Supporting School Staff Wellbeing: The Role of Educational Psychologists

Supporting School Staff Wellbeing: The Role of Educational Psychologists

At Cavehill Psychology LTD, we believe that strength-based approaches and growth-focused dialogue are powerful catalysts for early-career development. A recent article in AI Practitioner (“Voices from the Field,” February 2025) highlights our collaboration—led by Dr Carol Strahan and Dr Hassan Regan—on integrating Appreciative Inquiry (AI) into the Doctorate in Educational, Child and Adolescent Psychology (DECAP) at Queen’s University Belfast aipractitioner.com.
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Sowing the Seeds: AI at DECAP

We embedded AI throughout the three-year DECAP programme using:

  • Year 1 (“Being the EP we want to be”): Trainees explored their strengths, hopes, and goals—helping form a cohesive and aspirational community.
  • Year 2 (“Wellbeing culture”): Participants identified and nurtured aspects of wellbeing in both themselves and the broader student cohort.
  • Year 3 (“Becoming the EP we want to be”): Reflection guided trainees to consolidate learning and design their futures as independent practitioners aipractitioner.com.

We used the AI 5D cycle—Define, Discover, Dream, Design, Deliver—to structure workshops, appreciative conversations, journaling, SOAR framing, and facilitated peer activities aipractitioner.com.

Growth in Action: What We Observed

  • Strong engagement: laughter, collaboration, and rich discussion.
  • Growth mindset: trainees began asking appreciative, strengths-based questions.
  • Ownership and inclusivity: wellbeing and change felt co-created, not top-down.

Lessons from the Forest

Reflecting on our journey, some key takeaways emerged:

  1. Positive framing matters: asking constructive questions helps unlock strengths and possibilities.
  2. Storytelling is powerful: narratives build connection and bring abstract values to life.
  3. Strengths over deficits: focusing on what’s working sustains positivity and confidence.
  4. Facilitated growth is empowering: guiding a process matters more than prescribing answers.
  5. Diversity enriches: AI thrives on varied backgrounds and perspectives.
  6. Adaptability is key: practitioners need to skillfully navigate different temperaments and readiness for AI aipractitioner.com.

What This Means for Cavehill Psychology LTD

This project exemplifies our core values:

  • Strength-based practice: We see the potential in individuals, not just their challenges.
  • Collaborative growth: Change is something we build together
  • Continuous reflection: We model curiosity, adaptation, and lifelong learning.
  • Wellbeing at our heart: Psychological health thrives in supportive, inclusive ecosystems.

By deepening our expertise in Appreciative Inquiry, we bring refined tools and transformative perspectives to our clients—whether they are individuals, schools, or organisations. We view each relationship as its own ecosystem to cultivate, nurture, and flourish together.