The Team

The team at Braincalm™ is a group of experienced, dedicated professionals. Our mission is to provide parents and support staff with the training and tools they need in order to make a difference in the lives of children. 

In addition to the core team, we also consult widely with other experts and professionals when developing and testing our Braincalm™ programmes.

Head Office

Brenda Cassidy, Owner & Founder

Brenda is the Founder of Braincalm™ and is a highly experienced Occupational Therapist (OT).  Over the last 33 years, Brenda has worked in London, and New York and is now based in her home country of Ireland. 

Brenda’s work has been published in the American Journal of Rehabilitation. She has also been involved in the development of NHS e-learning materials. She has also authored a book about Dyspraxia.

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Emma Boland, Consultant & Special Needs Assistant

Emma is a key member of the Braincalm™ team and works alongside Brenda to develop Braincalm™ courses aimed at primary school staff. 

Emma works as a Special Needs Assistant in an all-boys primary school and has been successfully using the Braincalm™ Physical Intensive Programme daily since 2019.

Associates & Advisors

Bernadette Beddows, Braincalm™ Consultant & Former Primary School Principal

With extensive experience in the education sector, Bernadette has worked as a primary school principal in Ireland and a childcare director and early years educator in the US.

Bernadette has been a Braincalm™ Intensive Practitioner and Consultant since 2016.  She wants to help empower school staff and parents to nurture learning in all children, especially those with Autism.

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Jennifer Currie, Braincalm™ Practitioner & Consultant for Special Education (12-18 years)

With a wealth of experience as a Special Education Teacher, Jennifer has worked in a number of educational settings working with pupils with Autism and integrating pupils with additional learning needs into mainstream classes.  She loves to watch the progress and change of her pupils throughout the school year.

She has been a Braincalm™ Practitioner since 2016.

Kayrena Bolger, Braincalm™ Intensive Practitioner & Teacher

Kayrena has worked as a primary school teacher for over 30 years and in a special educational role for the last 10. She uses this experience to nurture learning in children with a variety of needs and loves watching them thrive throughout their time at school. She has been a Braincalm™ Intensive Practitioner since 2016.

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Melissa Hogan, Consultant & Primary School Teacher

Melissa has worked in education for over 30 years and is the founder of the multi-award-winning Early Focus Project. She is particularly passionate about the well-being of children in a rant of socio-demographic areas and the impact of trauma and lack of attachment on child development. 

She provides invaluable insight and consultancy services to the Braincalm™ team.

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Colette Heaney, Consultant (Autism) & Primary School Teacher

As a primary school teacher and a parent of a child with autism, Colette works as part of the team to ensure that Braincalm™ is suitable for children both with and without a diagnosis. 

Colette is also the Co-Founder of the Mayo Autism Camp, offering social events for children with autism and their families.

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