Supporting the wellbeing of past and present pupils of boarding & independent day schools, and their families
Urgent HelpStory Of Hope & Healing – Story 8 – Christina
Supporting the wellbeing of past and present pupils of boarding & independent day schools, and their families
Urgent Help
Seen & Heard are a not for profit (CIC). We exist to support the emotional wellbeing of those who have attended boarding or independent day schools, and their families.
Our mission is to help people on their journey, particularly in seeking resolution and healing from the effects of adverse childhood experiences, including abandonment, neglect, emotional repression, bullying or life-changing abuse.
We are a committed group of ex-boarding school pupils who understand these unique institutional experiences, and we believe in the power of connection, and its ability to heal. Adverse experiences in childhood can impact individuals, families and wider-society, often for generations.
As a group, we are not always understood by emotional support services, or by our families and wider-society. There is a lack of awareness and acceptance about our early-years experiences, and often prejudice around our perceived ‘privilege’. Good help is out there, but it’s too hard to find and access. We are going to change that!
In addition to providing wellbeing and support services to adult ex-pupils and their families, we also lobby and work with institutions (schools, alumni, universities, media & governing bodies) to take the pastoral care and emotional wellbeing of their people seriously, so they can provide best-in-class emotional support to past and present pupils.
A 30-min online survey that aims to return important information about life during, and after, Independent & State boarding, and Independent day schooling in the UK and overseas, with a particular focus on emotional wellbeing.
The data is confidential, anonymised, and will be used to inform and shape the services provided by the Seen & Heard not for profit project.
It is open to ex-pupils, over the age of 18, of any UK founded Independent or state boarding school. All genders, ages 18+, and levels of experience, are welcome to contribute.
The survey will be open ongoing, to continue to record experiences, and to create a larger and more robust data set.
Anonymised topline results will be posted each quarter, as the sample size grows.
Please share with others that you feel may want to be seen & heard about their time at school, and adult life since.
New Research Needs You! – Teeside University – Impact of Boarding School on adult behaviours
New Research Needs You! – Southampton University – Impact of Boarding School
New book! Nick Duffell – The Un-Making of Them: Clinical Reflections on Boarding School Syndrome
NEW EVENT! – Saturday 29th March – Boarding School Survivors South Meeting – Hove, East Sussex
Cathy Wield – Unshackled Mind: A Doctor’s Story of Trauma, Liberation and Healing
Our FREE online sharing groups are a flagship of the service we provide. THEY ARE NOT A CRISIS SUPPORT SERVICE, NOT ARE THEY GROUP THERAPY.
You can see the full terms & conditions for joining our online sharing groups HERE
All events are on Zoom, free of charge and managed by Eventbrite.
Spaces are limited, you can get tickets by signing up in advance of the groups, registration closes 24hrs before the group begins, so do please plan in advance.
Run by experienced group facilitators and modelled on a format that we have experienced personally and found huge benefit from, we hope you enjoy them too.
This is not group therapy, this is just a space to be seen & heard and bring yourself, exactly as you are. Even if you don’t want to speak or share, it can be extremely powerful to witness and hear others.
You can see the full terms & conditions for joining our online sharing groups HERE
For some, it is just connection they are seeking. For others, the groups can be life changing.
Here are some of the benefits experienced by those who attend:
A sense of connection with others
A feeling of being less alone
A place to be totally honest about how they are feeling, often for the first time
The liberation of being able to share even their inner-most thoughts
A way to discover what they are feeling, as most of the time we don’t even know
A place to explore our life purpose and direction
A feeling that they are taking responsibility, a sense of empowerment over their lives
Friendship, community and support
To submit your video you can use one of the below methods. Please read this information, and the two word document attachments, carefully before submitting:
1.) Upload it to your own YouTube channel, and then contact us via our contact form to send us the link to it. We will then review it, and if suitable, we’ll contact you and seek your written permission to use the video on our own YouTube channel, and across our website and social platforms.
2.) If you don’t want to, or can’t upload it to your own YouTube channel, you can use WeTransfer to send it to us at info@seenheard.org.uk Once it has been reviewed and approved, we’ll contact you and seek your written permission to use the video on our own YouTube channel, and across our website and social platforms.
We can’t wait to hear your story, it’s unique, it’s yours and it has enormous value!
You can see the full terms & conditions for joining our online sharing groups HERE
These Terms and Conditions govern your participation in the online sharing groups facilitated by Seen & Heard. By joining and participating in these groups, you agree to comply with these terms. If you do not agree, please do not participate.
The sharing groups are designed to provide a supportive and safe space for participants to share experiences and insights related to personal well-being. They ARE NOT CRISIS SUPPORT GROUPS. These groups are not a substitute for professional therapy, counseling, or medical advice.
Participants are expected to respect the privacy of others and keep all shared information confidential.
Recording, screenshotting, or sharing any part of the discussions outside the group is strictly prohibited.
While we strive to maintain confidentiality, we cannot guarantee that all participants will comply. Please share only what you are comfortable disclosing.
To ensure a respectful and supportive environment, all participants must adhere to the following guidelines:
Speak from personal experience and use “I” statements.
Listen actively and avoid interrupting others.
No judgment, criticism, or unsolicited advice unless requested.
No discriminatory, offensive, or harmful language or behavior.
Respect the facilitator’s guidance and group boundaries.
The facilitator(s) may provide general grounding and emotional support but do not act as therapists or medical professionals.
If a participant appears to be in crisis, facilitators may encourage them to seek professional help but are not responsible for providing emergency intervention. A list of appropriate crisis services can be found HERE.
If a participant poses a danger to themselves or others, we may need to break confidentiality and alert appropriate support services.
Participation in the group is voluntary, and you acknowledge that you are responsible for your own well-being.
Seen & Heard and its facilitators are not liable for any emotional distress, decisions, or actions taken as a result of participating in the group.
We reserve the right to remove any participant who:
Violates these terms and conditions.
Engages in disruptive, harmful, or disrespectful behavior.
Fails to adhere to the guidelines for respectful communication.
Seen & Heard reserves the right to update these terms at any time. Continued participation in the group constitutes acceptance of any modifications.
If you have any concerns, questions, or require additional support, please contact
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