For the article in the Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/education-and-careers/2025/12/03/working-at-a-boarding-school-is-like-being-in-a-cult/ And for the letter to write to your MP: https://seenheard.org.uk/boarding-on-insanity-parliamentary-screening/ In this short solo episode, I share an update and a heartfelt thank you. On 19th January 2026, we’ll be hosting a special screening of our documentary Boarding on Insanity inside the House of Commons. We’re inviting MPs...

In this episode of An Evolving Man Podcast (AEM #146), I speak with Ian Keys, an ex-boarder, youth worker and newly qualified counsellor, about what really happens when neurodiverse children move through a schooling system that doesn’t understand them. Ian started boarding school at 11 and left with no qualifications, convinced he was “thick”. Decades later, after working with excluded teenagers, forest school groups, neurodivergent young people and national-level athletes, he began to see th...

Are boarding schools reaching the end of the road? To contact your MP to get them to attend the House of Commons screening please visit here: https://seenheard.org.uk/boarding-on-insanity-parliamentary-screening/ In today’s episode, I reflect on last week’s conference honouring Dr Joy Schaverien and share surprising insights from conversations with people working inside the current boarding school system. Many schools appear to be moving into survival mode — and the strategies they’re u...

In this episode, I share reflections on the upcoming event The Silent Damage of Boarding School — a special day honouring the life and work of Dr Joy Schaverien, whose research into Boarding School Syndrome has transformed the field of trauma and psychotherapy. I walk through what the event includes, who will be speaking, and why Joy’s contributions continue to be so influential across psychology, counselling, and survivor communities. The online version of the event still has tickets availab...

For the link to Nicky Moxey and Dr Linda Devereux's book Worlds Away From Home: https://amzn.eu/d/9sE6I0j Fear is one of the most overlooked experiences in boarding school life. In this episode, Piers reflects on his own memories of fear and explores why so many ex-boarders still carry hypervigilance and survival patterns into adulthood. Drawing on research from Suzanne Zeedyk, Nick Duffell and Emma Seppälä, along with real stories from former boarders, Piers explains how fe...

In this transformative conversation, Piers Cross speaks with Corey Corpodian — author, orthodontist, and host of the Unleash Success Podcast — about how to master your emotions, build resilience, and lead with authenticity. After achieving every external marker of success, Corey found himself deeply unfulfilled. A life-changing health scare set him on a new path toward emotional fitness — a discipline of daily exercises that rewire the brain and strengthen mental and emotional resilience. Tog...

What do AI, neuroscience, and boarding schools have in common? In this reflective solo episode, Piers Cross explores how artificial intelligence mirrors the left-brain dominance of elite education — and why the real revolution ahead is emotional, not technological. Drawing on thinkers like Arthur Brooks, Daniel Goleman, and Nick Duffell, Piers unpacks why empathy, adaptability, and emotional intelligence are the skills that will define successful leaders in an AI-driven world. If you’ve ever ...

Some reflections about last Saturday's Boarding School Concern conference. What an amazing, heart-felt day. I felt very blessed to be there. A big thank you to all the organisers and volunteers and all the participants for attending. It was lovely to meet so many of you. I talk a little about dissociation which is what happened during my talk. To learn more about the BS Concern's work please visit: https://boardingschoolconcern.uk/ And Seen and Heard:...

In this episode of An Evolving Man Podcast, I speak with Sarah Jane Perrett, an intuitive happiness coach and energy practitioner who helps people release emotional baggage, reconnect with their intuition, and rediscover joy. Sarah shares her extraordinary journey from post-natal depression and breakdown to a profound spiritual awakening in 2013 — and how this experience led her to the transformative work she does today. We discuss the science and spirituality of emotional healing, from Heart...

The Boarding School Survivors Conference 2025 (formerly Boarding School Concern) takes place on 1st November in London (Euston). I’ll be speaking and showing our documentary Boarding on Insanity with a live Q&A. Speakers include Dr Suzanne Zeedyk, Dr Linda Devereux, Nicky Moxey, and Nick Duffell, among others. It’s an extraordinary event for anyone exploring the long-term impacts of early separation, boarding school syndrome, and healing through community and understanding. 🎟️ For tickets...

