Episode Details

What really happens to a child when they are sent away to boarding school?

In this powerful and eye-opening conversation, I’m joined by trauma-informed Well-Being & Relationship Coach Sorel Pindar, who shares both her professional expertise and lived experience of spending seven years in boarding school.

Together, we unpack the hidden emotional impact of early separation and how it shapes identity, coping mechanisms, and adult relationships.

In this episode, we explore:

✨ The 3 biggest challenges boarding school creates for children

• Early emotional detachment and suppressed attachment needs
• Development of independence rooted in survival, not security
• Difficulty processing emotions in a safe, supported way

✨ How children adapt to survive

• Building a “survival personality” to cope with separation
• Emotional shutdown, people-pleasing, or hyper-independence
• Learning to disconnect from vulnerability to feel safe

✨ How this shows up in adult relationships

• Struggles with intimacy and emotional connection
• Fear of dependency or being “too much”
• Patterns of avoidance, control, or emotional withdrawal

Sorel also shares how healing is possible—and how understanding the link between childhood experiences and current patterns can lead to deeper connection, emotional freedom, and healthier relationships.

Sorel is a trauma-informed Well-Being & Relationship Coach with over 25 years of experience. She specializes in supporting adults who attended boarding school and are now navigating challenges in their relationships.

Having spent seven years in boarding school herself, Sorel deeply understands the long-term emotional impact and helps clients transform their “survival personality” into a more connected and authentic way of living.

Through her signature HeartBridge Programme, she guides individuals and couples to:

• Understand how childhood experiences shape current behaviours
• Move through difficult emotions instead of avoiding them
• Build confidence and emotional resilience
• Strengthen communication and reduce conflict
• Create deeper, more fulfilling relationships

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sorrelpindar/
• Facebook (Personal): https://www.facebook.com/sorrel.pindar/
• Facebook (Business): https://www.facebook.com/SorrelPindarRelationshipCoach
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sorrelpindar/

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Anne Alvares is a parent coach, educator, and the founder of the Masterful Parenting Program, known for helping families build stronger, healthier relationships through relational parenting and healing from childhood wounds.

• Anne has over 20 years of experience working with families as a school counsellor, teacher, and parent coach.
  
  
• She has spent 15+ years supporting teens and their parents, giving her deep insight into emotional development and adolescent