Gillian Salmon & Jenny Dover 
Reaching and Teaching Through Educational Psychotherapy 
A Case Study Approach

This introduction to educational psychotherapy outlines the
insights that will be of interest to teachers by discussing
troubled children in the classroom who resist efforts to teach
them. Its evidence-based approach allows teaching with
confidence, and a clear understanding of the role of educational
psychotherapy in the classroom.

The book comprises four case studies of educational therapy work
with children, chosen for their narrative interest and the variety
of the children’s difficulties and backgrounds. As the
stories of three boys and one girl unfold, the links between their
learning difficulties and their social/emotional development become
clear. Later chapters develop understanding of this way of working,
with detailed accounts of how to assess suitability for educational
therapy, psychoanalytic concepts underpinning the approach, and
techniques and materials used in individual and classroom work.

Table of Content

Acknowledgements.

1. Introduction.

2. Case Study of Osman, a withdrawn child who cannot make
connections.

3. Initial assessment of emotional factors contributing to
a child’s learning difficulties.

4. Case Study of Maria, whose learning is inhibited by
rejection, separation and loss.

5. Ethical considerations when working therapeutically with
children.

6. Case Study of Tariq, a child persecuted by destructive
phantasies.

7. Ongoing assessment and techniques used in individual and
classroom work.

8. Case Study of Kevin, an insecure child among
unpredictable adults.

9. Ways in which endings and beginnings affect a child’s
capacity to learn.

10. The network – the complex task of working with parents
and professionals.

11. Conclusion.

12. Glossary of Terms Used.

References.

Index.

About the author

Gillian Salmon: Chartered Educational Psychologist

Jenny Dover: Senior Educational Psychotherapist