School Solutions Talk
Welcome to School Solutions Talk, the podcast dedicated to the power of solution focused practice in education. Join Solution Focused practitioners, coaches and leaders Tara Gretton and Vicky Essebag as they explore daily communication that builds self-awareness and agency, while fostering positive relationships with and among students, staff, and families. Hear directly from a diverse range of guests - from students and classroom educators to administrators and solution focused leaders, who share their experience and expertise in school settings as they reshape school culture and the meaning of success. Hear from individuals who want to see differences in their schools and who want to have a conversation about it with Vicky and Tara. If you’re ready to shift the focus from 'what's wrong' to 'what works,' and build a community where wellbeing, inclusion, and connection are prioritized, this is your next essential listen.
Tara Gretton (UK) is a registered social worker, international trainer, consultant and practitioner specialising in Solution Focused practice with children, young people, families and professionals at Solution Revolution. She holds postgraduate qualifications in child development and is widely recognised for creating relational, compassionate and inclusive spaces that support meaningful and sustainable change. Tara brings together her professional training in social work and child development with extensive experience of direct work in schools, mental health services and specialist projects supporting young people who have experienced harm, adversity or relational disruption. She works nationally and internationally as a trainer, supervisor and coach, supporting practitioners across education, social care, mental health and leadership contexts to embed solution focused, relationship based ways of working. Tara is particularly known for translating Solution Focused ideas into accessible, creative and practical tools that can be used in everyday conversations with children, young people and adults. Alongside her training and consultancy work, Tara is a writer, book reviewer and speaker, committed to amplifying what is already working and supporting hopeful, future focused conversations.
Vicky Essebag (Toronto, Canada) is President of the Solution Focused Brief Therapy Association - www.sfbta.org. She is widely known for inspiring inclusive and compassionate spaces for living and learning as she applies and teaches Solution Focus as a communicative practice to support a relationship-based approach in schools, families and organizations. Vicky pairs her extensive background in education as a teacher, school counselor, head of counseling, curriculum consultant and school administrator, with her experience as a family therapist and certified solution-focused coach. She is Founder of Relationspaces through which she provides international public speaking, instructional leadership, coaching and consulting. Vicky is author of Relationspaces; A Solution-Focused Handbook for Parents.
How to Find Us:
1. To inspire success and wellbeing in your schools, school systems and communities, Tara and Vicky work together to provide solution focused training both in person and online. For a free consultation, contact them at schoolsolutionstalk@gmail.com.
2. Vicky and Tara are co-creators of Relationspaces Power Bursts, a YouTube series offering brief reflections on relationship questions through a solution-focused lens. Subscribe at https://www.youtube.com/@Relationspaces.
3. Tara's professional practice: https://www.solutionrevolution.co.uk/
4. Vicky's professional practrice: https://relationspaces.com/
Episodes
6 episodes
'Less of You' Leadership; An Interview with Jason Pascoe
A school can have the right plans and still feel exhausted in practice. Productive change can best be measured by the quality of our conversations, what we listen for, and how much space we give other people to think. In our inspiring interview...
Solutions in Schools: The Solis Study; An Interview with Rose McCabe, Fiona Robinson & Ben Starkey
In this episode, we interview an amazing group of individuals who have been facilitating and researching a whole-school approach to improving communication, behaviour, & school culture. The study is called SOLIS – Solutions in Schools. Prof...
Sharon Casey & The Janis Joplin Biography that Became English Class
Tara and Vicky have a wonderful conversation with Sharon Casey from Quebec, Canada - a solution-focused trainer with a background in education, crisis intervention, drug rehabilitation, and suicide prevention. What do small changes really mean ...
An Interview with Erin Cusanno - A Hopeful Trail of Breadcrumbs
In this episode, Tara and Vicky have the pleasure of interiewing Erin Cusanno. Erin has worked as a middle school counselor for 26 years. About eight years ago, she became fascinated with the Solution Focused approach and started to incor...
How A Solution-Focused Game Builds Trust And Voice For Students; An Interview with Gesa Doringer
In this Episode of School Solutions Talk, Tara and Vicky have the pleasure of interviewing Gesa Doringer, an experienced Solution Focused practitioner, occupational therapist and trainer from the Netherlands. For the past 18 years she has been ...
Introducing Our New Podcast; School Solutions Talk
Tara Gretton and Vicky Essebag, solution focused practitioners, coaches and leaders, welcome you to their first episode of the School Solutions Talk Podcast, dedicated to the power of solution focused practice in education. They share th...
