The challenge of interviewing adolescents: Which psychotherapeutic approaches are useful in educational psychology?

Abstract

Interviewing adolescents is an integral part of the role of an educational psychologist working in schools. However, this stage of development is fraught with difficulties. Adolescents at different stages vary as to what they will discuss with a professional and some will rely on their peers for ‘therapeutic support’. A wide variety of psychotherapeutic approaches is increasingly being considered and utilised by educational psychologists in school settings. These include cognitive behavioural therapy, motivational interviewing and solution focused brief therapy. This paper considers different theoretical approaches to interviewing and their respective potential to enhance the work of the educational psychologist in supporting the adolescent interviewee.