Using Letters to Support Consultative Work in Schools

Abstract

This paper reports how consultative work with teachers can be supported by the use of letters. Letters were written by an educational psychologist (EP) after a consultation meeting with a teacher. Features of therapeutic letter writing and solution‐focused brief therapy were used to increase the collaborative intent of the letters. Follow‐up questionnaires indicated that teachers valued this kind of letter highly, rating it as contributing to over 50% of the positive impact of EP involvement. There is discussion of the role consultative letters play in the joint work of teachers and EPs.