Iwona Nowak has been working as psychologist, therapist, trainer, consultant, teacher. She is an expert in the fields of psychology, psychotherapy, neurodidactics, psychological-pedagogical support and educational management. Her interests include: brain-friendly learning, neurobiology, psychotherapy, management, optimisation.
Ewa Grynicka: Good morning, Iwona. I am really happy to meet you today for interview about your work and experiences in the field of mental health.
In your CV, I was intrigued by the combination of two areas in which you are an expert: you have the title of a teacher – I’ll add that you’re a Polish language and literature specialist – as well as a psychologist and therapist. How do these two roles overlap in your work, and how do they complement each other?
I. N.: I’ve been a teacher for most of my professional life, over 20 years, and psychology has always been my passion and interest. While working as a Polish language and literature teacher, I dedicated a lot of time to learning about and studying topics related to psychology and human mental functioning. This led me towards neurobiology and neurodidactics, exploring how the brain learns under different conditions. I constantly saw the connection between what a teacher’s work should look like and what we now know about the functioning of the human brain and mind. I realised the increasing need to delve into this field to better perform my role as a teacher. This prompted me to take a psychotherapeutic course, then enroll in psychology studies and eventually attend a psychotherapy school.
E.G.: I read that you are concerned about the well-being of students and teachers. You also provide training in this area. Could you expand on what this concept means to you?
I. N.: Oh, it’s a very broad concept, and it’s challenging to sum it up in a few words. In the broadest sense, a student’s well-being encompasses their sense of fulfillment, the ability to develop their passions and interests, a sense of agency, the ability to decide what and how they want to learn, in what conditions, and feeling safe at school. It also involves receiving support and understanding from teachers, parents and adults in general. This is the ideal version. In practice, we achieve this primarily by creating a friendly learning atmosphere in school, which involves respecting the students, their feelings, thoughts and the pace at which they work. Another essential aspect for me is teaching in a “culture of error,” which means giving students the right to make mistakes. Unfortunately, traditional education, based on catching students’ ignorance and lack of skills, tends to forget this. Today, we know that this approach doesn’t benefit the learning process, development or the well-being of the students we’re talking about. In such situations, students spend their day dwelling on their failures, focusing on the mistakes they made instead of acknowledging their achievements, for example they may concentrate on the six tasks they got wrong instead of the fifteen they got right. This has negative consequences, causing students to excessively dramatise events such as winning second place instead of first place, which, in turn, affects their mental health and psychological well-being.
E.G.: From what you’re saying, it seems that teachers tend to focus on students’ deficiencies rather than their strengths.
I. N.: Absolutely. And we often focus on what the student can’t do rather than what they can. That’s one thing. Another important aspect is that we don’t emphasise the beauty of making mistakes and that it’s a path to learning. All great inventions were born through trial and error to finally achieve the desired result. Unfortunately, adults, including parents and teachers, often fail to convey this to young people. This causes the child to become blocked and closed off when we point out their mistakes, instead of making them aware that mistakes are simply natural and a path to achieving their goals.
E.G.: You also mentioned that the well-being of teachers is very important. Could you please explain how the well-being of teachers, who come to work and interact with students, affects the proper functioning of students in school?
I. N.: Well-being is a positive emotional state of an individual that influences how that person functions and how they build relationships with others. If a teacher’s well-being is disturbed, they won’t be able to build relationships with others effectively and this will significantly impact their interactions with students. If a teacher is frustrated, burnt out and feels overworked, with a lack of a sense of agency and expertise, it will translate into their daily work and, consequently, their relationship with students.
E.G.: Currently, you work as a school psychologist, among other roles. What is the age group of the students you work with, and what are the most common issues that students come to you with?
I. N.: I work in a high school, so I work with young people aged 15 to 19. These young individuals come to me with anxiety disorders, phobias, depression, low mood, a sense of helplessness, the belief that they can’t do anything, that they have no control over their lives, that they lack passions and interests, and that life is not worth living. The symptoms of these problems include self-harm, suicidal thoughts or suicide attempts.
E.G.: So, a young person who self-harms comes to you, and you seek the reasons behind their decisions, delving into the core of the issue?
I. N.: Yes, self-harm is a way of coping with the tension and psychological suffering that an individual can’t reduce in any other way.
E.G.: You emphasise that you are a “practitioner in the areas of strengthening the mental well-being of young people.” Could you please describe the tools, methods and techniques you use and evaluate their effectiveness?
I. N.: A few years ago, when I started my journey in psychotherapy, I attended a Solution-Focused Therapy course. This approach to psychotherapy focuses on an individual’s resources and seeks solutions rather than analysing and searching for the causes in the past. I applied the principles of this approach to my work in schools for many years.
E.G.: One last question – what I greatly admire about you is your continuous search for innovative solutions for parents, students and schools in your professional work. What are you currently working on, and what innovative practices are you implementing in your work?
I. N.: It’s true. When you realise that traditional teaching methods don’t support the students or me as a teacher and are not conducive to mental well-being, you look for new solutions and don’t return to old ways. However, the methods and tools are secondary. Sometimes, I was fascinated by innovative solutions, but then I returned to what worked best for me in working with young people – conversation, discussion and building relationships with students. Of course, we can always refine this. Lately, what has fascinated me is teacher supervision, supporting the well-being of teachers as a professional group with various responsibilities.
E.G.: From what you have been saying during our interview, I gather the key point – the indicators of the mental health of young people and those working with young people involve awareness, knowledge, avoiding stereotypes and ongoing development because the world is continually evolving.
I. N.: Definitely, we cannot act as we did years ago because we now have completely different knowledge, especially in the field of neurodidactics. I believe that the slogan “lifelong learning” is not just a slogan, especially in helping professions, such as doctors, psychologists and teachers.
E.G.: Thank you, Iwona, for this engaging conversation I will leave with not only an excellent interview but also a wealth of knowledge and a positive outlook on the day, the week and all the days to come.
I. N.: Thank you very much.