Between Two Psychs with Dr Adam McCartney and Mike Lane

In this episode, I explore a question that keeps coming up in education: Is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder over diagnosed or are we missing something deeper?
To make sense of that, I take a step back into the history of mental health and how diagnosis became so focused on criteria and checklists. While systems like the DSM brought structure, they also shaped how we interpret behaviour, sometimes reducing complex experiences into a set of symptoms.
I also touch on the Rosenhan study, which challenged how reliable those diagnoses can be and how much of a role perception plays.
From there, the focus shifts to what this looks like in real life. When a child presents with inattention, impulsivity, or hyperactivity, it’s easy to label it. But it’s more useful to ask what’s sitting underneath. Research into adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) shows how much a child’s environment and experiences can shape how they behave and engage.
There’s a biological side too, particularly around dopamine and regulation, but even that connects back to the environment. The level of stimulation children are exposed to today plays a big role in how they focus and respond.
So where does that leave us?
For me, it comes back to relationships. Whether there’s a diagnosis or not, children need to feel safe, understood, and connected. Small, consistent actions in the classroom can make a bigger difference than we often realise.
In This Episode, I Explore
How the ADHD diagnosis has evolved.
Why behaviour might reflect experience, not just symptoms.
The impact of trauma and environment on attention.
How dopamine and stimulation affect learning.
Why relationships are key, with or without a diagnosis.
Why This Episode Matters
This isn’t about dismissing ADHD. It’s about widening the lens.
When we look beyond the label, we’re more likely to respond with curiosity rather than judgment and that’s where meaningful support begins.
Connect with Me
Instagram: @‌dradammcartney
Website: dradammccartney.com
YouTube: @‌Dr.AdamMcCartney

In this episode, we explore a question many secondary teachers quietly wrestle with, is a relational approach actually realistic in such a complex, high-pressure environment?
The conversation centres on a powerful classroom moment, where what appears to be defiance begins to reveal something deeper about identity, belonging and what sits beneath behaviour. It challenges the idea of behaviour as the problem, instead reframing it as a signal.
We also unpack the realities of secondary school life. With large class sizes and over 100 students a week, meaningful connection can feel out of reach. This creates a tension between what we know works relationally and what the system allows.
A key theme is identity. As peer influence grows, behaviour can become a way for students to gain recognition, maintain status, or cope with challenges beyond the classroom. Alongside this, the episode rethinks resilience, not as toughness, but as something built through relationships and support.
Importantly, this is not about removing structure. It is about balance. Small, intentional actions like consistent routines, simple greetings and moments of curiosity can create meaningful impact, even in busy classrooms.
In This Episode, We Discuss
What a relational approach looks like in secondary settings
How behaviour can reflect identity, not just disruption
The influence of peer recognition on student behaviour
Why resilience is built through relationships
How small interactions can have a lasting impact
The role of consistency and routines in creating stability
Why This Episode Matters
Secondary teachers are constantly balancing behaviour, curriculum, and connection. This episode offers a grounded perspective on how relational practice can still exist within those pressures.
It’s a reminder that being relational doesn’t always mean doing more, sometimes it’s about doing things differently.
Connect with Mike Lane
Website: ridgewaypsychology.co.uk
LinkedIn: Michael Lane
Connect with Me
Instagram: @‌dradammcartney
Website: dradammccartney.com
YouTube: @‌Dr.AdamMcCartney

In this episode, we explore what happens when coaching enters the education system not as a quick fix, but as a way to make schools feel more human again.
The conversation begins with Sam’s personal journey. From a young teacher struggling with anxiety and burnout, to a moment of vulnerability in the classroom that changed everything, coaching became the turning point. Not because it gave him all the answers, but because it gave him something simple and powerful a space to be heard.
From there, the discussion opens up into a bigger question…what’s missing in education right now? Sam shares a clear and honest view that many students and teachers feel disconnected from themselves, from each other and from the system they’re part of.
And while there are great things happening in schools, the pressure, workload and constant push for performance often get in the way of real connection.
We also dive into the role of coaching with young people. At its core, it’s about giving students responsibility, helping them realise they have more control than they think and creating space for reflection and action.
But it’s not always easy especially when students are reluctant or already struggling. What stands out is how powerful even one conversation can be when someone truly feels listened to.
A particularly powerful moment in the episode highlights this impact. A young person in crisis, on the edge of giving up, finds just enough space and support to begin moving forward again.
It’s a reminder that while coaching isn’t a replacement for deeper therapeutic work, it can play a crucial role in helping young people reconnect with the present and take their next step.
The conversation also turns to teachers. Many are carrying huge emotional and professional loads, often without the time or space to process it.
Coaching, even in its simplest form, can create that pause something many teachers don’t realise they need until they finally experience it.
Running through all of this is a bigger tension in the system. Curriculum overload, limited time and increasing demands make it difficult to prioritise relationships, even though they are at the heart of effective education.
The question becomes not just what we add to schools, but what we take away to create space for what really matters.
Ultimately, this episode is about shifting perspective. From fixing problems to building connection. From pressure to presence. And from surviving the system to reimagining what it could be.
In This Episode, We Discuss
What coaching actually looks like in schools and why it matters
How one conversation can create real change for a young person
Why many students feel unheard and how coaching creates space
The emotional load teachers carry and the need for reflection
The impact of curriculum pressure on relationships in schools
Why connection not just content should be at the centre of education
Why This Episode Matters
Education is at a crossroads. With rising pressure on both students and teachers, this episode offers a different lens one that focuses less on adding more and more on creating space.
It reminds us that meaningful change doesn’t always come from big reforms, but from simple, human conversations that help people feel seen, heard and able to move forward.
Connect with Sam Moinet. (Guest)
Instagram: @‌bora_education
LinkedIn: Sam Moinet
YouTube: @‌boraeducation
Connect with Mike Lane
Website: ridgewaypsychology.co.uk
LinkedIn: Michael Lane
Connect with Me
Instagram: @‌dradammcartney
Website: dradammccartney.com
YouTube: @‌Dr.AdamMcCartney

