Between Two Psychs with Dr Adam McCartney and Mike Lane

About Between Two Psychs with Dr Adam McCartney and Mike Lane

In this podcast Adam and Mike address all your education questions. They show the power of thinking psychologically can have on resolving everyday issues within education, learning and in raising happy children.

Publisher

Dr Adam McCartney and Mike Lane

Category

kids & family

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

7 Nov 2025

Latest episode

27 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

40 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   27 Oct 2026

   Supporting Parents through School

   How can schools better support parents when life becomes difficult, even when they may not know how to ask for help? In this episode of Between Two Psychs, I’m joined by my good friend Dr Marianne Trent, a clinical psychologist and host of Psychology Actually, to discuss parental mental health, family challenges and how schools can make a difference. Marianne shares her experience of losing her father while raising two young children, navigating grief while managing everyday family life. We reflect on communicating this loss to her child’s school and how even a simple offer of support or a space to talk could have helped. We explore how the role of schools has changed, with teachers increasingly supporting children and families through bereavement, mental health difficulties and complex personal circumstances. While schools are already stretched, supporting children means looking beyond the classroom and recognising the connection between parental wellbeing and a child’s ability to thrive. We also discuss the challenges schools face when parents separate and relationships become difficult. Educators can feel caught in the middle, trying to prioritise the child while navigating complex family dynamics. We consider why schools need better support systems rather than being expected to manage every challenge alone. Finally, we explore the importance of professional supervision and having a safe space to process difficult experiences. Whether you work in education, psychology or pastoral care, the right support can help you reflect, develop your practice and recognise that needing help is not a sign of failure. In This Episode, We Explore Why supporting parents is an important part of supporting children My experience of grief while raising two young children, and what I wish had been different How schools can support parents who may not know what help they need Why teachers face growing mental health and family support needs Balancing curriculum delivery with supporting the whole child How schools can respond when parents separate and family relationships become difficult Keeping children’s needs central when navigating parental conflict The importance of professional supervision for teachers, school leaders and support staff How reflection can help us feel supported and develop our practice Recognising when we are struggling and feel able to ask for help 🎧 Listen now for an honest conversation about parental mental health, grief and the realities facing schools. We discuss why supporting children means recognising family challenges while ensuring the adults supporting them have the guidance, time and space they need, too. You can also find Marianne through her podcast, Psychology Actually, available on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts. Sponsored by: Next Link Consortium Next Link Consortium is a tailored recruitment service connecting psychology and education specialists to high-impact opportunities with built-in CPD benefits. Whether your focus is targeted SEMH and crisis support, strategic SEND audits and consultations, or professional CPD delivery, you’re welcome to contact Matheos Maneli directly to understand where your skills are needed most right now. If you have questions about the service or would like to engage directly, please contact Matheos Maneli. Public Sector Executive Recruitment (https://www.nextlinkconsort.co.uk/) uk.linkedin.com/company/next-link-consortium (https://uk.linkedin.com/company/next-link-consortium) Connect with Me (Dr Adam McCartney) Instagram: @dradammcartney (https://www.instagram.com/dradammcartney/) Website: dradammccartney.com (https://www.dradammccartney.com/) YouTube: @Dr.AdamMcCartney (https://www.youtube.com/@Dr.AdamMcCartney) Connect with Dr Marianne Trent. Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/dr-marianne-trent-psychology (https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-marianne-trent-psychology/) Website: www.goodthinkingpsychology.co.uk (https://www.goodthinkingpsychology.co.uk/) Youtube: Dr Marianne Trent (https://www.youtube.com/c/drmariannetrent) Instagram: @drmariannetrent (https://www.instagram.com/drmariannetrent/?hl=en)

2. 

