Dr Dan O'Hare
Director, edpsy
Educational Psychologist, Beacon Community Psychology
Senior Lecturer, University of Bristol
Educational psychologist working in science communication, public engagement and community building across education and wellbeing.
Making psychology accessible to a wide audience, and bringing professionals together to support thoughtful, evidence-informed discussion.
impact at a glance
the numbers behind the work
100+
Media engagements
Science communication
20k+
edpsy views a month
edpsy
20+
Keynotes delivered
National & international
250+
Authors supported
Research & publications
100k+
'The Educated Guess Podcast' views
Science communication
about me
Psychology has far more to offer society than it often delivers. Too often ideas remain confined to academic journals, professional circles or technical language that not only limits their reach, but can actively exclude.
My work is centred on making psychology accessible, relevant and useful, whether that's supporting practitioners, informing public debate, shaping policy or helping wider audiences engage with complex psychological ideas. Whatever the audience, my approach is grounded in psychology and driven by a simple question: how can we create meaningful change for people?
As an educational psychologist, I work across practice, research, science communication and systems change. These are different ways of applying psychology to understand complex problems and identify practical, psychologically-informed ways forward. Through edpsy, I've developed a platform that has become a central space for professional discussion, collaboration and knowledge exchange within educational psychology.
My work focuses on strengthening inclusion and anti-oppressive practice, building professional communities and helping organisations, policymakers and practitioners think more clearly about the challenges they face and how best to respond.
working with the media
Dan regularly contributes to national and international media, translating complex psychology into clear, evidence-informed perspectives for broad audiences.
Pink News
Concerns over Cass Review raised by more than 200 educational psychologists
BBC Bitesize
Lessons from EastEnders: Should I get involved when my child argues with their friends?
Metro
I won’t let anyone hug my child without consent, but my mum keeps doing it anyway
policy & systems
Dan engages with government, national bodies and sector organisations to shape how psychology is understood and applied at a systems level. His work has included engaging with MPs, civil servants, local and national government, and advising national psychological research projects. Alongside this, he supports psychologists and other professionals to develop the knowledge and practical skills needed to influence policy themselves, through training that demystifies policymaking and equips people to communicate evidence more effectively so that it can have impact.
the educated guess podcast
Puzzling our way through issues in education, psychology or society and no doubt demonstrating exactly what we don't know...which is why we need our 'Educated Guests' to join us!
presentations & speaking
What the science tells us, what children are experiencing emotionally, and what psychology, and schools, can offer in response.
Weaving personal experience with research evidence to ask: “What does the welfare system take from children?”
A thoughtful challenge to 'brain-based' thinking in schools — examining what the evidence really says and how psychology can reclaim the conversation.
Interested in having Dan speak at your event, conference or training day?
book Dan to speakarticles, blogs and thought pieces
Climate crisis
Educational psychology within the polycrisis
AI
edpsy policy on the use of Generative AI
Educational psychology
Thinking holistically needs to extend to our own profession too
Educational Psychology
Where are the EPs? Theresa May, mental health and schools
Interview
Talking to people about what matters to them
collaborations
Organisations Dan has worked with, positions he's held, and a bit about those groups
Advisor
Climate Majority Project
Advisor to the Climate Courage Campaign
Member
Cabot Institute for the Environment
Various - speaking events, media work, public engagement.
Chartered Member
The British Psychological Society
Former Chair of DECP, member of Member Board, member of Climate and Environmental Action Coordinating Group.
Member
EcoEdPsychs
Member of this collective of EPs working on the connections between human learning and development, wellbeing, and planetary health
Advisor
TIGER Co-op
Advisor to Bristol based co-operative (historical) which focused on challenging gender-based barriers for young people and educators
testimonials
Dan has a rare ability to communicate psychological knowledge clearly and captivatingly with the child always at the centre- a life buoy in a sea of misinformation.
Dan is a gift to all those he serves - passionate about his profession and its capacity to help many; A gifted thinker and organizer; he has helped to strengthen the links among Educational Psychologists. Any serious government would have recruited him long ago to help transform the education system; focussing on care for the most vulnerable.
Dan excels at building thoughtful, connected professional communities. He communicates psychology in ways that shift understanding and inspire positive change, amplifying issues of contemporary global relevance which matter for social justice. His work reliably supports EPs at all stages of their career.
Through the development of podcasts and other initiatives, like his involvement in the EcoEdPsychs group, he has helped showcase the value of the profession, encouraged meaningful conversations, and made psychological knowledge more accessible to both professionals and the wider public.
Dan is a clear and engaging voice around the things that matter in our messed up world. He understands the power of being real and human; yet he never loses sight of the need to be open to feedback, to find a solutions-focus, and to foster practical hope. Perhaps most importantly, he builds communities, taking others with him on journeys of change.
Dan has been a much respected colleague for many years. He is a mover and a shaker on the application of psychology to people's lives and the systems in which they live, especially education.