Neuroscience of Coaching

The behaviors that make a founder successful can eventually hold them back. Business psychologist Dr. Jena Booher explores why leadership growth can require an identity shift—and how coaches can help clients let go of old patterns, redefine their value, and become the leaders their companies need.
In each episode of Neuroscience of Coaching, host Dr. Irena O’Brien explains the science-based insights behind a particular concept and interviews a coach to discuss how these apply in the real world. Just as she does in her professional programs, Irena “un-complicates” neuroscience and teaches practical, evidence-based tools and strategies that listeners can use in their coaching practices.

“Leaders, especially at the top, don't get any feedback. As they're stepping into a new identity, they need you to tell them when things are going well.”— Dr. Jena Booher
Guest Bio:
Jena Booher, PhD, is a business psychologist, executive coach, and adjunct professor teaching leadership at Rutgers Business School. She works with founders, CEOs, and executive teams navigating the psychological demands of scaling organizations, with a particular focus on judgment, courage, and leadership under pressure. Before becoming a psychologist, Jena spent nearly a decade on Wall Street at JPMorgan, including through the 2008 financial crisis. Her work today sits at the intersection of psychology, business, and human behavior helping leaders understand how they think, adapt, and make decisions when the stakes are high.
Host Bio:
Dr. Irena O’Brien teaches coaches and care professionals how to achieve better results for their clients through neuroscience.
She is the founder of Neuroscience School, which helps practitioners understand and apply insights from cutting-edge neuroscience research. She loves seeing her students gain confidence in their ability to evaluate neuroscience findings and use them successfully in their own practices. Her Certificate Program in Neuroscience is certified by the International Coaching Federation (ICF) for Continuing Coaching Education credit.
Dr. O’Brien has studied neuroscience for 25 years and holds a PhD in the field from the Université du Quebec à Montréal (UQAM), where she did brain-imaging studies. She completed her postdoctoral fellowship at the Centre for Language, Mind, and Brain at McGill University.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Mirasee
Dr. Irena O'Brien’s website: The Neuroscience School
Dr. Jena Booher’s website: www.jenabooher.com
Dr. Jena Booher’s LinkedIn: LinkedIn.com/in/jenabooherphd
Credits:
Host: Dr. Irena O’Brien
Producer: Andrew Chapman
Audio Editor: Marvin del Rosario
Executive Producer: Danny Iny
Music Soundscape: Chad Michael Snavely
Making our hosts sound great: Home Brew Audio
Music credits:
Track Title: Sneaker Smeaker
Artist: Avocado Junkie
Writer: Sander Kalmeijer
Publisher: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTION
Track Title: Coo Coos
Artist: Dresden, The Flamingo
Writer: Matthew Wigton
Publisher: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTION
Track Title: In This Light
Artist: Sounds Like Sander
Writer: Sander Kalmeijer
Publisher: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTION
Special effects credits:
24990513_birds-chirping_by_promission used with permission of the author and under license by AudioJungle/Envato Market.
To catch the great episodes coming up on Neuroscience of Coaching, please follow us on Mirasee FM's YouTube channelor your favorite podcast player. And if you enjoyed the show, please leave us a comment or a starred review. It’s the best way to help us get these ideas to more people.
Episode transcript: From Founder to Leader: The Psychology of Letting Go (Dr. Jena Booher) coming soon.

Beck Sydow, founder of Humankind Business Leaders, joins Dr. Irena O’Brien to explore how coaches can help leaders who are stuck in binary thinking. They also discuss nervous-system regulation practices that can create space for non-binary “both/and” options that a stressed brain can't reach.
In each episode of Neuroscience of Coaching, host Dr. Irena O’Brien explains the science-based insights behind a particular concept and interviews a coach to discuss how these apply in the real world. Just as she does in her professional programs, Irena “un-complicates” neuroscience and teaches practical, evidence-based tools and strategies that listeners can use in their coaching practices.
             

