What is an educational psychologist?

Educational psychologists assist children and adults with learning and developmental issues by providing assessment, intervention and counselling services.

They are concerned with how people develop and learn throughout their lives.

They work in many, different settings with individuals, couples, groups and organisations. As a result they have various titles, such as school psychologist, guidance officer, child and adolescent counsellor.

Areas that educational psychologists provide assistance with include:

Childhood, where parents may seek help to deal with problems of attachment, difficult temperament or behaviour, concerns with development, and sibling rivalry;

School years, where parents, teachers or children may seek help to deal with problems of transition, school avoidance, learning difficulties, poor peer relationships, low self-esteem, and behaviour problems;

Adolescence, where parents and others may seek help to deal with conflict in adolescent and parent relations, peer relations, career guidance, school to work transition, sexuality issues, drug involvement, and identity issues;

Adulthood, where partners or employers may seek assistance with conflict in marital, social and work relationships, career guidance, sexuality issues, drug involvement, and identity issues; and

Older adulthood where elderly people or their adult children may seek information or assistance with healthy ageing, decline in functioning, dependency, and issues of loss or grief.

In particular, educational psychologists have skills and expertise in problem identification, assessment, intervention, counselling, consultation, program development and evaluation in responding to client problems.