Brenda McHugh (MBE) is a qualified and experienced teacher as well as a Consultant Family Systemic Psychotherapist. Having taught in mainstream and special schools, Brenda then worked for over thirty years in National Health Service Child and Adolescent Mental Health services. There, Brenda devised and ran the first multi-family therapeutic classroom. This was designed to help children and young people presenting with complex emotional, behavioural, learning, and mental health difficulties and support their families.

Together with Neil Dawson they Co-Founded of the Pears Family School London, an Alternative Provision school for children aged 5-14 with complex needs, at risk of exclusion, for which Brenda received an MBE. The Family School opened in 2014 and provides a fully integrated teaching, learning, family systemic and multi-family curriculum. It has been rated ‘outstanding’ in all areas. https://www.thefamilyschoollondon.org

Currently she is delivering a train-the-trainer programme for school professionals on how to run a relational high-impact and sustainable model in school for parents and carers. She is also a national and international guest lecturer and trainer, please contact tina@emeryknowlesconsulting.co.uk for more information on the train the trainer model.