An Evolving Man Podcast

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 using may be accelerating their decline.

We look at:

• Why prep schools are being pushed back into the pipeline
 • How trauma patterns influence leadership decisions
 • Why emotional intelligence is the future of education
 • What AI, neuroscience and attachment theory reveal about outdated schooling models
 • The growing national movement calling for child safety and systemic reform

With a major screening of Boarding on Insanity inside the Houses of Parliament this January, momentum is shifting fast. The next decade may bring profound change to how we educate and protect children.

If this episode resonates, please share it — and consider writing to your MP using the link in the show notes. Change happens when we act together.

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Piers is an author and a men's transformational coach and therapist who works mainly with trauma, boarding school issues, addictions and relationship problems. 

He also runs online men's groups for ex-boarders, retreats and a podcast called An Evolving Man. 

He is also the author of How to Survive and Thrive in Challenging Times. To purchase Piers first book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Survive-Thrive-Challenging-Times/dp/B088T5L251/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=piers+cross&qid=1609869608&sr=8-1 

For more videos please visit: http://youtube.com/pierscross 

For FB: https://www.facebook.com/pierscrosspublic 

For Piers' website and a free training How To Find Peace In Everyday Life: https://www.piers-cross.com/community 

Many blessings, 

Piers Cross 

http://piers-cross.com/ 

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 available.

Featuring speakers: Helen Odell-Miller, Alex Renton, Graham Music, and Zachary Fair — plus the premiere of a new 25-minute film from my interview with Joy.

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Piers is an author and a men's transformational coach and therapist who works mainly with trauma, boarding school issues, addictions and relationship problems. 

He also runs online men's groups for ex-boarders, retreats and a podcast called An Evolving Man. 

He is also the author of How to Survive and Thrive in Challenging Times. To purchase Piers first book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Survive-Thrive-Challenging-Times/dp/B088T5L251/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=piers+cross&qid=1609869608&sr=8-1 

For more videos please visit: http://youtube.com/pierscross 

For FB: https://www.facebook.com/pierscrosspublic 

For Piers' website and a free training How To Find Peace In Everyday Life: https://www.piers-cross.com/community 

Many blessings, 

Piers Cross 

http://piers-cross.com/ 

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 fear shapes the nervous system — and how we can begin to heal. 

A compassionate, grounded discussion for anyone exploring boarding school syndrome or emotional recovery. 

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Piers is an author and a men's transformational coach and therapist who works mainly with trauma, boarding school issues, addictions and relationship problems. 

He also runs online men's groups for ex-boarders, retreats and a podcast called An Evolving Man. 

He is also the author of How to Survive and Thrive in Challenging Times. To purchase Piers first book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Survive-Thrive-Challenging-Times/dp/B088T5L251/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=piers+cross&qid=1609869608&sr=8-1 

For more videos please visit: http://youtube.com/pierscross 

For FB: https://www.facebook.com/pierscrosspublic 

For Piers' website and a free training How To Find Peace In Everyday Life: https://www.piers-cross.com/community 

Many blessings, 

Piers Cross 

http://piers-cross.com/ 

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.

Together, they discuss:

• How to transform emotional pain into purpose
• Why EQ can be trained and strengthened over time
• The link between leadership, vulnerability, and emotional fitness
• Tools for reconnecting with your emotions after trauma or disconnection
• How to develop a growth mindset through consistent awareness and reflection

A conversation filled with science, story, and wisdom — for anyone ready to move beyond emotional survival and into emotional mastery.

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Piers is an author and a men's transformational coach and therapist who works mainly with trauma, boarding school issues, addictions and relationship problems. 

He also runs online men's groups for ex-boarders, retreats and a podcast called An Evolving Man. 

He is also the author of How to Survive and Thrive in Challenging Times. To purchase Piers first book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Survive-Thrive-Challenging-Times/dp/B088T5L251/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=piers+cross&qid=1609869608&sr=8-1 

For more videos please visit: http://youtube.com/pierscross 

For FB: https://www.facebook.com/pierscrosspublic 

For Piers' website and a free training How To Find Peace In Everyday Life: https://www.piers-cross.com/community 

Many blessings, 

Piers Cross 

http://piers-cross.com/ 

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 wondered how education, trauma, and technology intersect, this episode offers a fresh, compassionate lens on the future of humanity.

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Piers is an author and a men's transformational coach and therapist who works mainly with trauma, boarding school issues, addictions and relationship problems. 

He also runs online men's groups for ex-boarders, retreats and a podcast called An Evolving Man. 

