Meet Our Founder
Emily MACKIE
Founder and Speech Pathologist
Emily Mackie is the founder and owner of Speak About Speech Pathology. She is an award-winning speech therapist, mentor and author.
Emily has founded The Successful Speechie Academy; a teaching and mentoring academy to equip SLP's-to-be and graduated speech pathologists in preschool language therapy. Emily is the author of two educational therapy books with Busy Books Australia and has contributed to resources with My Creative Box and Curious Columbus.
Emily was privileged to win Australian Speech Pathologist of the Year 2020/21 - under the Australian Allied Health Awards and has been a Finalist for the Western Sydney Entrepreneur of the Year 2021.
Emily has a passion for helping children reach their potential and empowering her speech therapists. Her core belief is to help children with their communication, but in doing so give them connection and confidence.
Emily has been featured on the ABC in Sydney and Channel 9 and also co-hosts The Move.Talk.Thrive Podcast. In her downtime, Emily loves to be with her daughters, travel, cook and read.
If you would like to know more about Emily, you can find her on:
Instagram: emilymackie.speechie
Meet Our Managing Director
Brianna LEWIS
Director and Speech Pathologist
Brianna (Bree) joined the Speak About team in January 2016. She completed a Bachelor of Speech and Hearing Sciences at Macquarie University in 2013 and completed a Master of Speech and Language Pathology in 2015. With her experience and dedication to her development she has now taken on the role of our Managing Director. Bree continues to develop her own leadership skills to impart to the team.
She has been trained in the diagnosis and treatment of Childhood Apraxia of Speech using Dynamic Temporal and Tactile Cueing (DTTC), Down Syndrome, Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD), Oppositional Defiance Disorder (ODD), Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Global Developmental Delay (GDD). The Nuffield Dyspraxia Programme NDP3, Rapid Syllable Transition Training (ReSt), attended seminars for Velopharyngeal Insufficiency (VPI), Cleft palate and Neurodiverse Affirming Practises for Autistic children.
Bree also enjoys supporting students and new graduate speech pathologists as they enter the workplace over the last 6 years. Brianna is a Member of Speech Pathology Australia, Certified Practising Speech Pathologist (CPSP), a Medicare and NDIS provider.
Michael MACKIE
Business Manager
Michael joined the Speak About team in May 2021 and partners Brianna in running the business. Michael has had various roles in IT, leadership roles and also an Electrician previously, he brings experience and dedication to his development and to the success of Speak About Speech Pathology.
Michael enjoys supporting the admin team and business operations, and making sure the team is running effectively and efficiently.
When he is not helping the team at Speak About, Michael loves spending time the family, mowing and maintaining the home, going to the beach, bushwalks and drives.
Meet The Sydney Team - Speech Pathologists
Salome Ratnarajah
Senior Speech Pathologist
Salome completed a Bachelor of Speech and Hearing Sciences at Macquarie University in 2016 and then completed a Master of Speech and Language Pathology in 2018.
Salome loves working with all children and their families. She has a passion for helping children achieve their potential, through improving their communication.
Salome has experience in working with a range of communication difficulties, including speech sound disorders, language stuttering and literacy disorders.
Salome also has experience working with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Down Syndrome and Cerebral Palsy.
Salome is a Member of Speech Pathology Australia, Certified Practising Speech Pathologist (CPSP), a Medicare and NDIS provider.
When she’s not helping children at Speak About, Salome likes playing the piano, reading, travelling and spending time with her friends and family.
Rebecca McCaughey
Speech Pathologist
Rebecca completed a Bachelor of Speech and Hearing Sciences at Macquarie University in 2021, followed by a Master of Speech and Language Pathology in 2023. Rebecca is a Certified Practicing Speech Pathologist and a member of Speech Pathology Australia.
Rebecca is a passionate clinician who strives to support her clients to reach their full potential. She values developing partnerships with clients and their families, as well as keeping up to date with the latest research to maximise therapy outcomes.
