States of Mind

How Adults and Young People Can Work Together to Change Education and Mental Health Systems
1. Auflage 2026
ISBN: 978-1-041-08370-2
Verlag: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Buch, Englisch, 298 Seiten, Format (B × H): 245 mm x 173 mm, Gewicht: 520 g

States of Mind critiques the traditional paradigms that shape our mental health and school systems, from diagnostic labels to high-stakes assessment, unravelling what they are, how they came into being, and why they need to evolve to better serve young people.

The book reconceptualises these systems and shows that, by embracing a different worldview, we can work with young people in a way that fosters belonging, personal growth and collective action. With a focus on meaningful change, it introduces approaches which place young people at the centre as active participants, working alongside adults on complex problems, generating outcomes and co-constructing solutions. These include critiquing and re-imagining school evaluation; designing whole-school policies to promote staff and student wellbeing; and developing programmes to explore our states of mind to support individuals and communities to flourish. Case studies, provocations and examples of inspirational people and organisations are included to empower the reader to rethink their own practices.

Education should support us, both individually and collectively, to co-construct ways of being, thinking and acting authentically. States of Mind is essential reading for teachers, educational psychologists, advocacy organisations, thinktanks, and all those wishing to create more hopeful, humane mental health and education systems.

Zielgruppe

Postgraduate and Professional Practice & Development

Autoren/Hrsg.

Bagley, Chris

Herbert, Bea

Fachgebiete

• Sozialwissenschaften Pädagogik Schulen, Schulleitung Grundschulen, Hauptschulen
• Sozialwissenschaften Pädagogik Schulen, Schulleitung Weiterführende Schulen
• Sozialwissenschaften Pädagogik Pädagogik Bildungssystem Bildungspolitik, Bildungsreform

Inhaltsverzeichnis

PART I

1. Introduction

2. The two paradigms

a. The schooling paradigm

b. The biomedical paradigm

3. Neurodiversity and the psychiatric lens

a. The autism narrative

b. The spectacular rise of ADHD

4. The thwarting of fundamental human needs

a. Belongingness

b. Individuation

5. System dynamics - the materialism trap

a. What is scientific materialism?

b. Materialism and schooling

c. Materialism and mental health

d. Compelled acquiescence

6. The Nest of Fear

a. Fear of uncertainty

PART II

7. Liberation Dynamics

a. Self-awareness

b. Addressing value conflicts

c. Disidentification

d. Reducing power imbalances

e. From ‘pupil voice’ to co-construction

f. Collective sense-making

g. Exploring the context

h. Feedback and meaningful action

8. The Nest of Faith

a. Faith in common humanity

b. Faith in our-selves

PART III

9. Methodologies and approaches

a. Building rapport and formulating sessions

b. Evidence-IN-practice

c. Action research

d. Quantitative and qualitative

10. Case Studies

a. Breaking the Silence

b. Wellbeing Ambassadors

c. Selfology

11. Conclusion

12. References

Index

Über Autor(innen)

Chris Bagley is a lecturer and research supervisor at University College London, Director of Research at States of Mind CIC and Co-Director at Square Peg CIC. Chris started in education as a secondary school teacher and later trained as an Educational Psychologist. He mostly works with marginalised young people and families in school and community settings. Chris. His core interest is collaborating with young people, families, professionals and other innovators to build systems that support young people and those working with them to thrive.

Bea Herbert is a Psychosynthesis Psychologist and Founder of States of Mind CIC. Bea has spent her professional career working alongside young people to co-develop alternatives to the medicalised model of mental health care at an individual, community and systems level. Her work has included the development of Selfology, a therapeutic programme for young people in schools, supported housing and community contexts, together with the Wellbeing Ambassadors Programme, a whole-school approach to designing psychological solutions in school settings. She is dedicated to the application of psychological theory and practice for the development of truly holistic and democratic approaches to systems change.