Why Early Intervention Matters: How Educational Psychologists Shape Mental Health and Education

In this blog, you will learn:

• About how early experiences working with children inspired a career in educational psychology.
• About the vital role Educational Psychologists play in supporting mental health, safeguarding and wellbeing.
• About the growing need for Educational Psychologists to influence policy, media and preventative work to shape the future of the profession.
• How to find and apply for the best Educational Psychologist jobs.

In our latest interview, we spoke with Educational Psychologist Emily about the importance of early mental health support for adolescents, as well as for the parents, carers and professionals who support them.

Emily is a fully qualified Doctor of Child, Community and Educational Psychology and a registered member of the UK’s Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). She has worked as an Educational Psychologist for several years, supporting children, families and schools across a wide range of settings.

Emily believes strongly in the value of clear, supportive boundaries and works systemically to create meaningful, sustainable change.

Throughout this interview, you’ll learn about the importance of early intervention, whole-system collaboration and Emily’s belief that supporting parents from the outset can significantly improve children’s mental health and overall childhood experiences.

Tell us about your career journey so far and how it led to your role as an Educational Psychologist

I had always been interested in psychology and knew when I first began my career that I wanted to help people but wasn’t sure how. I started my career considering clinical psychology because I actually didn’t know that educational psychology existed at that point.

It wasn’t until the third year of my undergraduate psychology degree at Royal Holloway University of London that I took a module in educational psychology. This led me to pursue work experience opportunities working with children and young people.

I began working with children who had recently been diagnosed with autism and in my university's baby research lab. It was at this point that I saw the noticeable difference in applying psychology at an early, preventative stage which caused me to pursue a career steered towards becoming an Educational Psychologist for children and young people.

What do you find most fulfilling about your role?

For me, the proudest and most fulfilling part of my role is when a parent opens up to me. It’s especially meaningful when they feel, perhaps for the first time, that they have been truly heard and understood in supporting not just their children but their own mental health and wellbeing.

In what ways does your work intersect with wider issues such as mental health, safeguarding or community wellbeing?

Often Educational Psychologists are perceived as working just at an individual level carrying out assessments and writing reports. While this will always be an important part of our role, we also continuously consider how wider systems affect the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people, their families and school staff.

We play a key role in reaching out to parents, working with social care and interacting with all stakeholders in the community to keep children and young people safe.

Some of my favourite work is collaborating with other professionals to bring change at a systemic and organisational level. I truly believe that educational psychology should be at the heart of the community, children and young people and parents.

I also believe that education staff need to feel safe and secure before they can thrive. We help support those fundamentals first by providing containment, signposting and intervention.

What excites you most about the future of educational psychology?

I am becoming more excited about the diverse ways educational psychology is having an impact on wider societal issues. It is great to see Educational Psychologists having more of a voice at a policy level, contributing to the media and working alongside other professionals.

I truly believe Educational Psychologists need to have more of a voice at parliament level and in the media so they can inform policy and provide credible information.

We also need more funding at a preventative level and for full-funded training places. There are so many incredible prospective Educational Psychologists out there and we need to be supporting them to get into the field.

We also need to be using Educational Psychologists early on which may mean at more of a consultative level rather than a reactive level. I feel it will maximise resources and promote more positive outcomes overall.

Looking back, what turning points in your career most shaped your approach to educational psychology?

For me it was learning how educational psychology can be applied at a systemic level to bring about change to more individuals at once. When clients use our time to target groups of children, parents, or senior leadership teams, this brings a quicker, greater rate of impact for those involved.

How has provision changed over the past 12 months and where do you see it heading in the future?

There has been more of a push to support children to integrate and be included in mainstream education. I think for me working with Teachers to shift their thinking in how to support children with SEND at a quality first level and ordinarily available provision level is key. A lot of staff have not received training on this due to no fault of their own so it’s been great in developing this further and I feel we still have a long way to go.

What practical steps do you think could help attract and retain more Educational Psychologists right now? How do you think the government should address the shortage of Educational Psychologists?