Rebecca has experience working with children presenting with a range of communication difficulties, including literacy, speech sound and language delays/disorders.
During her spare time, Rebecca enjoys playing soccer, spending time with her friends and family and exploring new places to eat.
Prelene Shunmugam
Speech Pathologist
Prelene completed a Bachelor of Speech and Hearing Sciences at Macquarie University in 2019 and then completed a Master of Speech and Language Pathology at University of Technology Sydney in 2022. Prelene is a Certified Practicing Speech Pathologist and a member of Speech Pathology Australia.
Prelene has a passion for working with children to develop their communication skills and reach their full potential. Prelene has experience working with children presenting with a range of communication difficulties including speech sound disorders, language delays/disorders, stuttering and literacy difficulties.
When she is not helping children at Speak About, Prelene enjoys cooking, spending time with her family and friends, and travelling.
Chelsea Soriano
Speech Pathologist
Chelsea completed a Bachelor of Arts (Linguistics and Hearing & Speech) in 2021 and then completed a Master of Speech Language Pathology in 2023 at the University of Sydney.
With a deep passion for helping children thrive and build meaningful connections, Chelsea is dedicated to supporting each child in communicating with the people who matter most, while reaching their full potential. She values building strong, collaborative partnerships with families and takes pride in empowering those around the child to grow their confidence in supporting communication development. Chelsea has experience working with children across a range of communication challenges, including speech sound delays and disorders, language delays and disorders, and literacy difficulties.
Chelsea also has experience working with children with Autism Spectrum disorder (ASD), their families and their team (such as their family, occupational therapists, teachers and/or educators) to maximise therapy outcomes.
Chelsea is a Member of Speech Pathology Australia, Certified Practising Speech Pathologist (CPSP), a Medicare provider and holds an NDIS worker screener.
During her spare time, Chelsea enjoys reading on her Kindle, listening to music while going on walks and going to weight-lifting classes.
Sacha Street
Speech Pathologist
Sacha completed a Bachelor of Speech and Hearing Sciences in 2023 and then completed a Master of Speech and Language Pathology in 2025 at Macquarie University.
Sacha is dedicated to supporting your child to maximise their full potential and build meaningful relationships with the people who matter most. She values creating accessible, neuro-affirming learning environments that support each child’s unique communication needs. Sacha has experience working with children across a range of communication areas, including speech sounds, language, fluency, and literacy.
Sacha also has experience working with Autistic children (ASD), children with Global Developmental Delay, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and hearing and vision loss.
Sacha is a Member of Speech Pathology Australia, is a Certified Practising Speech Pathologist (CPSP) member and holds an NDIS worker screener.
During her spare time, Sacha enjoys going to a yoga or Pilates class, going to coffee or brunch with friends, travelling, listening to music and walking her dog Lucy!
Jessica Winser
Senior Speech Pathologist
Jessica completed a Master of Speech Language Pathology at the University of Sydney in 2019. She is a Certified Practicing Speech Pathologist and member of Speech Pathology Australia.
Jessica has previously worked in practices across Northern NSW, the Gold Coast, and Sydney. She is passionate about supporting children and their families to achieve their communication and feeding goals, and loves facilitating a fun, engaging and holistic approach to therapy.
Outside of work, Jessica enjoys wheel-thrown ceramics, spending time with her family and friends, baking, camping, and exploring nature.
Isabella Bennett
Speech Pathologist - Part Time
Isabella has found her passion in speech therapy as she loves seeing children build their confidence through their ability to communicate. She has experience working with children with speech sound difficulties, language difficulties, stuttering and literacy difficulties.
Isabella also has experience working with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
Isabella enjoys working with children and their families to reach their speech and language goals. Isabella is a member of Speech Pathology Australia and is a Certified Practising Speech Pathologist (CPSP).
Isabella loves spending time with her family and welcomed her first child recently.
