Our thanks to Dr Gwen Adshead, Forensic Psychiatrist and Psychotherapist, Best-selling Author and Speaker, who joined us on Thursday 8 October for this year's Richard Pate Lecture with her talk Unspeakable: Trauma and Violence.

Pate's Headteacher Dr Richardson says,
"The roots of the Pate’s philosophy - celebrating independent thought, seeking fresh perspectives, challenging conventional thinking - can be traced back to Richard Pate’s founding vision, established amidst the social upheaval of the Reformation. We continue to prioritise the opportunity for young people to think differently and give them a platform to lead the change they wish to see in the world.

It is in that spirit that we welcome Professor Gwen Adshead to deliver our second Richard Pate lecture. Professor Adshead is a forensic psychiatrist and psychotherapist, leading author, and a brilliant and bold thinker. She continues to challenge societal understanding about trauma and violence, which she explores in her best selling book, The Devil You Know.

In what is often a noisy and polarised debate about violence in society, Professor Adshead draws on her extensive clinical and therapeutic experience to offer unparalleled insight into the psychological, developmental and social factors that contribute to violence, and explores how we can respond more effectively to reduce future harm.

Thank you to Dr Adshead for a  truly fascinating and thought-provoking lecture."

Our thanks to Dr Gwen Adshead, Forensic Psychiatrist and Psychotherapist, Best-selling Author and Speaker, who joined us on Thursday 8 October for this year's Richard Pate Lecture with her talk Unspeakable: Trauma and Violence.

Our Sixth Form students, who kindly helped us host the 250 guests at the event, reflect on the Lecture:
"I attended Dr Gwen Adshead's lecture, Unspeakable: Trauma and Violence, which explored the relationship between trauma, human behaviour and violence. The talk covered the effects of childhood trauma on future violence, as well as how trauma and violence are complex issues to treat and deal with, and they can have a profound effect on someone’s ability to speak  and express their feelings.

Dr Adshead’s lecture challenged my previous assumption that violent behaviour can be understood solely through individual choices and allowed the audience to understand such a complex topic with clarity and through her great expertise. I was fortunate to be able to give the following Vote of Thanks to Dr Adshead on the evening, following her talk:

First, I hope you will join me in thanking Dr Adshead for her time and expertise.

For most students, I think and hope, that violence is experienced in the abstract. As a literature student I reflected on the descriptions of violence in words of writers, for example I am currently studying Othello - a play full of the language of violence. Dr Adshead’s explanation of the reality - as opposed to the fiction - of violence was a new perspective for me. Further, the explanation of how trauma and violence cause a loss of words was particularly poignant. Literature, of course, is full of the words of violence.

From this talk I resolved to read more of the medical psychological impact of violence. It also made me realise that caring fro patients who may have faced trauma is not a simple, one-sided treatment, but rather a multitude of factors would need to be addressed to aid recovery. A final big thank you to you for attending this evening’s fantastic lecture, and raising such a though provoking discussion through your questions

The lecture was a very though provoking academic talk that broadened my understanding of human behaviour." Rudra (Yr 12).

"As an A Level Psychology student, I found this talk particularly thought-provoking and important because it highlighted how those who have experienced trauma can feel alone in their struggles and unable to seek support. The title of the talk Unspeakable refers to the impact trauma has on individuals often feeling unable to talk about their past experience, as they fear the painful memories will cause them to emotionally break down. Dr Adshead discussed the importance of therapy in supporting these individuals to feel safe in opening up about their trauma. This talk has inspired me to read further on the impact of trauma and seemed equally fascinating for the audience who responded with a range of insightful questions." Bethan (Yr 12).