Using Insights from Clinical Psychology when Supporting Students TILT Personalisation of Learning Event, 14th September 2016 Using Insights from Clinical Psychology when Supporting Students Dr Mike Marriott, Dept of Psychology, School of Social Sciences

What is a Clinical Psychologist? For the purposes of today… a therapist What is a therapist? Working with people in distress to try and alleviate that distress How is this relevant to you as tutors? 14/09/2016 TILT Personalisation Event – Insights from Clinical Psychology

TILT Personalisation Event – Insights from Clinical Psychology You sometimes work with students in distress (though you are not – and often don’t want to be – a therapist) You are ALWAYS interested in change… 14/09/2016 TILT Personalisation Event – Insights from Clinical Psychology

TILT Personalisation Event – Insights from Clinical Psychology Try to be a therapist… A twenty year old man from an Asian British family comes to tell you about how sad he is feeling. He wants to make the most of his life, but he just does not believe he is good enough. He struggles to make a start with anything on a day-to-day basis; he doesn’t socialise, has lost his casual job, and is missing lectures at university. As a group, take a therapist’s (not a tutor’s) role. What do you think a therapist would do with this situation? Agree on THREE bulletpoints, single sentences. Five minutes… 14/09/2016 TILT Personalisation Event – Insights from Clinical Psychology

And now, select the one most important one… 14/09/2016 TILT Personalisation Event – Insights from Clinical Psychology

My thoughts… In therapy, we: Skilfully try to do as little as possible Research (and my experience) suggests that the change in client’s lives are normally best explained by what they do outside of the therapy room The things they do in this way will be best predicted by their lives to date, not my training to date Attitudes, belief, values, predispositions 14/09/2016 TILT Personalisation Event – Insights from Clinical Psychology

A basic model of improvement in distress Distress causes people to limit their experiences – good reasons To improve, they gradually expand their comfort zone They discover how this feels They discover what they’re capable of They discover that they can Look familiar? 14/09/2016 TILT Personalisation Event – Insights from Clinical Psychology

TILT Personalisation Event – Insights from Clinical Psychology Key Message Alert! Therapists and tutors are both active as catalysts of change in some aspect of the human psyche The skills you already have as a tutor will enable you to personalise the tutorial experience as an emotionally supportive environment 14/09/2016 TILT Personalisation Event – Insights from Clinical Psychology

Why do students get upset? Change through learning takes us out of our comfort zone It is normal to have an emotional response to the process of coming out of our comfort zone So as educationalists, we need to be comfortable with the idea that what we do probably has an emotional effect 14/09/2016 TILT Personalisation Event – Insights from Clinical Psychology

TILT Personalisation Event – Insights from Clinical Psychology Be a tutor… A second year student from an Asian British family comes to tell you about how hard he is finding his work, and that this is effecting his mood. He says that he feels sad and anxious. He is missing lectures, and is not sure he’ll be able to stay at NTU. Given what we’ve just said about the emotions of change, what do you think a tutor should do with this situation? Agree on ONE bulletpoint. Two minutes… 14/09/2016 TILT Personalisation Event – Insights from Clinical Psychology

TILT Personalisation Event – Insights from Clinical Psychology What should I do? Be supportive in allowing him to find his own course through the distress Active listening; allowing him to say things his way, not trying to correct him or do anything immediately Validation; acknowledge that his distress makes sense Normalisation; acknowledge that the change process will have this effect Hope; show an assumption that he has the resources to come through this himself 14/09/2016 TILT Personalisation Event – Insights from Clinical Psychology

TILT Personalisation Event – Insights from Clinical Psychology Active listening; allowing him to say things his way, not trying to correct him or do anything immediately 14/09/2016 TILT Personalisation Event – Insights from Clinical Psychology

Validation; acknowledge that his distress makes sense 14/09/2016 TILT Personalisation Event – Insights from Clinical Psychology

TILT Personalisation Event – Insights from Clinical Psychology Normalisation; acknowledge that the change process will have this effect 14/09/2016 TILT Personalisation Event – Insights from Clinical Psychology

TILT Personalisation Event – Insights from Clinical Psychology Hope; show an assumption that he has the resources to come through this himself 14/09/2016 TILT Personalisation Event – Insights from Clinical Psychology