Meet The Team
Our passionate practitioners are dedicated to supporting individuals and families with compassion, expertise, and a commitment to meaningful change.
Niki Heracleous
Founder | Senior Behaviour Support Practitioner | Registered Social WorkerWith a vision for building something meaningful, Niki brings a blend of big-picture thinking and hands-on clinical experience, setting the tone for everything Compassionate Connections represents. As Founder and Clinical Director, she is a passionate and highly experienced behaviour support practitioner, social worker, and advocate for individuals with complex disabilities, known for her deeply compassionate and trauma-informed approach.
Niki holds a Bachelor of Social Work and began her journey in disability support with a strong commitment to ensuring that every person, regardless of their challenges, has the right to be seen, heard, and supported with dignity and respect. She is a NDIS Registered Senior Behaviour Support Practitioner (Advanced) and Registered Social Worker, with extensive experience supporting individuals with complex needs through strengths-based, person-centred, and evidence-informed practice.
Throughout her career, Niki has held senior leadership roles and is a highly experienced clinical supervisor who mentors practitioners to uphold ethical, neurodiversity-affirming, and collaborative approaches to behaviour support. Her leadership style combines reflection, compassion, and clinical excellence, fostering growth across teams and promoting high-quality outcomes for participants and families.
Niki’s genuine care, advocacy, and unwavering dedication leave a lasting impact on the individuals and communities she serves. Through Compassionate Connections, she continues to champion a future where people are empowered to live with purpose, autonomy, and meaningful connection.
Anneta Maroulis
Anneta is an NDIS Behaviour Support Practitioner and Certified Play Therapist who is deeply passionate about working with children and young adults to support their growth, wellbeing, and meaningful participation in everyday life. She has a strong focus on supporting children and their families to achieve meaningful, individualised goals and works collaboratively with families and key supports to promote emotional regulation, communication, and positive engagement across home, school, and community environments.
Anneta has a particular interest in supporting neurodiverse children and young people and practices from a strengths-based, trauma-informed, and neurodiversity-affirming framework. She incorporates play-based and developmentally appropriate strategies to support emotional expression, regulation, and connection, ensuring each child’s unique needs, strengths, and communication style are respected and valued.
Behaviour Support Practitioner | Play Therapist
Hayley is a registered counsellor, behaviour support practitioner, and the founder of Capacity Partners Therapy a proudly inclusive, trauma-informed organisation delivering therapeutic and disability support services across NSW, QLD and VIC.
With more than 15 years’ experience in mental health, counselling, and behaviour support, Hayley provides complex, individual counselling and leads multidisciplinary teams across counselling, behaviour support, and community engagement. Her work focuses on helping individuals overcome barriers, achieve stability, and reconnect with meaningful life pathways.
Hayley has extensive experience working within both government and non-government agencies and has established strong partnerships across the mental health sector. She ensures all programs meet rigorous legislative, quality, and audit standards while maintaining person-centred, culturally responsive practice.
Behaviour Support PractitionerHayley Mccristal
Karen is a qualified NDIS Behaviour Support Practitioner (BSP) who is passionate about supporting children and young people to thrive by improving quality of life and reducing behaviours of concern through evidence-based, positive behaviour support approaches. Karen works collaboratively with participants, families, and support teams to understand the function behind behaviours, build emotional regulation skills, and create environments that promote safety, connection, and meaningful participation.
With over 10 years of experience as a secondary teacher and wellbeing adviser, Karen brings a strong understanding of child and adolescent development, inclusive education, and trauma-informed practice. Her experience includes working with the Stage 5 NESA PASS Life Skills syllabus and supporting individuals with diverse learning, behavioural, and emotional needs.
Karen’s practice is grounded in a person-centred, strengths-based approach that values neurodiversity and prioritises dignity, empowerment, and long-term capacity building. She is deeply committed to helping children and young adults develop confidence, strengthen communication, and engage more successfully within their families, schools, and communities.
Behaviour Support Practitioner