How do we Support Student Mental Health? With Purvi Gandhi | In This Together
29m | Jul 4, 2026Host Becky Dawson is joined by psychologist Purvi (Vi) Gandhi, author of The Little Guide for Teachers on Student Mental Health. They explore shifting from reactive clinical models to proactive "psychological fitness," empowering students to study their own mental health using a curriculum developed over 11 years. Vi explains how schools can act as society’s "central nervous system" and introduces practical frameworks like the SEA model to build student resilience.
Takeaways
- Proactive Fitness: Focus on building psychological literacy to recover from life's challenges, rather than just diagnosing ill health.
- Students as Researchers: Teach students to investigate psychological mechanics (memory, mindfulness) to find tools for their own "toolkit."
- SEA Framework: Use feedback to Spot strengths, Explain them in context, and Appreciate their impact.
- Wellbeing in Practice: Focus on four measurable areas: acknowledging strengths, managing stressors, working productively, and community contribution.
- Character Integration: Embed character development (e.g., perseverance) into daily lesson objectives.
- Social Action: Support students in launching their own health campaigns to foster community contribution.
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction
00:57 - The Psychologist in the Classroom
03:06 - Psychological Literacy vs. Ill Health
05:25 - A 11-Year Curriculum Journey
09:57 - The Responsibility of Response
11:29 - Putting the SEA Framework into Practice
12:59 - Wall Sits and Grit
14:13 - Schools as the Central Nervous System
16:58 - Teachers as Enablers, Not Clinicians
18:59 - The Zone of Flow
21:19 - Learning from Failure
24:04 - A Game-Changer for Tomorrow
26:33 - Recommendations and New Projects
Join the Conversation
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