Educating the whole child

Susie Joyce is a dyslexia and reading specialist with over 20 years of experience helping international students overcome dyslexia and other learning challenges. As the founder of Dyslexia Portugal, which serves children and adolescents in the Cascais, Sintra, and Lisbon areas, she provides personalized, evidence-based interventions, drawing on her certifications as an Orton-Gillingham Structured Literacy Specialist, Wilson Reading System practitioner, and NoticeAbility instructor. Susie collaborates with a network of specialists, including occupational therapists and educational psychologists, to offer comprehensive support tailored to each student’s needs. With a background in Montessori education, she integrates principles of respect and individualized learning into her practice. An active member of the British Dyslexia Association and the International Dyslexia Association, Susie is also a sought-after public speaker, regularly presenting on dyslexia and best practices for supporting students. Through her work, she is transforming the way dyslexia is understood and supported, helping students unlock their potential and thrive.

Kelly is a dedicated learning coach with extensive experience supporting learners aged 14 to 21 across diverse educational settings, including traditional classrooms, homeschooling, and online platforms. With over 10 years of global educational experience, including co-founding a self-directed school and working with students in transition, Kelly is passionate about unlocking the potential of every student. Her mission is to foster learning independence by empowering students to take ownership of their education. Through personalized coaching sessions, Kelly assists learners in developing critical thinking skills, cultivating effective study habits, and mastering time management techniques. With a focus on nurturing a growth mindset and providing essential tools, she aims to instill the confidence and autonomy necessary for students to successfully navigate their educational journey.

After many years traveling around the world in various finance roles for General Electric, Audrey Besson Levine changed careers to become a certified life and executive coach. She practiced as an executive coach while living in Los Angeles. Returning to Europe in 2015, she completed several parenting courses including Lori Petro, Dr Shefali, Dr Markham, while studying child psychology at the Open University in the UK. She is currently completing Compassionate Inquiry therapy training designed by Gabor Mate to bring trauma release to her practice. Audrey assists parents in understanding the origins of their parenting challenges and provides guidance on how to effectively address them. She holds the belief that cultivating self-awareness and understanding our triggers is pivotal in supporting our children, and she sees the journey of healing our childhood traumas as the route to fostering our own children's well-being.

Sam is a Mental Performance Coach and a certified teacher with over 10 years of experience working with students in education. Trained by Dr Patrick Cohn at Peak Performance Sports and holding a degree in Sports & Exercise Science and a PGCEi, Sam brings both the expertise and the personal understanding to know what young players need, and what they're not saying. After playing golf competitively from the age of 6 and competing internationally, he understands teenage sport from the inside and knows that what young players carry is often far more than anyone around them realises. This led him to create Sports & More.

Sports & More is a mental performance coaching programme for any young person who plays sport. It focuses on building confidence, developing tools to handle pressure and learning how to trust themselves. It also brings awareness to the things that quietly get in the way. This can include things like social approval, fear of failure, or perfectionism. The skills developed through this programme extend well beyond sport and into everyday life.

It's not just for those chasing titles or dreaming of turning professional. It is for any teenager who wants to get more out of their sport and more out of themselves, whatever level they play at.

Sarah Bonnett is a British educator and wellbeing practitioner with over 25 years’ experience in UK and international schools. Based in Cascais, she supports children and teens aged 7-18 through her wellbeing education practice, higher-stronger-happier. She offers one-to-one sessions that build confidence, emotional balance, and resilience, especially during times of transition, pressure, or uncertainty. Families value Sarah’s ability to attune to each child’s needs and meet them where they are. She adapts her approach to build trust and connection, even with those who may seem hard to reach. With deep insight, she identifies what’s going on beneath the surface and shares practical tools that help young people thrive, not just cope. She began her career teaching English, French, and Spanish before moving into pastoral leadership. She recognised early on that students flourish when their wellbeing is supported; a belief that’s only strengthened in today’s complex world. This understanding led her to retrain in applied wellbeing science, combining education with coaching techniques grounded in positive psychology, emotional intelligence, and neuroscience. Sarah supports children and teens experiencing: ▸ Anxiety or overwhelm ▸ School transitions and relocation stress ▸ Low motivation or confidence issues ▸ Executive functioning challenges, including support for ADHD ▸ Challenges in friendships or sibling relationships ▸ Emotional regulation difficulties Sarah’s sessions are flexible, creative, and rooted in real-life context. She helps young people develop tools to manage challenges, strengthen relationships, and build a stronger sense of self, while also nurturing a more hopeful, forward-facing outlook. Regular check-ins with parents ensure progress remains meaningful, aligned, and sustainable, especially helpful for international families navigating change.