In this episode, I reflect on letter writing at boarding school — and what those censored, monitored, or ignored letters reveal about the emotional isolation many children experienced. Drawing on the writings of Nick Duffell, Jeremy Paxman, and Karen Wilson, as well as my own childhood letters from the 1980s, I explore how boarding schools conditioned children to hide their real feelings. This conversation touches on censorship, shame, and the lifelong habit of self-silencing — but also offer...

In episode #143 of An Evolving Man, I’m joined by Karen Wilson, author of Atrocious Behavior. Karen was sent to boarding school at just seven years old and expelled by ten. Her memoir captures the harsh reality of punishment, isolation, and shame — and her later discovery of healing through theatre, teaching, and reflection. We explore how trauma lives on in the body, how neglect shapes the nervous system, and what it means to reclaim compassion after early betrayal. This is a powerful conver...

What happens when a generation of children are raised to fear softness, sensitivity, and touch? In this solo reflection, I look at the unspoken culture of homophobia and repression in boarding schools — where words like “you’re gay” became weapons of humiliation. Drawing from Boarding School Syndrome by Joy Schaverien, Trauma, Abandonment & Privilege by Nick Duffell, and reflections from Stephen Fry, I explore how this culture shaped our sense of identity, sexuality, and emotional express...

What happens when the patterns of boarding school shape the boardroom? In this episode, I speak with Collette Easton — former CEO, executive coach, and author of Manager. Collette shares her journey from boarding school and the RAF, to building digital businesses, and now helping leaders overcome toxic patterns that hold them back. We discuss: The impact of boarding school on leadership stylesWhy some CEOs unconsciously recreate authoritarian environmentsThe difference between “managing” and ...

Do boarding schools create fixed mindset thinkers or growth mindset leaders? In this episode, I explore Carol Dweck’s research on Mindset and connect it with my experiences — and those of many clients — who came through the boarding school system. We unpack the core differences between fixed and growth mindsets, look at how school culture fosters one or the other, and explore practical ways to shift into growth. From Usain Bolt’s relentless training to Angela Merkel’s willingness to admit mis...

In episode 141 of An Evolving Man Podcast, I’m joined by Anthony Abbagnano, founder of Alchemy of Breath. Anthony shares his deeply personal story of childhood trauma, boarding school experiences, and how an encounter with breathwork as a child shaped the course of his life. Today, he’s one of the world’s leading voices in conscious breathwork, with facilitators trained in more than 70 countries. We dive into: Breath as a tool for healing trauma and reclaiming choiceMasculinity, chaos, and ho...

In this episode of An Evolving Man Podcast, I share reflections on the power of breathwork and how it helps us heal from trauma. Drawing on insights from my recent interview with Anthony Abbagnano (founder of Alchemy of Breath), as well as the work of Bessel van der Kolk and Emma Seppälä, I explore: Why trauma often causes us to hold or restrict the breathHow different breathing patterns affect emotions like calm, stress, or angerThe practice of coherence breathing (5 in, 5 out) for daily reg...

In this episode, I sit down with Kalyani Pardeshi, award-winning author, TEDx speaker, and anti-bullying advocate. Kalyani draws from her own boarding school experiences and her years of work with children, adults, and organisations to explain why traditional anti-bullying strategies often fail — and how the unconscious brain holds the key to real change. We explore the painful reality of bullying, the long-term effects of self-bullying and overachievement, and how these patterns often lead t...

For the interview with Kalyani Pardeshi: https://youtu.be/iBXcs5i4zyg For the interview with Nicky Moxey and Dr Linda Devereux: https://youtu.be/oJNHoex41-Q For the interview with Sara Warner and Karen Macmillan: https://youtu.be/VXAHJucCGsY For the interview with Amelia White: https://youtu.be/08WbNwen_SA For the interview with Joanna Brittan: https://youtu.be/MJknonuf4Sw For Karen Wilson's book: https://amzn.eu/d/9Z4gqUv In this solo reflectio...

In this episode of An Evolving Man, I speak with Françoise Elvin, counsellor, mentor, facilitator, and author of Uneldered. We discuss: Secure vs insecure attachment — and how it shapes our adult livesTrauma as “undigested experience” and the importance of integrationWhy elders and initiatory practices are vital for healthy societiesThe balance of masculine (yang) and feminine (yin) initiationHer upcoming project: the Sovereignty SchoolThe role of nature, meditation, and presence in healingFr...