One of the truly important aspects of our work is the opportunity to work individually with our clients. There are good reasons that educational therapists offer only individual therapy.
First, WE (the client and/or parent and the therapist) take the time to engage in the conversation that allows us to discern the specific needs, prioritize them and plan an intervention. It’s a collaborative effort that allows the client to fully engage in the decision-making process.
Secondly, working individually allows us to develop the kind of therapeutic relationship that keeps us attuned to the subtle emotional cues that tell us that emotions are getting in the way of progress. It opens up the opportunity to discuss these emotional effects and the client learns how to identify and manage them while maintaining a sense of perseverance in our academic work. The client learns how emotions can either facilitate learning or hinder it.
Finally, our work together is focused with sufficient intensity to expect reasonable progress. We develop the best, personalized strategies that work for the client. When progress lags, we can indulge in a little forensics to discover where things are not working and how progress can be put back on track. Educational therapy is not a quick fix. It’s a process of collaboration, discernment, emotional awareness and forensics to help the client become a self-aware, motivated, persistent and strategic learner.