| My training in school psychology emphasized that school psychologists should, first and foremost, be consultants. This is, as described by Terry Gutkin and Jane Conoley (1990), the “paradox of school psychology.” The paradox is that young school psychology trainees, who are eager to work directly with children through counseling or assessment, find that they may serve children best and most efficiently by changing the behavior of the key adults who are in a position to significantly influence the lives of these children in need. This consultative approach has been embraced by school psychology as an efficient way to deliver services (e.g., through the teacher); and it frees the school psychologist for other assessment, counseling, program development, and prevention activities. However, for some trainees that enter into this paradigm, the notion of working mainly with adults is antithetical to the reasons they entered the field. Others embrace consultation and find that nearly all of their professional encounters are, in fact, consultations. I fall into the latter group and view this volume as a rare opportunity to consult regarding school psychology with you, the reader. |