I believe that we need to be supporting Educational Psychologists to be able to work in a way that suits their individual interests more. The demand on Educational Psychologists, especially those working in local authorities, is ever increasing and is somewhat part of the role.

However, when they feel they cannot practise as they wish due to not having the capacity or fear of judgement from other Educational Psychologists, it causes them to go out on their own. I can see the pros and cons of both sides and I feel we need to support Educational Psychologists in doing what is right for them at this moment in their lives.

The government needs to increase the training places and make it more desirable for Educational Psychologists to remain in local authorities by reducing statutory work, alleviating the pressure to be pulled into the political climate and offering increased salaries with clear career progression.

Can you describe a time where you faced a challenging situation in your career and how you resolved it?

There have been a few times when I have received negative comments from others about some of the work I have been doing or how my own personal values intersect with my professional identity. I’ve come to understand that these comments often stem from their own insecurities, which they may unintentionally project onto me.

I feel as Educational Psychologists we need to be supporting each other more and I am grateful that I now have a supportive network of what I call the ‘new generation of Educational Psychologists’.

I think sometimes when we strive for change and challenge the system it can make people feel uncomfortable and some would rather stay in their comfortable areas. This is fine but we should also be supporting those who want to break those cycles.

What new knowledge or skills do you think Educational Psychologists entering the field now will need most?

I truly believe you need to be flexible. The role and daily work changes constantly and if you don’t cope with change then you will struggle. You need to be somewhat thick-skinned and be prepared not to let negativity get to you, whilst also being able to be honest and true to yourself.

You need to be reflective, able to cope with uncertainty and willing to be challenged. This is such a unique role that many will not understand and you have no choice but to be strong and believe in yourself.

What major changes and trends stood out and how do you see them shaping the future of educational psychology?

I’m loving seeing educational psychology services and Educational Psychologists promoting their work and knowledge online more. It’s great to see some local services and independent Educational Psychologists creating podcasts and promoting their own professional and personal brands on social media.

I feel social media can be positive and if used properly, it is great for promoting credible, trustworthy psychological information to support parents or educational staff in a quicker, more accessible way. I enjoy seeing Educational Psychologists working with various professionals and sharing their views in the media and I feel we need to do this more to reduce the stigma around it.

It’s great to see Educational Psychologists working with the NHS in mental health support teams to support mental health further. I really feel Educational Psychologists can offer a great systemic holistic approach to mental health and wellbeing alongside psychiatry and clinical psychology.

Educational Psychologist jobs

If you’re searching for your next Educational Psychologist job, why not take a look at the latest vacancies, or simply upload your CV to be notified when a relevant position becomes available.  

Struggling to recruit Educational Psychologists?

As specialist local authority SEND recruiters, we support local authorities nationwide with their temporary, interim and permanent staffing needs. 

If you’re struggling to recruit, we have exclusive access to some of the most experienced interim Educational Psychologists in the UK.

Simply contact Natalie Boaler on 01772 954200 to discover how we can help.

Share your experience

Every individual brings a unique set of experiences, thoughts, and insights to the table. We believe in giving a voice to a community of professionals to inspire positive change and champion reform in the healthcare sector.  

If you work in the healthcare sector and would like to share your own personal and professional experiences, we’d love to hear from you. Perhaps you have a different perspective, could offer a fresh angle, or want to challenge assumptions. 

Simply reach out to our Head of Content, Nicole Sherwood, to discuss a collaboration which makes your voice count. 

Who is Spencer Clarke Group?

Established in 2017, we’re an award winning and progressive recruitment agency based in the heart of the North West. Our reputation is built on trust, expertise and an unwavering commitment to exceed expectations. 

In 2025, Spencer Clarke Group was awarded Best Public/Third Sector Recruitment Agency and Best Temporary Recruitment Agency at the Recruiter Awards. In 2024, Spencer Clarke Group was also named Recruitment Agency of the Year.