Elayna Galea
Speech Pathologist - Part Time
Elayna completed a Bachelor of Speech and Hearing Sciences at Macquarie University in 2019 and then completed a Master of Speech and Language Pathology in 2022. Elayna is a Certified Practicing Speech Pathologist and a member of Speech Pathology Australia.
Elayna has a passion for supporting children to develop their communication skills and reach their full potential. Elayna has experience working with children presenting with a range of communication difficulties including speech sound delays/disorders, language delays/disorders, stuttering and literacy difficulties.
Elayna enjoys working collaboratively with families to identify personalised goals that support the child’s needs and the families’ priorities.
p>When she is not helping children at Speak About, Elayna enjoys doing anything creative, cooking, and spending time with her family and friends. Elayna is currently taking some maternity leave and is looking forward to returning very soon in 2026.
Chloe Grima
Speech Pathologist
Chloe completed a Bachelor of Health Science (Speech and Hearing) at The University of Sydney in 2018 and then completed a Master of Speech and language Pathology in 2020.
Chloe has a passion for working with children and their families to achieve their communication goals and reach their full potential. Chloe has worked with children and adults with a range of communication difficulties including speech sound disorders, language delays, stuttering, and literacy difficulties.
Chloe also has experience working with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Down Syndrome and Cerebral Palsy.
Chloe is a Member of Speech Pathology Australia, Certified Practising Speech Pathologist (CPSP), a Medicare and NDIS provider.
When she is not helping children at Speak About, Chloe enjoys going to the gym, spending time with her friends/family, bushwalking and going to the beach. Chloe is currently taking some maternity leave and is looking forward to returning in early 2027.
Allied Health Assistants (AHA's)
Gemma Isaacs
Allied Health Assistant
Gemma joined our team in March 2024.
Gemma is currently pursuing her Bachelor of Speech Pathology at the Australian Catholic University. Gemma is passionate about learning and is now starting her journey as an Allied Health Assistant.
Gemma is looking forward to working with your child, she also has our administration experience and will be happy to help you in any way.
Being a family girl, Gemma loves being with the children and the families, watching them grow and learn each day. When not being here to help answer your questions she is spending time with her friends and playing soccer.
Administration Team
Madalyn Dwyer
Administration Officer
Madalyn (Maddi) joined our administration team in February 2026.
With a background in administration, Maddi has completed her Certificate III in Business Administration and has over six years of experience working in admin roles. She joined the team in February 2026 and enjoys helping families and creating a welcoming environment for everyone who walks through the door. She especially loves interacting with the kids and making sure each visit starts with a friendly face at reception.
Maddi grew up in Penrith and has recently moved to the Hawkesbury area, where she enjoys the relaxed lifestyle and local community. Outside of work, she enjoys reading, playing video games, drawing, watching TV, and spending time with friends.
Meet the Central Coast Team - Speech Pathologists
Brianna Lewis
Senior Speech Pathologist
Brianna (Bree) completed a Bachelor of Speech and Hearing Sciences at Macquarie University in 2013 and completed a Master of Speech and Language Pathology in 2015.
Brianna grew up in the Hawkesbury region but has now moved to our Tuggerah clinic to support the team on the Coast! Brianna has worked with a range of preschool and school age children with various communication difficulties including speech, language, literacy, stuttering and voice disorders.
Brianna is a Member of Speech Pathology Australia, Certified Practising Speech Pathologist (CPSP), a Medicare and NDIS provider.
Shannon Galea
Speech Pathologist
Shannon completed her Bachelor of Speech Pathology at the University of Newcastle in 2023 and is registered under the National Speech Pathology Australia Association.
Shannon has a passion for working with children and their families to help them to reach their fullest potential.
She has worked alongside children with a range of speech and language difficulties including, stuttering, speech sound disorders, language delays and literacy difficulties.
In her free time, Shannon enjoys spending quality time with her family and friends and taking her golden retriever, Archie on daily walks.
