Three keys for Successful Teacher/Therapist Collaboration

Many students at Brightmont Academy are diagnosed with learning differences and/or mental health issues that affect their academic success and overall well-being in a traditional school setting. More often than not, this means that such students, along with their families, are navigating not only a school schedule, but also therapy appointments (e.g., counseling, occupational therapy, doctor visits). 

School has its obvious benefits. So does therapy. But what happens when teachers and therapists collaborate on behalf of the students they serve? Many agree that establishing professional partnerships is critical and yields the very best short- and long-term benefits for students. Simply put, it all boils down to how teachers and therapists communicate with each other in three key areas: needs, goals, and techniques. In turn, they can work together in answering three important questions: 1) What does each student need? 2) What should be done? and 3) How should it be done?

Identify student needs

Teachers and therapists each have a unique vantage point in observing student behavior and identifying student needs. 

Teachers are keen observers and take notice of how their students’ strengths and challenges manifest in day-to-day life. Though the priority of teachers is to support academic success, they have become well-versed in more holistic care, coaching, and instruction. Consider the prevalence of social-emotional learning strategies in recent years, for example. 

In contrast, therapists dive deeply into why students operate as they do. In the process, therapists weigh various scientific theories, findings, and interventions that could help students enjoy happier, more ambitious lives at home, school, and wherever they might be. Professional counseling is a typical intervention among students with learning differences, social challenges, and/or anxiety, with some cases also requiring medication.

Though both professions are distinct in their roles and expertise, commitment to discovering and meeting student needs is tantamount for teachers and therapists. However, how much better could they accomplish this mission with the help of each other’s insights? How much better could teachers lead students through curriculum and set up their classrooms for success by knowing more about their student’s mental and emotional make-up and triggers? How much better could therapists examine their clients’ motivations and behaviors with the help of teachers who interact with their clients daily? The answer is clear: It’s better for all involved. 

Develop shared goals

Another key way that teachers and therapists can work together is by developing comprehensive plans for students and working toward shared goals. 

For example, if it’s determined that a student needs to learn better organizational skills, their therapist may investigate what is at the heart of that challenge. Their teacher may also determine that organization is particularly difficult given certain media (e.g., paper assignments versus online work), subject matter, environmental factors, etc. Working together, the therapist and teacher may suggest a shared goal to the student and their family. Perhaps maintaining an online assignments list or devising a color-coding system for taking notes becomes a relevant goal. Whether at school or at a counseling appointment, such goals are front and center, monitored and nurtured by both teacher and therapist. 

Use common techniques

Beyond identifying needs and developing shared goals is arriving at common interventions between classrooms and counseling offices—and the students’ homes, too. 

Increased anxiety and confusion might strike if students are told to do one thing by their teachers, another by their therapists, and yet another by their parents. Sometimes techniques complement each other, but other times they might seem contradictory. Imagine a teacher always advising a student to combat their anxiety by taking a walk outside the classroom. In contrast, that same student may be told by their therapist to remain calm and still and just breathe when anxiety occurs. Though it’s good to have numerous coping techniques at one’s disposal, there is power in adopting one specific, intentional, and personalized routine across a variety of scenarios and environments. 

Common vocabulary also supports the concerted effort. Again, intentionality is key. Always use the word “goals” versus “objectives” or another like word, for instance. Always refer to each other by the same name/role: “teacher” versus “instructor,” “therapist” versus “counselor.” And always be aware of repetitive language and set some standards together on the terms everyone will use. Such tactics will help keep communication more efficient and clear for students and adults alike. 

What true collaboration looks like 

What collaboration looks like in a practical sense is up to the parties involved and may be governed by confidentiality policies and other requirements of their respective organizations. The work between teachers and therapists might entail occasional meetings or phone calls, a shared Google doc, and/or other avenues for sharing and thinking through their students’ circumstances. In other words, there will be some decisions to make upfront. 

Though the three keys above deserve rapt attention, foundational to the whole process of collaboration is mutual respect for each other’s profession. Teachers and therapists both bring a lot to the table—one is not more important than the other, more knowledgeable than the other, more prestigious than the other, etc. Mutual respect also helps everyone keep the main thing the main thing: concern for students and their well-being. This is always at the heart of Brightmont’s work, and we value the opportunities to collaborate with others—including therapists—who share in this mission.

Barbara Farland is an English & Social Studies instructor at Brightmont Academy in Plymouth, Minn. She holds a master’s degree in Business Communication from the University of St. Thomas and, prior to pursuing a second career in education, worked as an award-winning public relations and communications professional in both the corporate and nonprofit sectors. As a “storyteller by nature and teacher at heart,” Barbara continues to contribute to various anthologies, among other writing projects.