Feeling understood matters.

And many of us don’t.

We try to explain ourselves.

Or we stop trying.



That distance has a cost.

Even in close relationships,

many of us feel unseen.

When we do feel understood,

something shifts.

We feel calmer.

More real.

More connected.

It explores the experience of feeling understood —

what it is, why it matters,

and how it so often breaks down in modern life.

What is FeelUnderstood?

FeelUnderstood is a project by Adrian Hosford and Andrew Bailey.

How understood do you feel —

really?

We’ve created a short,

reflective self-assessment.

It doesn’t analyse you.

It doesn’t diagnose anything.

It simply helps you notice

where understanding is present —

and where it isn’t.

This is an ongoing exploration.

Insights on understanding,

misunderstanding,

and modern communication.


Podcast discussions about

what it means to feel seen —

and what gets in the way.



Guided reflections and

conversational exercises for

exploring understanding

in everyday life.

January 5, 2026
Feeling understood is one of the most basic human needs, yet it’s something many of us experience far less often than we expect. We can be surrounded by people, in long-standing relationships or familiar settings, and still feel unseen or misunderstood. When understanding is missing, conversations become harder, distance grows quietly, and we may stop trying to explain ourselves at all. FeelUnderstood explores this experience from multiple angles — psychological, relational, and everyday. Rather than offering advice or solutions, the project is interested in noticing how understanding actually works: what it feels like when it’s present, what happens when it breaks down, and why it can be so difficult to sustain in modern life. Much of this unfolds in ordinary moments, through the way we listen, respond, and make sense of one another. Across essays, conversations, and guided reflections, the aim is to create space for clarity rather than answers. Not to diagnose or improve, but to help people recognise their own experience more precisely. Sometimes, simply naming what’s missing — or noticing where understanding already exists — is enough to change how a situation is held, even if nothing else changes at all.
January 5, 2026
Feeling understood is one of the most basic human needs, yet it’s something many of us experience far less often than we expect. We can be surrounded by people, in long-standing relationships or familiar settings, and still feel unseen or misunderstood. When understanding is missing, conversations become harder, distance grows quietly, and we may stop trying to explain ourselves at all. FeelUnderstood explores this experience from multiple angles — psychological, relational, and everyday. Rather than offering advice or solutions, the project is interested in noticing how understanding actually works: what it feels like when it’s present, what happens when it breaks down, and why it can be so difficult to sustain in modern life. Much of this unfolds in ordinary moments, through the way we listen, respond, and make sense of one another. Across essays, conversations, and guided reflections, the aim is to create space for clarity rather than answers. Not to diagnose or improve, but to help people recognise their own experience more precisely. Sometimes, simply naming what’s missing — or noticing where understanding already exists — is enough to change how a situation is held, even if nothing else changes at all.
January 5, 2026
Feeling understood is one of the most basic human needs, yet it’s something many of us experience far less often than we expect. We can be surrounded by people, in long-standing relationships or familiar settings, and still feel unseen or misunderstood. When understanding is missing, conversations become harder, distance grows quietly, and we may stop trying to explain ourselves at all. FeelUnderstood explores this experience from multiple angles — psychological, relational, and everyday. Rather than offering advice or solutions, the project is interested in noticing how understanding actually works: what it feels like when it’s present, what happens when it breaks down, and why it can be so difficult to sustain in modern life. Much of this unfolds in ordinary moments, through the way we listen, respond, and make sense of one another. Across essays, conversations, and guided reflections, the aim is to create space for clarity rather than answers. Not to diagnose or improve, but to help people recognise their own experience more precisely. Sometimes, simply naming what’s missing — or noticing where understanding already exists — is enough to change how a situation is held, even if nothing else changes at all.

It’s fundamental. Hard wired. Begins at birth.


Our relationships depend on it.


Our sense of belonging depends on it.


Our mental wellbeing depends on it. Our self-identity depends on it.

Therapists and counsellors have long recognised that the need to be understood runs deep within us and has consequences if ignored. It’s integral to our nature. Making sure that clients feel ‘unconditionally’ understood is itself central to the therapeutic process.

On a daily level, however, it’s easy to overlook the critical role that feeling understood plays in our lives. 

We aim to change that with our Feeling Understood Project, a not-for-profit venture with the sole aim of promoting better understanding in our daily lives. Our website makes it easy for you to explore the practical psychology behind the phenomenon of feeling understood (or not). And, importantly, to discover ways of making your life have more feeling understood in it, and less feeling not understood.

Want to feel understood?

Explore the podcast