“The leaders’ nervous systems are running the company.”— Beck Sydow
Guest Bio:
Beck Sydow [they/them] works with leaders who are brilliant, overloaded, and tired of losing themselves under pressure. A business geek with Buddhist roots, Beck teaches founders, entrepreneurs, and senior leaders to recognize fear in real time, steady their nervous system, and return to clarity when it matters most.
With four decades of experience as a CEO/COO, therapist, and mindfulness teacher, Beck moves easily between business strategy and the inner workings of a leader’s nervous system. This dual fluency is what clients call “magic” — the moment when reactivity quiets, insight returns, and leadership feels spacious again.
Beck’s work offers a way of leading that allows results and humanity to finally coexist. They are the founder of HumanKind Business Leaders and the creator of the People-Hearted & Business-Minded™ framework and Homebase Practice for Leaders™️.
Host Bio:
Dr. Irena O’Brien teaches coaches and care professionals how to achieve better results for their clients through neuroscience.
She is the founder of Neuroscience School, which helps practitioners understand and apply insights from cutting-edge neuroscience research. She loves seeing her students gain confidence in their ability to evaluate neuroscience findings and use them successfully in their own practices. Her Certificate Program in Neuroscience is certified by the International Coaching Federation (ICF) for Continuing Coaching Education credit.
Dr. O’Brien has studied neuroscience for 25 years and holds a Ph.D. in the field from the Université du Quebec à Montréal (UQAM), where she did brain-imaging studies. She completed her postdoctoral fellowship at the Centre for Language, Mind, and Brain at McGill University.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Mirasee
Dr. Irena O'Brien’s website: The Neuroscience School
Beck’s LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/beck-sydow
Beck’s Website: HumankindBusinessLeaders.com
Beck’s Homebase Practices Sheet: HumankindBusinessLeaders.com/infographics
Credits:
Host: Dr. Irena O’Brien
Producer: Andrew Chapman
Audio Editor: Marvin del Rosario
Executive Producer: Danny Iny
Music Soundscape: Chad Michael Snavely
Making our hosts sound great: Home Brew Audio
Music credits:
Track Title: Sneaker Smeaker
Artist: Avocado Junkie
Writer: Sander Kalmeijer
Publisher: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTION
Track Title: Coo Coos
Artist: Dresden, The Flamingo
Writer: Matthew Wigton
Publisher: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTION
Track Title: In This Light
Artist: Sounds Like Sander
Writer: Sander Kalmeijer
Publisher: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTION
Special effects credits:
24990513_birds-chirping_by_promission used with permission of the author and under license by AudioJungle/Envato Market.
To catch the great episodes coming up on Neuroscience of Coaching, please follow us on Mirasee FM's YouTube channelor your favorite podcast player. And if you enjoyed the show, please leave us a comment or a starred review. It’s the best way to help us get these ideas to more people.
Episode transcript: The Third Option: Coaching Beyond Binary Thinking (Beck Sydow) coming soon.

Show producer Andrew Chapman interviews Dr. Irena O’Brien about her mission in neuroscience. They explore how the predictive brain, emotional contagion, and mind-body connection influence behavior, energy, and change—and how coaches can use these insights for deeper, lasting client transformation.
In each episode of Neuroscience of Coaching, host Dr. Irena O’Brien explains the science-based insights behind a particular concept and interviews a coach to discuss how these apply in the real world. Just as she does in her professional programs, Irena “un-complicates” neuroscience and teaches practical, evidence-based tools and strategies that listeners can use in their coaching practices.

