Blogs - Page 9 of 17 - This Week In School Psychology

Development

Helping Students Thrive: Navigating the Transition to Secondary School

Resource Alert The move from primary to secondary school is a major milestone for students and families. While this change brings excitement and new opportunities, it can also present challenges, such as adjusting to a new environment, building new friendships, and managing increased academic responsibilities. Research highlights that fostering a sense of belonging, supportive relationships, […]

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Mental health

Helping Teens Navigate Mental Health and Self-Injury

Teenagers today are constantly juggling academic pressures, the omnipresence of social media, and the challenges of self-discovery. Now, add to that the silent epidemic of nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI)—a behavior that affects an estimated 17–18% of adolescents. This isn’t just a statistic; it’s a wake-up call for parents, educators, and mental health professionals alike. A recent […]

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Development

How Antiracism Training Transforms School Environments

Imagine walking into a classroom where every student feels seen, respected, and valued, regardless of their race. Now, contrast that with the reality many students face—an environment shaped by implicit biases, unequal disciplinary actions, and a lack of open conversations about race. For Black and brown students, these disparities often translate into daily struggles that […]

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Governance

Decolonizing School Psychology: Centering Indigenous Voices

Picture a classroom where every child feels valued, seen, and supported—a place where their cultural identity isn’t just acknowledged but celebrated. Now, imagine the opposite: a system where outdated norms ignore the lived realities of Indigenous students, contributing to cycles of inequity and exclusion. This isn’t just a hypothetical scenario; it’s the reality for many […]

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Mental health

How Schools Can Prioritize Mental Health

Imagine being the lifeline for hundreds of students but only having a few minutes each day to offer real support. This is the reality for many school-based mental health providers (SBMHPs)—a group of counselors, psychologists, and social workers who are the unsung heroes in tackling the youth mental health crisis in schools today. Who Are […]

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Bullying

Strong Friendships: Key to Fighting Bullying

What if the simplest way to shield your teen from bullying was as easy as encouraging them to make a new friend? (Yes, I know, sometimes easier said than done). The Study: How Friendships Affect Bullying and Mental Health Bullying in schools worries many parents and teachers. We know that when teens are bullied, they […]

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Policy

Project 2025 and the Future of Education

Well, here we are, looking at an incoming Trump administration. The best predictions we have so far for the policy implications for school mental health are the secretary’s (Linda McMahon) course and the 2025 Mandate for Leadership document from the Heritage Foundation, also known as Project 2025. Project 2025 proposes sweeping changes to education policy […]

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Mental health

Understanding Autism and Mental Health:

A New Approach to Tackling Anxiety and Depression in Adolescents Picture this: A teenager sits in a school counselor’s office, struggling with feelings they can’t quite put into words. For autistic adolescents, these emotions are often even more challenging to manage or understand. New research sheds light on this growing issue, exploring the mental health […]

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Neurodevelopmental

Autism on the Rise: How COVID-19 Disrupted Access to Treatment for Children

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is on the rise in the United States, with more children being diagnosed today than ever before. But while diagnoses are increasing, something troubling is happening: fewer children with autism are receiving the treatments they need, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study sheds light on the current […]

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