   20 Oct 2026

   How Putting Wellbeing First Transformed a School

   What happens when schools put the wellbeing of children and staff at the heart of education, rather than treating it as something separate from learning? In this episode of Between Two Psychs, I’m joined by Andy Mellor, author of The Wellbeing Effect and National Wellbeing Director for Schools Advisory Service, to explore how a different approach to school improvement can transform outcomes for children, teachers and whole school communities. Drawing on his experience as a headteacher in Blackpool, Andy shares how his school moved from a Requires Improvement judgement to Outstanding by focusing on what children and teachers actually needed, rather than simply following conventional approaches to school improvement. We discuss why context matters, how wellbeing connects to attainment, and why doing what is right for your school should come before doing things purely for inspection. We also explore what it means to empower teachers as professionals. Andy explains how giving teachers the freedom to use their own skills, creativity and understanding of their pupils can create more meaningful learning experiences. The conversation then turns to inclusion, SEND and the importance of creating a culture where children feel safe to acknowledge what they find difficult. Andy shares practical examples of how teachers can identify learning needs in the moment, provide timely support and help children develop confidence, resilience and a belief in their ability to improve. Finally, we discuss the growing pressure on headteachers and school staff, the impact of accountability on wellbeing, and why protecting staff time and knowing when to stop are essential. In This Episode, We Explore How putting wellbeing at the heart of education can transform school outcomes Andy’s journey from Requires Improvement to Outstanding in a challenging school context Why school improvement needs to reflect the needs of individual children and communities The importance of relationships, teacher autonomy and professional creativity Moving beyond delivering curriculum content to developing genuine understanding Practical classroom strategies to help children communicate how they are finding their learning Supporting children with SEND by identifying difficulties and intervening in the moment The learning pit, growth mindset and helping children understand that mistakes are part of learning Creating a school culture where vulnerability, challenge and mistakes are accepted The impact of accountability and inspection pressures on headteacher and staff wellbeing 🎧 Listen now for a thoughtful and practical conversation about wellbeing, relationships, inclusion and school improvement, and why creating better conditions for children to learn starts with creating better conditions for the people who teach them. Andy is also the author of The Wellbeing Effect: How Prioritising Whole-School Wellbeing Can Boost Achievement and Help Your School to Thrive. The Wellbeing Effect (https://www.crownhousepublishing.com/the-wellbeing-effect) Sponsored by: Next Link Consortium Next Link Consortium is a tailored recruitment service connecting psychology and education specialists to high-impact opportunities with built-in CPD benefits. Whether your focus is targeted SEMH and crisis support, strategic SEND audits and consultations, or professional CPD delivery, you’re welcome to contact Matheos Maneli directly to understand where your skills are needed most right now. If you have questions about the service or would like to engage directly, please contact Matheos Maneli. Public Sector Executive Recruitment (https://www.nextlinkconsort.co.uk/) https://uk.linkedin.com/company/next-link-consortium (https://uk.linkedin.com/company/next-link-consortium) Connect with Me (Dr Adam McCartney) Instagram: @dradammcartney (https://www.instagram.com/dradammcartney/) Website: dradammccartney.com (https://www.dradammccartney.com/) YouTube: @Dr.AdamMcCartney (https://www.youtube.com/@Dr.AdamMcCartney) Connect with Andy Mellor Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-mellor-763645263 (https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-mellor-763645263) Website: https://schooladvice.co.uk (https://schooladvice.co.uk/)

3. 

   13 Oct 2026

   What Can My Child Do? Rethinking Strengths, Relationships and School

   What happens when we stop asking what a child cannot do and start asking what they can do? In this episode, I explore a simple but important question I recently shared in an article for Not Another Leaflet: “What can my child do, rather than what they cannot do or fail to do?” Our education system often operates within a deficit model, focusing on a child’s needs, difficulties and what they are unable to do. Educational psychology can also be guilty of this, with statutory reports often being built around deficits rather than strengths. This episode looks at why we need to start asking different questions and how a strengths based approach can change the conversations between parents and schools. The discussion explores how identifying a child’s strengths can help schools build more appropriate interventions and support mechanisms around what already works for them. This might mean recognising routines that help a child regulate, using existing friendships to create opportunities for social communication, or finding the people and situations where a child feels most comfortable. I also explore a second question: “Who likes my child? And more importantly, why?” For children who are struggling in school or are at risk of exclusion, relationships can tell us a great deal about what is helping them remain connected to school. Understanding why a child responds positively to a particular adult can help us become more curious about what that relationship provides, whether that is familiarity, validation, nurture or routine. The episode considers why relationships are so important within learning and why changing the way we understand a child's behaviour may require us to look beyond the child and towards the relationships and systems around them. In This Episode, We Explore Why we need to ask what a child can do, rather than focusing only on what they cannot do. How the education system can fall into a deficit model. Why strengths should form a bigger part of conversations about children and their support. How schools can build interventions around what already works for a child. How existing friendships can create opportunities for social communication. Why asking “Who likes my child, and why?” can provide important information. The importance of relationships for children who are at risk of exclusion. The importance of a relational approach to learning. Why This Episode Matters Sometimes, the most useful insights about a child come from looking at what already works. A strengths-based approach focuses on a child’s abilities, relationships and successes to build meaningful support at school. Asking “Who likes my child and why?” can help us understand what makes relationships work and how to create more positive experiences. 🎧 Listen to the full episode for more insights on supporting children in school. I’d love to hear your thoughts: What can the children you work with do well? How often do we focus on strengths when discussing a child’s needs? What can a positive relationship tell us about how that child experiences school? Sponsored by: Next Link Consortium Next Link Consortium is a tailored recruitment service connecting psychology and education specialists to high-impact opportunities with built-in CPD benefits. Whether your focus is targeted SEMH and crisis support, strategic SEND audits and consultations, or professional CPD delivery, you’re welcome to contact Matheos Maneli directly to understand where your skills are needed most right now. If you have questions about the service or would like to engage directly, please contact Matheos Maneli. Public Sector Executive Recruitment (https://www.nextlinkconsort.co.uk/) https://uk.linkedin.com/company/next-link-consortium (https://uk.linkedin.com/company/next-link-consortium) Instagram: @dradammcartney (https://www.instagram.com/dradammcartney/) Website: dradammccartney.com (https://www.dradammccartney.com/) YouTube: @Dr.AdamMcCartney (https://www.youtube.com/@Dr.AdamMcCartney)

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16 ratings

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