In some of the work we do with students, we may have to help them interpret the actions of others or help them understand how they’re coming across. Within the context of executive functioning, this is known as perspective-taking. This is an essential life skill in both our professional and personal lives; which is why…
Category: Psychology
EP 130: Using private practice to offer accessible services and advocate for your profession (with Ebony Green)
Most people involved in K-12 education aren’t in it for the money, but with high caseloads and low pay; a lot of people are considering a career transition. For people in therapy roles, private practice is a common option on the table; but many come from a “helping people” mindset and struggle with the idea…
EP 126: Behind the scenes of a K-12 staffing company (with Ryan Cleaveland)
Many clinicians start their careers feeling unprepared to navigate the job market. In a lot of professional groups, I’ve noticed a skepticism towards contract companies, recruiters, and staffing agencies simply because many people working in school settings don’t know who they can trust. If you’ve ever had a recruiter awkwardly slide into your DMs or…
EP 125: Time perception, anxiety, and future pacing
When I was younger I was fixated on clocks and the passage of time. It’s accurate to say it was an obsession of mine, to the point that it caused me large amounts of anxiety. It got difficult for me to tell when I was future-planning or when I was catastrophizing. On top of that,…
EP 120: Career transitions and improv for educators and therapists (with Aimee Davis)
If you’ve ever thought about leaving the school systems, you may have wondered what options you have as far as jobs go. Maybe you feel burnt out, or maybe you just want a change and don’t want to walk away from education completely. I understand this dilemma on a deep level, so that’s why I…
EP 90: Creating grassroots movements to support kids in your community (with Merlin Anderson)
There’s a lot of talk within the therapy world about effective therapy strategies; but there’s NOT a lot of talk about how to get funding so programs can actually deliver support and resources. That’s why I was so excited to have Merlin Anderson on the De Facto Leaders podcast to talk about what’s known as…
EP 89: What district wide activities are relevant to school therapists?
If you’re a school therapist, you’ve likely been asked to do a lot of things within the school system that don’t seem totally relevant to your role as a clinician. Yet at the same time, you may often feel siloed off, like you’re not a part of the school team. That’s why in episode 88…
EP 88: De Facto Leaders: A New Show Title and Direction
In this episode, I’m excited to officially announce the new direction for the podcast! The show is now called “De Facto Leaders” (it was formerly “Are they 18 yet?®”) I’ve been hinting at this for a while and have slowly transitioned the types of topics I’ve covered over the last year, but in this episode…
EP 87: What to do when the IEP team doesn’t agree
Part of a school therapist’s job is getting buy-in from the entire IEP team, but that can be difficult to do when team members don’t agree on what’s best for a student. That’s why in episode 86 of the “Are they 18 yet?®” podcast, I walk through several case studies from my mentoring group to…
EP 86: Navigating workplace conflict and getting team buy-in
One of the most powerful ways to provide comprehensive services for K-12 kids is by collaborating with other therapists and teachers… Which is why it’s frustrating when team members can’t come to a consensus about what’s best for kids. When you’re working together as a team, at least some conflict is inevitable. That’s why I…