This paper reflects the author's journey into an area of psychology which is not dominant in Educational Psychology discourse, namely psychodynamic psychology. Two psychodynamic mechanisms, namely splitting and projection are explained, and then the author describes and critiques how these mechanisms have proved useful in his practice. Two case…

This article reflects on the potential benefits of applying systemic theory to the work of educational psychologists (EPs). It reviews developments in systemic thinking over time, and discusses the differences between more directive "first order" versus collaborative "second order" approaches. It considers systemic theories and illustrates their…

This article reflects on the behaviour commonly known as "school refusal". After reviewing its established descriptions, the article argues for a different definition, namely "extended school non-attendance", which describes the visible behaviour neutrally, aims to direct one's attention to the school environment, and stresses its persistent…