“The purpose of the brain is not for thinking or feeling but to ensure that we grow, survive, and reproduce.”  — Dr. Irena O’Brien
Host Bio:
Dr. Irena O’Brien teaches coaches and care professionals how to achieve better results for their clients through neuroscience.
She is the founder of Neuroscience School, which helps practitioners understand and apply insights from cutting-edge neuroscience research. She loves seeing her students gain confidence in their ability to evaluate neuroscience findings and use them successfully in their own practices. Her Certificate Program in Neuroscience is certified by the International Coaching Federation (ICF) for Continuing Coaching Education credit.
Dr. O’Brien has studied neuroscience for 25 years and holds a Ph.D. in the field from the Université du Quebec à Montréal (UQAM), where she did brain-imaging studies. She completed her postdoctoral fellowship at the Centre for Language, Mind, and Brain at McGill University.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Mirasee
Dr. Irena O’Brien’s website: The Neuroscience School
Credits:
Host: Dr. Irena O’Brien
Producer: Andrew Chapman
Audio Editor: Marvin del Rosario
Executive Producer: Danny Iny
Music Soundscape: Chad Michael Snavely
Making our hosts sound great: Home Brew Audio
Music credits:
Track Title: Sneaker Smeaker
Artist: Avocado Junkie
Writer: Sander Kalmeijer
Publisher: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTION
Track Title: Coo Coos
Artist: Dresden, The Flamingo
Writer: Matthew Wigton
Publisher: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTION
Track Title: In This Light
Artist: Sounds Like Sander
Writer: Sander Kalmeijer
Publisher: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTION
Special effects credits:
24990513_birds-chirping_by_promission used with permission of the author and under license by AudioJungle/Envato Market.
To catch the great episodes coming up on Neuroscience of Coaching, please follow us on Mirasee FM's YouTube channelor your favorite podcast player. And if you enjoyed the show, please leave us a comment or a starred review. It’s the best way to help us get these ideas to more people.
Episode transcript: Special Replay: Inside the Predictive Brain, an Interview with Dr. Irena O'Brien coming soon.

Can lasting transformation happen in a single conversation? Dr. O’Brien and Josh Hornick explore the neuroscience behind instant change, memory reconsolidation, shifts in perspective, and why some breakthroughs last while others fade – giving coaches practical insights into lasting transformation.
In each episode of Neuroscience of Coaching, host Dr. Irena O’Brien explains the science-based insights behind a particular concept and interviews a coach to discuss how these apply in the real world. Just as she does in her professional programs, Irena “un-complicates” neuroscience and teaches practical, evidence-based tools and strategies that listeners can use in their coaching practices.

“A new perspective can change a life in an instant.” — Josh Hornick
Guest Bio:
Joshua Hornick is the Director of The Hornick School for Coaching. He curates, designs, and teaches/facilitates all the English language programs. Several years before starting HSC, he taught for nine years at another coaching school. Before that, he was an award-winning secondary school teacher as well as a non-profit director, a certified massage therapist, and a Wall Street lawyer. He lives in Amherst, Massachusetts, where he plays ultimate Frisbee, accompanies shows on the piano, and maintains a full coaching practice.
Host Bio:
Dr. Irena O’Brien teaches coaches and care professionals how to achieve better results for their clients through neuroscience.
She is the founder of Neuroscience School, which helps practitioners understand and apply insights from cutting-edge neuroscience research. She loves seeing her students gain confidence in their ability to evaluate neuroscience findings and use them successfully in their own practices. Her Certificate Program in Neuroscience is certified by the International Coaching Federation (ICF) for Continuing Coaching Education credit.
Dr. O’Brien has studied neuroscience for 25 years and holds a Ph.D. in the field from the Université du Quebec à Montréal (UQAM), where she did brain-imaging studies. She completed her postdoctoral fellowship at the Centre for Language, Mind, and Brain at McGill University.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Mirasee
Dr. Irena O’Brien’s website: The Neuroscience School
Joshua Hornick’s website: HornickSchoolOfCoaching.com
Credits:
Host: Dr. Irena O’Brien
Producer: Andrew Chapman
Audio Editor: Marvin del Rosario
Executive Producer: Danny Iny
Music Soundscape: Chad Michael Snavely
Making our hosts sound great: Home Brew Audio
Music credits:
Track Title: Sneaker Smeaker
Artist: Avocado Junkie
Writer: Sander Kalmeijer
Publisher: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTION
Track Title: Coo Coos
Artist: Dresden, The Flamingo
Writer: Matthew Wigton
Publisher: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTION
Track Title: In This Light
Artist: Sounds Like Sander
Writer: Sander Kalmeijer
Publisher: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTION
Special effects credits:
24990513_birds-chirping_by_promission used with permission of the author and under license by AudioJungle/Envato Market.
To catch the great episodes coming up on Neuroscience of Coaching, please follow us on Mirasee FM's YouTube channel or your favorite podcast player. And if you enjoyed the show, please leave us a comment or a starred review. It’s the best way to help us get these ideas to more people.
Episode transcript: Can Coaching Create Instant Change? (Josh Hornick) coming soon.

