A Psychologist’s Guide to Feeling Seen, Heard & Understood

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Have you ever felt like you’ve been misunderstood during a conversation, even though you said what you meant? Or why some interactions flow easily while others are like trying to navigate a minefield? This workshop explores the science behind one of the most fundamental human needs: to be seen, heard, and understood. Drawing on research from psychology, neuroscience, and communication science, we’ll explore the cognitive and emotional dynamics that shape how we connect with and disconnect from others. From first impressions to persuasion, trust, and emotional signalling, we’ll explore what the research tells us about why people listen, how meaning is constructed between individuals, and what gets in the way of authentic communication. 

We’ll explore the often-overlooked impact of environmental and cultural factors, including psychological safety, social identity, and invisible “psychological contracts” that influence how freely we express ourselves. We’ll also look at new insights around how our bodies and brains align in meaningful conversation and how this impacts everything from collaboration to conflict resolution. This session will give you the science and strategies to help build a foundation for feeling heard and understood.

Workshop Highlights:

• Engage in practical and reflective exercises to gain a deeper understanding of your own and others’ communication styles
• Develop practical strategies to build connection and navigate conversations that matter 
• Explore how culture, gender and identity influence how we are understood
• Gain insights into the latest psychological, sociological and neuroscientific research about communication 

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About your host:

Dr Ellis Pecen is a performance psychologist and chartered psychologist (CPSychol, FBPS). She has extensive experience working across sectors. Before becoming a psychologist, she was a professional classical musician and decided to change careers after witnessing how common burnout and dropout were in the performance sector. Ellis focused her PhD on psychological skills training and has been facilitating workshops on the topic for over 8 years. She has worked in business, sports, military, performing arts, education and the charitable sector. Ellis’ style is inviting, accessible and collaborative, with no prior experience or education in psychology required. 

Testimonials from our guests

⭐ Seed Talks created a friendly and inclusive atmosphere, it was a really wonderful experience. Thank you Seed Talks for facilitating such a powerful and important platform. 100% recommend you check out a Seed Talk near you! - Anna F.

⭐ Seed Talks have done an incredible job at making insanely cool topics easily digestible and enjoyable to learn about for ones self improvement. It's like Ted Talks, but cooler? And more accessible! - Eva W

⭐I've attended a few of your talks over the past few months and have absolutely loved them so first of all thank you so much for bringing joy and understanding to the world of neuroscience. - Joe F