TBI Therapist

The podcast is back for the start of fall! My hope is to have episodes weekly for you on Fridays through the fall. I recorded this episode in the summer that was based off of this blog article that gives you an overview of brain injury emotions: https://tbitherapist.com/blog/the-emotional-rollercoaster-of-brain-injury/ Takeaways There is a wide range of emotions after a concussion. It can feel very unsettling to say the least. The lack of control over these emotions can cause a lot of distress. Keeping a log or tracking your emotions is very helpful. Sometimes it’s the time of day or after overtaxing your brain. Sometimes just moving through the emotion and noting a beginning, middle, and end. It’s normal to get stuck. Tools for big emotions include movement, physical touch, using your senses, compassion for yourself about your changing emotions (this is HUGE!). More from Jen Therapy services in the US (I can provide telehealth in 34 states!) Click here to see if I can provide treatment to you in your state https://psypact.site-ym.com/page/psypactmap I provide therapy after a brain injury or concussion. I also help leaders and go getters optimize and prioritize their brain health. Book a consult call today it’s free! https://tbitherapist.clientsecure.me/ Do you love the show? Consider leaving us a five star review on apple podcasts, it helps the show grow and lets apple know that we are a solid show! Open apple podcasts Click Here scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode. It helps me plan for more content that you love :) Also, if you ...

Encore presentation! I will return with full episodes in September :) Until then I'm re-releasing some of the top downloaded episodes of the season.   Melanie is a survivor and advocate that did not give up when she couldn’t find answers. She didn’t have doctors to let her know what she was experiencing so she took matters into her own hands.   She started fighting to find answers which led her to develop a course about concussion from a survivor perspective.     Meet Melanie:  Melanie Wienhoven sustained a concussion in 2012. She didn't recover within the "normal timeframe" that doctors communicated with her. Her concussion turned into post-concussion syndrome and doctors didn't know what to tell her but to rest even more. After a few years, she was told that her brain injury was beyond repair. Unable and unwilling to accept that reality, she then turned her passive attitude into one of active recovery. She studied cutting-edge science, patients' cases and leading scholars and she experimented on herself for years. 6 years after injury (in 2018), she made a complete recovery from post-concussion syndrome - even though she was told that there was no hope. Now, she shares all that she learned through Lifeyana, so that others 1) don't feel so alone and 2) can cure their concussions much faster (because it didn't have to take that long)   Things we discussed:  Mental health and concussion, it’s normal to have mental health symptoms!  Hope is possible and attainable. Do your own research and never keep searching for answers.  Shame and brain injury of course led us to ...

Some notes about the program...I will be back in a week or two with a solo series on brain injury emotions :)  ...

Have you been called “lazy” after your brain injury? My guest today talks about how people responded to her invisible injury. She discusses that her brain injury event occurred after an incident of domestic violence.  She discusses that there were many mental health issues intertwined in her recovery and it was further complicated by it coming from a domestic violence incident.  She discussed how memorizing her lines helped her in her recovery journey.  Something that I discuss all the time!  Mac Lawson sustained a traumatic brain injury in March of 2018 as a result of domestic violence. Her symptoms are mostly alleviated, minus some that are more long term. She pivoted after a brain injury to become a stand up comedian and her brain injury led her into comedy. Spreading awareness about TBIs is one of her life’s missions. Tips for Recovery Tip #1: Brain injury was financially difficult.  She found that she did things on her own with her self-care.  She found that limiting her light exposure was helpful. She discussed many things through trial and error! Tip #2 Try to remove people from your life that are invalidating. She discussed that she needed people around her that validated her experience.  Tip #3 She tried to be as normal as she could. She said “yes” to things that she knew would aggravate her symptoms.  We talked about the push-pull of being social and pushing yourself after a concussion vs. being social and living a “normal life”.  More from MacLawson @bigmaclawson More from Jen www.tbitherapist.com Just 2 spots left for coaching this summer! www.tbitherapist.com/workwithme @tbitherapist  ...

Episode #24 It's been said that life is rarely predicted. We often find ourselves in unforeseen circumstances. If you've sustained a brain injury, it can be as disorienting as it is frightening. In this podcast episode, Andrew Davie, aneurysm survivor discusses how to embrace ambiguity after brain injury and what he's learned about goals, change, and embracing duality. Andrew was in the middle of an airport gangway when he was overcome with a headache so severe that he has no recollection of anything else that happened. The doctors found a few days later, Andrew had a ruptured brain aneurysm which caused him a lengthy physical and emotional recovery. He had to do basic things like walk, talk, and relearn daily functions. Meet Andrew Andrew Davie has worked in theater, finance, and education. He taught English in Macau on a Fulbright Grant, at the university level in New York and Hong Kong, and at the middle/high school level in Virginia. Currently, he’s pursuing his Clinical Mental Health Counseling Degree. He has published short stories in various places, a memoir and addendum, and crime fiction books with All Due Respect, Close to the Bone, Alien Buddha Press, and Next Chapter. He also co-hosts a music review show called Happy Hour with Heather and Guest. Take Away #1: It's ok to have new goals When you've suffered a brain injury, it's easy to get stuck on the question of "what if?" What if I could have been the person I was before? What if life could be the same as it was before? But Andrew learned that when he got to the point where he was able to start working again, he couldn't ...

Erica Baggett is an energetic, hopeful, and frank survivor. She discussed her difficulty with being a young mom and having a serious TBI.  She discusses hope and her own drive to be the author of her own story. She recently ran in a whole marathon which was a big part of her healing journey. I was amazed by her presence and determination to be a beacon to other brain injury survivors. Meet Erica: On October 19, 2018,  Erica sustained a severe TBI.  She was involved in a MVA which left her unconscious and was subsequently airlifted for treatment. After being in a coma for six weeks, she beat the odds and emerged. She was told she may never take care of herself or her son on her own. She was transferred to Shepherd Center’s Brain Injury Rehabilitation Program https://www.shepherd.org/ where she had to relearn everything, including walking, talking, swallowing, and dressing. She credits the dedication of her husband and family as well as survivor groups to her recovery and healing today. Things we discussed:   The shepherd center in Atlanta and Erica’s difficulty with realizing that she had a TBI.  She discussed misunderstanding her thoughts related to brain injury and her own thoughts.  She says “You are the author of your life” you may have a messy middle, but that isn’t the whole story (that’s me paraphrasing). There was a love fest at the end! Erica told me that she runs to me, I hope that others are enjoying this content too!  Takeaways Takeaway #1 Find your passion. ...