I'm Brenda - Education Director

Forming Connections was born from a blend of professional expertise, personal experience, and the transformative power of neuroscience.
For nearly a decade, the science of connection, and especially neuroplasticity shaped Brenda’s approach to education, understanding human behaviour, and wellbeing.

What began in 2016 with a week-long Youth Mindfulness training course in Brighton became a defining moment: discovering that the brain can change, adapt, and rewire at any age.
This understanding informed Brenda's years of teaching children with SEND and laid the foundation for the work we do today.

In November 2023, neuroscience stopped being an academic interest and became a lifeline.
Joe, also a special needs teacher, survived an unprovoked assault that resulted in a traumatic brain injury and a massive brain bleed. After emergency surgery to remove part of his skull and three weeks in a coma, the future was uncertain. When he woke up, he recognised familiar faces but couldn’t recall names, words, or key aspects of his identity. He was diagnosed with anomic aphasia, unable to recognise letters, numbers, or familiar language.
Doctors predicted a minimum of a year in hospital.

Neuroplasticity gave us hope and taught us something essential: the brain can recover; it can always make new connections.
Drawing on a background in neuroscience-informed education practice as a teacher in SEND education, recovery became a process of rebuilding pathways slowly, patiently, and with deep belief in the brain’s ability to heal.

Within a month of waking up, Joe’s Deprivation of Liberty order was removed. By January 2024, he was home. Six months later, he was back in the classroom.
He eventually had to accept that he could no longer cope with the demands of teaching and left the classroom, and the children and job he had dedicated himself to for fifteen years.

He continues to have  rehabilitation sessions, with an amazing therapy team, including OT and SALT. but is doing amazing and surprises us every day.

Today, Joe is an integral inspiration within the business. As he relearns technology and re-engages in meaningful work, his recovery continues to accelerate. His lived experience enriches everything we teach.
He embodies the very principles at the heart of our mission: connection, safety, resilience, and the extraordinary adaptability of the human brain.
He also brings an enormous amount of fun, positivity, and realism into all our offers.

Connection: We help create safe environments where relationships can thrive.
Compassion: We use science to understand human behaviour, not judge it.
Clarity: We translate complex neuroscience into practical, human-centred strategies.
Change: We support transformation that lasts within people, teams, and cultures.

We know that change is possible because we’ve lived it.
We’ve seen the nervous system heal.
We’ve seen that changed environments transform.
We’ve seen that people rediscover their potential when they finally feel safe.

At Forming Connections, we are committed to supporting others through that same journey—whether in a classroom, workplace, family, or community.
Together, we’re building cultures where people don’t just function, but flourish.