Claire Hayek joins Dr. Irena O'Brien to explore how LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® helps individuals and teams think differently. They discuss embodied cognition, metaphor, psychological safety, and why building with your hands can unlock deeper insight, creativity, and more meaningful coaching conversations.
In each episode of Neuroscience of Coaching, host Dr. Irena O’Brien explains the science-based insights behind a particular concept and interviews a coach to discuss how these apply in the real world. Just as she does in her professional programs, Irena “un-complicates” neuroscience and teaches practical, evidence-based tools and strategies that listeners can use in their coaching practices.
             

“When people build, they often discover ideas they couldn't put into words.”— Claire Hayek
Guest Bio:
Claire Hayek is a Neuroleadership expert, TEDx speaker, and founder of Mind. Soul. Purpose. Teambuilding. She is the creator of Pressure-Proof Leadership™, a neuroscience-based framework that helps leaders and organizations maintain clarity, resilience, and performance in high-pressure environments.
For more than 30 years she has operated in high-pressure environments, from growing up in war-torn Lebanon to engineering and executive leadership. Her work examines how sustained pressure shapes the human nervous system, identity, and performance, and how high performers can harness drive without letting it quietly erode clarity, health, or voice.
Her clients are mid-market and enterprise organizations facing the cost of slow decisions, communication breakdown, and execution that stalls when it matters most.
Host Bio:
Dr. Irena O’Brien teaches coaches and care professionals how to achieve better results for their clients through neuroscience.
She is the founder of Neuroscience School, which helps practitioners understand and apply insights from cutting-edge neuroscience research. She loves seeing her students gain confidence in their ability to evaluate neuroscience findings and use them successfully in their own practices. Her Certificate Program in Neuroscience is certified by the International Coaching Federation (ICF) for Continuing Coaching Education credit.
Dr. O’Brien has studied neuroscience for 25 years and holds a Ph.D. in the field from the Université du Quebec à Montréal (UQAM), where she did brain-imaging studies. She completed her postdoctoral fellowship at the Centre for Language, Mind, and Brain at McGill University.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Mirasee
Dr. Irena O'Brien’s website: The Neuroscience School
Claire’s websites: ClaireHayek.com  and MSPteambuilding.ca
Claire’s new book: ClaireHayek.com/book
Claire’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clairehayek/
Credits:
Host: Dr. Irena O’Brien
Producer: Andrew Chapman
Audio Editor: Marvin del Rosario
Executive Producer: Danny Iny
Music Soundscape: Chad Michael Snavely
Making our hosts sound great: Home Brew Audio
Music credits:
Track Title: Sneaker Smeaker
Artist: Avocado Junkie
Writer: Sander Kalmeijer
Publisher: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTION
Track Title: Coo Coos
Artist: Dresden, The Flamingo
Writer: Matthew Wigton
Publisher: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTION
Track Title: In This Light
Artist: Sounds Like Sander
Writer: Sander Kalmeijer
Publisher: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTION
Special effects credits:
24990513_birds-chirping_by_promission used with permission of the author and under license by AudioJungle/Envato Market.
To catch the great episodes coming up on Neuroscience of Coaching, please follow us on Mirasee FM's YouTube channelor your favorite podcast player. And if you enjoyed the show, please leave us a comment or a starred review. It’s the best way to help us get these ideas to more people.
Episode transcript: Using LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® to Unlock New Perspectives (Claire Hayek) coming soon.