Ali'a Hasan
Senior Speech Pathologist
Ali’a completed a Bachelor of Speech Pathology (Honours) at the University of Newcastle in 2016. Ali’a is a Certified Practising Speech Pathologist and a member of Speech Pathology Australia.
Ali’a has previously worked in practices across Sydney and Newcastle. She has experience in providing assessment and therapy services to children and adolescents with speech, language, stuttering, literacy and social communication difficulties.
Ali’a is passionate about keeping therapy neuroaffirming. She especially enjoys working with the wider care team to ensure a tailored approach to facilitate overall engagement and enjoyment in her clients and families. She has completed training in Hanen More Than Words, Sounds Write and Nuffield Dyspraxia Programme NDP3.
Outside of work, Ali’a enjoys spending time with her family and friends over brunch, going to the movies and playing games!
Madeleine Dow
Speech Pathologist
Madeleine completed her Bachelor of Speech Pathology (Honours) at the University of Newcastle in 2025. She received first-class honours for her thesis investigating discourse assessment in traumatic brain injury and will present her findings at the Australasian Society for the Study of Brain Impairment (ASSBI) 2026 conference in Christchurch, New Zealand. Madeleine is a Certified Practising Speech Pathologist and a member of Speech Pathology Australia.
A Central Coast local, Madeleine is passionate about creating positive change in her community by working with children and their families to build a future filled with communication opportunities. She has experience working alongside children with a range of speech and language difficulties, including stuttering, speech sound disorders, language delays and literacy difficulties.
Madeleine values building strong, collaborative partnerships with families and takes pride in supporting each child to reach their full potential while communicating confidently with the people who matter most.
Outside of work, Madeleine enjoys spending time with her friends and family, cuddling her dog, going to the gym and all things creative.
Celina Baharoglu
Speech Pathologist
Celina completed her Bachelor of Speech Pathology (Honours) at the University of Newcastle in 2023, graduating with first-class honours for her thesis exploring the communication skills of kindergarten students within the Newcastle region. She is a Certified Practising Speech Pathologist and a member of Speech Pathology Australia.
Celina is passionate about supporting children and their families to develop meaningful communication skills that enhance everyday connections and opportunities. She has experience working with children presenting with a range of speech and language needs, including speech sound disorders, language delays, and literacy difficulties. Celina is also a Basic DIRFloortime Provider.
Outside of her professional role, Celina enjoys spending time with friends, going to the beach, and expressing her creativity through art.
Administration Team
Rachael Auckett
Administration Officer
Rachael joined the Administration team in April 2024.
With a background in management in the Childcare sector, Rachael has completed her Certificate III and Diploma in Early Childhood Education and Care. She has over 10 years’ experience working with children, and loves meeting and getting to know each child and family that enters our clinic. She’s happy to help with any of your questions, so feel free to pop in or give us a call!
Rachael was born and raised on the Central Coast and enjoys the lifestyle and easy access to natural spaces. Outside of Speak About, she enjoys spending time with family, friends, and her two rabbits (Dandelion and Clover). She also enjoys sewing, hand embroidery, and musical theatre.
Allied Health Assistants (AHA's)
Sophie Gale
Sophie joined our administration team in July 2024.
Sophie is currently in her third year of studying for her Bachelor of Speech Pathology at Newcastle University. She has a passion for children and is looking forward to helping our clients and learning more through her studies and working at Speak About. Sophie is very family orientated and loves to greet and help families in the clinic.
When Sophie is not at Speak About or studying, she loves spending time at the gym, going on dinner dates and outdoor adventures with my family and friends.
Ella Crawford
Ella joined our team in June 2025.
Ella grew up in Wagga Wagga but moved to Newcastle to commence her degree in Speech Pathology. Ella is currently in her third year University and has an interest in working with children, is passionate about learning and developing her skills as an Allied Health Assistant. Being family orientated, Ella enjoys greeting and helping families at the clinic or over the phone.
When Ella is not at Speak About or studying, she loves spending time doing Pilates, watching movies, going on beach walks, and hanging out with friends and family.