He is also the author of How to Survive and Thrive in Challenging Times. To purchase Piers first book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Survive-Thrive-Challenging-Times/dp/B088T5L251/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=piers+cross&qid=1609869608&sr=8-1 

For more videos please visit: http://youtube.com/pierscross 

For FB: https://www.facebook.com/pierscrosspublic 

For Piers' website and a free training How To Find Peace In Everyday Life: https://www.piers-cross.com/community 

Many blessings, 

Piers Cross 

http://piers-cross.com/ 

 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: https://seenheard.org.uk/ 

Take care, Piers 

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Piers is an author and a men's transformational coach and therapist who works mainly with trauma, boarding school issues, addictions and relationship problems. 

He also runs online men's groups for ex-boarders, retreats and a podcast called An Evolving Man. 

He is also the author of How to Survive and Thrive in Challenging Times. To purchase Piers first book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Survive-Thrive-Challenging-Times/dp/B088T5L251/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=piers+cross&qid=1609869608&sr=8-1 

For more videos please visit: http://youtube.com/pierscross 

For FB: https://www.facebook.com/pierscrosspublic 

For Piers' website and a free training How To Find Peace In Everyday Life: https://www.piers-cross.com/community 

Many blessings, 

Piers Cross 

http://piers-cross.com/ 

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 HeartMath research to the Emotion Code and neuroplasticity, and explore how to shift from survival mode to emotional freedom.

A deep, heartfelt conversation on the courage to feel, the wisdom of the body, and the rediscovery of love, peace, and self-trust.

🎧 Topics Covered:

• The relationship between the heart and brain
• What is the Heart Wall and how to release it
• How to rewire your thoughts through neuroplasticity
• Moving from victimhood to empowerment
• Tools for emotional regulation and heart-based living

🌿 Find Sarah: https://www.thehappinessgap.co.uk

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Piers is an author and a men's transformational coach and therapist who works mainly with trauma, boarding school issues, addictions and relationship problems. 

He also runs online men's groups for ex-boarders, retreats and a podcast called An Evolving Man. 

He is also the author of How to Survive and Thrive in Challenging Times. To purchase Piers first book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Survive-Thrive-Challenging-Times/dp/B088T5L251/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=piers+cross&qid=1609869608&sr=8-1 

For more videos please visit: http://youtube.com/pierscross 

For FB: https://www.facebook.com/pierscrosspublic 

For Piers' website and a free training How To Find Peace In Everyday Life: https://www.piers-cross.com/community 

Many blessings, 

Piers Cross 

http://piers-cross.com/ 

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 and full details, visit:  https://boardingschoolconcern.uk/ 

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Piers is an author and a men's transformational coach and therapist who works mainly with trauma, boarding school issues, addictions and relationship problems. 

He also runs online men's groups for ex-boarders, retreats and a podcast called An Evolving Man. 

He is also the author of How to Survive and Thrive in Challenging Times. To purchase Piers first book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Survive-Thrive-Challenging-Times/dp/B088T5L251/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=piers+cross&qid=1609869608&sr=8-1 

For more videos please visit: http://youtube.com/pierscross 

For FB: https://www.facebook.com/pierscrosspublic 

For Piers' website and a free training How To Find Peace In Everyday Life: https://www.piers-cross.com/community 

Many blessings, 

Piers Cross 

http://piers-cross.com/ 

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 offers hope for healing and reconnection.

A heartfelt invitation to reflect on your own story and the power of reclaiming your true voice.

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Piers is an author and a men's transformational coach and therapist who works mainly with trauma, boarding school issues, addictions and relationship problems. 

He also runs online men's groups for ex-boarders, retreats and a podcast called An Evolving Man. 

He is also the author of How to Survive and Thrive in Challenging Times. To purchase Piers first book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Survive-Thrive-Challenging-Times/dp/B088T5L251/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=piers+cross&qid=1609869608&sr=8-1 

For more videos please visit: http://youtube.com/pierscross 

For FB: https://www.facebook.com/pierscrosspublic 

For Piers' website and a free training How To Find Peace In Everyday Life: https://www.piers-cross.com/community 

Many blessings, 

Piers Cross 

http://piers-cross.com/ 

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 conversation about survival, courage, and finding meaning beyond suffering.

 📘 Karen Wilson’s memoir “Atrocious Behavior” is available now on Amazon. https://amzn.eu/d/fWfpSFa 

🎧 Listen to more episodes: https://www.piers-cross.com/an-evolving-man-podcast 

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Piers is an author and a men's transformational coach and therapist who works mainly with trauma, boarding school issues, addictions and relationship problems. 

He also runs online men's groups for ex-boarders, retreats and a podcast called An Evolving Man. 

He is also the author of How to Survive and Thrive in Challenging Times. To purchase Piers first book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Survive-Thrive-Challenging-Times/dp/B088T5L251/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=piers+cross&qid=1609869608&sr=8-1 

For more videos please visit: http://youtube.com/pierscross 

For FB: https://www.facebook.com/pierscrosspublic 

For Piers' website and a free training How To Find Peace In Everyday Life: https://www.piers-cross.com/community 

Many blessings, 

Piers Cross 

http://piers-cross.com/