“Much of the work of educational therapy relates to some of the earliest learning experiences of a client. In conscious reflection, ETs can reach back to those earlier memories the client has disclosed, and at salient points during the process of educational therapy, point out the similarities in present behaviors and responses to those of the past.”
Educational therapists (ETs) come from a range of backgrounds, but the most common professional experience integrates the fields of education and psychology, bringing a sense of the ways in which clients learn and function. Whether these practitioners come from a background in special education, counseling psychology, or speech and language therapy, they are professionally trained to recognize and subsequently disencumber the burden of guilt and shame that is often associated with unpleasant learning outcomes. The emotional fallout that often follows these experiences is observed carefully, mindful of developmental shifts in the acquisition of new skills and the anxiety that these novel tasks precipitate. As a result of a stress -laden educational history, children, adolescents, and adults become vigilant about which tasks and situations trigger their fears and anxieties, depleting their energy and spirit.
“The ET simultaneously employs both cognitive and therapeutic principles in her work, a reciprocal process which invites each member of the alliance to become both the knower and the learner. The emotional aspect of this work is ever-present in the relationship, and may be infused in the language or behavior of the dyad, often setting the stage for reflection.”
~from Chapter One of The Clinical Practice of Educational Therapy: A Teaching Model
