How can districts reverse chronic absenteeism and gain a deeper understanding of why students don’t come to school? Can we measure how “connected” students are to their schools? How do we impact the level of connection they feel with potential mentors in their lives? I invited Jen Perry to episode 172 of the De Facto…
Category: Social and emotional development
EP 171: Social-emotional learning for adults (featuring Crissy Mombela, Lisa Navarra, and Dr. Theresa Melito-Conners)
Most discussions around social-emotional learning are about helping kids stay regulated, healthy, and adjusted, but we can’t forget about the adults. Being in any type of role that involves caring for others can be incredibly dysregulating; whether you’re a K-12 professional or a parent. That’s why in this episode, I’m highlighting past interview clips with…
EP 153: Debriefing, de-escalation, and relationship repair (with Crissy Mombela)
Our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors don’t have to define us. This is an important thing to remember for adults dealing with professional burnout and compassion fatigue; and it’s also important to model for kids. When school discipline focuses on punitive measures alone, we miss out on opportunities to teach kids how to manage emotions or…
EP 152: The cost of caring: Compassion fatigue in education and healthcare (with Crissy Mombela)
People working in school or medical settings are in a position to be caring for others in their professional lives; which makes it difficult to leave work at work. When you combine that with relationships outside of work, family responsibilities or having a child with a disability, there’s a high risk of burnout. I invited…
EP 134: How to help teens get comfortable with discomfort and pursue meaningful work (with Joey Mascio)
Teen’s brains are wired to seek pleasure, avoid pain, and conserve energy. On top of that their prefrontal cortex isn’t fully developed yet, which means they don’t always make decisions that are in their best interest. They’re learning so much about how to navigate relationships and manage their day-to-day lives. Things like: 👉Handling setbacks, like…
EP 117: Post-traumatic growth and 1-minute interventions (with Dr. Mike Gaskell)
There’s a lot of talk about risk factors in education; but not as much focus on protective factors. That’s why I invited Dr. Mike Gaskell to episode 117 of De Facto Leaders to talk about the work he’s done helping students and staff build resilience in a way that’s feasible for busy educators. Dr. Michael…
EP 115: Trauma-informed care for therapists, teachers, and school leaders (with Rachel Archambault)
Those of us working in K-12 education interact with students and staff who have experienced trauma whether we’re aware of the specific events or not. A lot of people have heard the term “trauma-informed” care, but not everyone knows what it means or how to do it in practice. That’s why I wanted to invite…
EP 107: How to make social skills intervention evidence-based and neurodiversity-affirming
What’s evidence-based and neurodiversity-affirming shouldn’t be in opposition. Effective interventions that build resilience and help kids build healthy relationships should be “affirming” by definition. Yet many clinicians remain confused about how to apply this to practice; especially when it comes to things like “social skills” or “pragmatic language”. One of the most common complaints I…
EP 101: How school therapists can lead schools in providing district-wide executive functioning supports
Strong executive functioning skills can help kids to be resilient, adaptable, and independent. These characteristics are going to be essential for supporting mental health and success going forward. EVERYONE who interacts with school-age kids on a daily basis has the chance to support executive functioning, and not addressing this skill is a huge missed opportunity….
EP 62: Childhood anxiety and mental health(with Dr. Ambroes Pass-Turner)
There’s been an increase in depression and anxiety in kids in recent years, which is why I wanted to have an expert on the show who’s had years of experience working with childhood trauma and anxiety. In this episode, I talk with Dr. Ambroes Pass-Turner, who has worked in mental health for over 20 years…