Boarding School Syndrome | 16th June 2021

Wednesday 16 June 2021 – A Live Webinar on Zoom

Professor Joy Schaverien | Jungian Psychoanalyst

The Talk will commence at 7.30pm but Zoom will be accessible from 7.00 pm. There will be an opportunity for a Q&A session after the presentations, moderated by one of our Committee hosting the Zoom meeting.

In her book Boarding School Syndrome: The Psychological Trauma of the “Privileged” Child Joy Schaverien identified a cluster of symptoms and behaviours, which she classified as ‘Boarding School Syndrome’.

Children sent to boarding school at an early age suffer the sudden and irrevocable, loss of their primary attachments and this constitutes a significant trauma. The children are also unsafe because, in some schools, they are at the mercy of bullies and sexual predators. To adapt to the system, a defensive and protective encapsulation of the self may be acquired; the true identity of the person then remains hidden. This pattern may continue into adult life, distorting intimate relationships.

The talk will draw attention to the ways in which this syndrome may present in psychotherapy. It will give a sense of the depth of trauma, which is often missed when a client mentions they attended a boarding school. It is hoped to have lively discussion.

To see more about this event click the button below.