Head, heart and hands: Community psychology in applied educational psychology practice.

This study investigates how Educational Psychologists (EPs) in the UK understand and apply Community Psychology (CP) within their professional practice. CP, characterized by its focus on social justice, systemic change, and community engagement, was found to be conceptualized by EPs as a fluid and evolving framework shaped by personal values, local contexts, and professional experiences, yet often ambiguously defined and underrepresented in formal training. Through focus groups with twelve self-identified EPs practicing CP, three themes emerged—Head (theoretical understanding), Heart (ethical and emotional engagement), and Hands (practical application)—highlighting tensions between CP ideals and systemic constraints such as the demand for measurable outcomes and ethical complexities of community involvement. The study underscores the need for enhanced CP integration in EP training, reflective practice, and service development, advocating for methodological pluralism, supportive organizational cultures, and tools to facilitate critical engagement with CP principles.