In this episode, we unpack the Department for Education’s latest push on inclusion and ask a big question… is this the turning point schools have been waiting for or another ambitious idea that may struggle in reality?
The conversation begins with the growing expectation on schools to embed inclusion into everything they do from leadership and culture to curriculum and classroom practice. While the vision is clear, there’s an immediate tension between ambition and practicality, especially when funding and time feel limited.
We explore what “inclusion” really means in practice. It’s not just about placing children in mainstream settings it’s about adapting the environment so every child can genuinely access learning. That raises deeper questions about whether the current curriculum allows for that flexibility, or whether it unintentionally limits it.
A key theme throughout the episode is expertise. But rather than placing that responsibility on one individual, the discussion reframes it as a shared effort. Teachers, leaders, specialists, and external professionals all bring something essential and it’s only through collaboration that meaningful inclusion can happen.
There’s also an honest look at the pressures teachers face. High expectations, rigid curriculum demands, and accountability systems can sometimes restrict creativity rather than support it. Without space and trust, even the most skilled educators can feel constrained.
At its core, this episode is about balance finding a way to hold onto ambition while creating systems that genuinely support the people delivering it.
In This Episode, We Discuss
What the new inclusion expectations mean for schools in practice
The reality behind funding and whether it matches the ambition
Why inclusion requires a shift in curriculum thinking, not just placement
The idea of shared expertise across teachers, leaders, and specialists
How collaboration can unlock more effective support for children
The importance of linking psychological development with classroom practice
Why This Episode Matters
Inclusion is no longer a side conversation it’s becoming central to how schools operate. But real change won’t come from policy alone. It depends on how well professionals work together, how much flexibility schools are given and whether teachers are truly supported to meet the diverse needs in their classrooms.
This episode offers a grounded, honest perspective on what it will take to turn inclusion from an expectation into a reality.
Connect with Mike Lane
Website: ridgewaypsychology.co.uk
LinkedIn: Michael Lane
Connect with Me
Instagram: @‌dradammcartney
Website: dradammccartney.com
YouTube: @‌Dr.AdamMcCartney

In this episode, we explore whether the “expert at hand” model can truly improve the S.E.N.D system, or whether it risks becoming another strong idea that struggles in practice.
The conversation starts with a simple but important question… who actually is the expert? Rather than placing that label on one professional, the discussion reframes expertise as something shared. Teachers, SENCOs, specialists, families, and even the child all bring valuable insight and it’s only when those perspectives come together that meaningful support can happen.
We also dig into the reality behind the policy. While the move towards inclusion and early intervention sounds promising, there are real concerns about how it will work in practice. Questions around funding, structure and collaboration remain unclear, and without those foundations, even the best intentions can fall apart.
A key theme running throughout is relationships. When professionals know each other and understand how they work, support becomes more effective and families feel reassured. Without that, the system can feel fragmented, leaving parents and schools to navigate challenges alone.
The episode also shifts perspective to the child’s voice, asking: what do you need to know and what are you going to do to help me? This question cuts through the complexity and brings the focus back to what really matters.
Ultimately, the conversation highlights that real change won’t come from policy alone. It depends on people, on collaboration and on keeping the child at the centre of every decision.
In This Episode, We Discuss
What the “expert at hand” model really means in practice
Why shared expertise matters more than individual roles
The gap between policy ambition and real-world delivery
The importance of relationships in effective support
Why the child’s voice should guide decision-making
Why This Episode Matters
The S.E.N.D system is under pressure, and change is needed. This episode reminds us that inclusion isn’t just about new frameworks it’s about how people work together, how trust is built and how consistently we focus on the needs of the child.
Connect with Mike Lane
Website: ridgewaypsychology.co.uk
LinkedIn: Michael Lane
Connect with Me
Instagram: @‌dradammcartney
Website: dradammccartney.com
YouTube: @‌Dr.AdamMcCartney