Question 1

What is AURIS?

Accepted Answer

AURIS Institute is a research-led organisation. It is the home of AURIS Academy, the AURIS Identity System, and AURIS Membership, combining an original identity framework, guided reflection, community, coaching, programmes and partnerships with the organisations around the people we serve.

Question 2

Who is AURIS for?

Accepted Answer

Veterans, serving personnel, emergency-service staff, NHS staff, military families, and the employers, charities and clinicians who support them. There is also a research strand for academics and practitioners.

Question 3

Is AURIS a clinical service?

Accepted Answer

No. AURIS Institute delivers developmental and educational programmes grounded in research. They complement clinical care but do not replace it. Where someone needs clinical support, we will say so and signpost responsibly.

Question 4

Where does the name come from?

Accepted Answer

AURIS stands for Awareness, Understanding, Regulation, Identity and Stability, the five qualities we return to in every conversation, programme and membership session.

Question 5

Who funds AURIS?

Accepted Answer

AURIS is currently founder-funded. The work is made possible through Gemma Gardner's military pension, reflecting her personal commitment to ensuring that identity adaptation support is available to those who need it most. Alongside this, Gareth Gardner and Benjamin Gardner generously volunteer their time to help develop programmes, build partnerships and support the growth of AURIS. As the organisation grows, AURIS will be sustained through programme delivery, professional qualifications, organisational partnerships, research collaborations and grant funding, allowing us to expand our impact while remaining true to our mission. Our commitment has always been simple: build the evidence, prove the impact, and make identity support accessible to those who need it.

Question 6

How does the AURIS Identity System work?

Accepted Answer

Your AURIS Membership is accessed at aurisidentity.com. You can begin in private, in your own time, working through short prompts and reflections grounded in the AURIS Identity System. You decide what to share, with whom, and when.

Question 7

Is membership free?

Accepted Answer

AURIS Membership is a separate service at aurisidentity.com. Current membership options and prices are shown there before you choose whether to join.

Question 8

How do I access it?

Accepted Answer

Open aurisidentity.com in your browser to begin your AURIS Membership.

Question 9

Is my data private?

Accepted Answer

The AURIS Membership at aurisidentity.com is a separate service and has its own privacy information. The Privacy Policy on this Institute site explains how aurisidentity.org and the AURIS Academy handle personal information.

Question 10

How do partnerships begin?

Accepted Answer

Every partnership starts with a discovery call. We listen to what you have already tried, who you serve, and what a thoughtful next step might look like. We do not pitch programmes before we understand the context.

Question 11

Do you run pilots?

Accepted Answer

Yes. We prefer small, well-evaluated pilots over broad rollouts. A typical pilot is co-designed with you, runs over an agreed period, and reports honestly on what worked and what did not.

Question 12

Can AURIS work alongside our existing wellbeing provision?

Accepted Answer

Yes. AURIS is designed to sit alongside clinical, occupational health and EAP services, not to replace them. We are explicit about boundaries.

Question 13

Where can I read your research?

Accepted Answer

Published papers, working notes and project pages will appear in the Research section as they are ready. Where work is early, we say so. We never overclaim.

Question 14

Can I collaborate with AURIS on research?

Accepted Answer

Yes. We partner with universities, NHS trusts, charities and service organisations. Most collaborations begin with a conversation about shared questions.

Question 15

How do you handle research ethics?

Accepted Answer

All research follows recognised ethical frameworks and, where appropriate, formal institutional review. Participant consent, anonymity and the right to withdraw are non-negotiable.

What people ask us most.

The basics.

Using your AURIS Identity System.

Partnerships, pilots and provision.

How we work with evidence.

Take the next gentle step.