethanie. We learn about Bethanie and her journey into training and share are some of the things that she hopes the podcast will explore during her time as a co-host.

    14 min
  6. A multicultural, gender, and sexually diverse affirming consultation framework - Dr Jeffrey Brown and Starr Greensky

    30/04/2024

    A multicultural, gender, and sexually diverse affirming consultation framework - Dr Jeffrey Brown and Starr Greensky

    We are so lucky to have with us Dr Jeffrey Brown and Starr Greensky. Jeff is currently an Assistant Professor at San Diego State University on the School Psychology Program and Starr is a student and School Psychology intern, working with Jeff. We speak with them about the development and application of a multicultural, gender, and sexually diverse affirming school‐based consultation framework. We also speak about contextual influences, colonialism and working with and in diverse communities. We were so privileged to speak with Starr and Jeff, they shared such interesting insights. We hope you enjoy listening to this episode!

    1hr 7min
  7. Children and young people’s participation in consultation - Dr Anwen J Marshall

    25/03/2024

    Children and young people’s participation in consultation - Dr Anwen J Marshall

    Dr Anwen Marshall graduated from Bristol University in 2021 and currently works in Bristol City Council as an Educational Psychologist (EP), where she also holds the role of ‘person-centred champion’. Before training as an EP, Anwen worked as an Assistant EP in London for two years, based in a primary school. For her doctoral research, Anwen explored EP views on children and young people's participation in consultation meetings using both a online questionnaire and Appreciative Inquiry-informed interviews. Her research found a difference between beliefs and current practice, where trainee EPs/EPs generally believed in the benefits of participation, but practice often not mirroring this. Attitudes, facilitators and barriers were explored and Anwen very generously shared some of these in today's episode. She also shares elements from the model for participation she created as a product of her research, one which considers both system-wide and interpersonal practical strategies to advance children and young people's participation in consultation. We were really privileged to speak with Anwen about her research and hope this promotes reflection on our practice.

    50 min
  8. Reflecting on school culture and collaboration with school leaders and staff members - Laleh Laverick

    25/02/2024

    Reflecting on school culture and collaboration with school leaders and staff members - Laleh Laverick

    We were so privileged to speak with Laleh Laverick in this episode about a range of important factors schools are dealing with today. Laleh speaks from a wealth of expertise and experience from her role as a Leadership and Management Adviser at Hackney Education, as well as the various roles she has held in inner city primary schools - including teacher, Special Educational Needs Co-ordiator and Head Teacher - for over 20 years. Laleh has served as an Executive Headteacher of 6 inner city schools., as well as a National Leader in Education linked to a Teaching School. She has supported ‘Women Leading in Education’ and ‘BAME leadership’ programmes, as well as being a school governor. Laleh has published articles in the Chartered College of Teaching’s journal and in journals on Early Years Education. Laleh believes that schools are at their best when their vision and ethos are clearly communicated by school leaders to all stakeholders and the culture of schools is one of high ambition for their communities. We loved speaking with Laleh about so much of her experiences working in various roles in UK schools. We reflect on the current factors influencing schools in London and Special Educational Needs departments generally, as well as the important role of understanding varying professional cultures when contracting and collaborating. We hope you enjoy listening to this episode and we look forward to reading some of your reflections about the topics discussed!

    1hr 14min
See All (30)

Ratings & Reviews

3.5
out of 5
12 Ratings

About

Welcome to our podcast, Conversations about Consultation. This is a series of digital audio files, made with a wide range of guests who have been generous enough to share their thinking on the topic of consultation in education. Our aim is to provide thought-provoking and engaging content that you can access at times and in places convenient to you, growing out of our shared interest in consultation. Emma teaches a module on consultation as part of the doctoral training in Child, Community, and Educational Psychology at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust. Jessica, Emily, Bethanie, and Zahra are either current or former doctoral students from the Tavistock and Portman Educational Psychology training. Our current co-hosts, Bethanie and Zahra, work in or are on placement in local authority settings, where they use consultation in their practice. Consultation has any number of different definitions and models. Given our training and background, we are especially interested in consultation as it is used in schools and community settings. We see consultation as a particular type of professional helping relationship, one that holds central the idea that it is the relationship between the consultant and those with whom they work that makes the difference. However, one aim of Conversations about Consultation is to speak with guests who perhaps use different lenses, modalities and approaches and who offer something unique and distinctive that can complement or contrast with our own. It may be a current trainee on a different programme whose research interests include consultation, or an early career practitioner reflecting on consultative working in schools. We speak with experienced practitioners from other disciplines who bring their expertise in working with children young people and their families; as well as psychologists who have been working in the field of consultation research and practice for many years. We hope you will find a conversation to listen to that engages your interest, offers a different perspective or even just provokes a new question or idea that leads to further conversations of your own. You can follow us on BlueSky to join in the conversation at @CACpodcast.bsky.social

Information

  • Creator
    Emma Ní Chinnéide, Zahra Ahmed and Bethanie Atinuke Sonola
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    30
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Emma Ní Chinnéide, Bethanie Atinuke Sonola, Zahra Ahmed, Jessica Rowley & Emily Crosby 2021
  • Show Website
    Conversations about Consultation

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