BOARDING SCHOOL SYNDROME

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While often normalised, minimised, or even revered, boarding school can leave a deep and lasting imprint on the nervous system, sense of self, and capacity for emotional closeness. Early separation from primary caregivers and immersion in institutional environments during childhood can shape how we learn to cope, relate to others, and manage emotional needs well into adult life.

My work in this area is informed by specialist training with Nick Duffell, whose work has brought greater understanding to the long-term impact of boarding school experiences. This perspective recognises how repeated separations, emotional containment, and enforced independence can continue to influence how we relate to ourselves and others, often long into adult life.

Alongside working with adults who attended boarding school, I also support young people who are currently at boarding school, helping them navigate the emotional and relational challenges of institutional life alongside the developmental pressures of adolescence.