Blogs/Recordings

Courtesy of Love Your Brain. By Eliza Marie Somers Practicing yoga after a traumatic brain injury might be the last thing on the minds of many TBI survivors, although research reveals it just might be a key missing ingredient in the recovery process. An adaptive, gentle yoga practice that combines breath work, meditation and mindfulness has been shown to be effective in improving balance, posture, cognition, sleep, memory and muscle development, along with increasing a positive mindset. “The greatest way that yoga is different from many other forms of exercise is that it is integrated -- yoga connects the mind [...]

Deb Finegold uses the Energy Reserve pie chart or the “spoon theory” to explain the fatigue she experiences after a TBI. By Eliza Marie Somers Honest communication is a major component to a successful relationship. It is even more important if someone in your sphere has suffered a traumatic brain injury, because a TBI can create changes in the way a survivor talks, thinks and behaves. “Communication is huge,” said counselor Rita Coalson during the April 11, 2025, Brain Injury Hope Foundation’s Survivor Series: Family Dynamic & Your Brain Injury. “Communication has to slow down. It has to change. We [...]

These books are highly recommended to help people organize and declutter. By Eliza Marie Somers Having an organized home is more than being able to find your keys or phone with ease. Studies reveal a tidy home can reduce stress, enhance creativity, improve focus and productivity, while boosting self-esteem and improving sleep quality. In addition, clutter increases levels of the stress hormone cortisol by subjecting us to chronic stress. Our brains like order, and visual clutter can create cognitive overload and reduce working memory – something brain injury survivors know and experience first-hand.  For more on how clutter creates stress [...]

  By Eliza Marie Somers As we go about our daily lives, our brains are constantly aging. From ingesting toxins in our food, to inhaling small wildfire smoke particles, to grabbing a cold beer after mowing the lawn, our brains are constantly challenged – and that doesn’t include the natural process of growing older or sustaining a brain injury. However, scientific studies reveal there are steps we can take today that can help mitigate and/or reverse some of the damage that is taking a toll on our brains. “The Aging Brain: What You Need and Want to Know” was the [...]

Artist Katie Caron created Neuron Forest after surviving a brain injury. Watch the process Katie used to for her collaboration with the Center for Bioethics at the University of Colorado By Eliza Marie Somers Brain Injury Hope Foundation co-founder Dr. Mary Ann Keatley started the August 9, 2024, Survivor Series: How Creativity Can Enrich Your Journey Through Brain Injury with a story about composer Derek Amato. Amato suffered his seventh brain injury right before his 40th birthday when he hit his head diving into the shallow bottom of a pool. The fifth day after his injury he sat down at [...]

By Eliza Marie Somers Research reveals that people who have a life purpose can stave off cognitive decline and even Alzheimer’s disease. However, the bad news is people who have suffered a traumatic brain injury or already have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s tend to struggle with finding a life purpose. So how does one go about finding a purpose while living with a brain injury and/or Alzheimer’s disease? Finding answers to those questions was the focus of the Brain Injury Hope Foundation’s Survivor Series: How to Find Purpose After Brain Related Cognitive Impairments on May 10, 2024 via Zoom. The [...]

By Eliza Marie Somers Putting the brakes on chronic pain is no easy task, and “living with it” is no way to live. Chronic pain can last for months even years and affects all parts of the body. It can lead to depression, anxiety, social isolation, along with an addiction to pain medications. After a brain injury the odds of experiencing chronic pain increase as a study published earlier this year revealed. An article in the Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation stated that chronic pain affects about 60 percent of traumatic brain injury survivors. To help brain injury survivors, the [...]

By Eliza Marie Somers Is the depression, anxiety and lack of motivation a result of a brain injury or is it a mental health disorder? That question can be tricky to answer for many brain injury survivors as grief over loss of self-identity and purpose can set in after a head injury, leading to depression and other mental health issues. A panel of health-care providers discussed possible avenues to identify the cause of these issue along with pathways to recovery during the February 9, 2024, Brain Injury Hope Foundation’s Survivor Series: Addressing Brain Injury, Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder [...]

Operation TBI Freedom is a program at Craig Hospital that helps veterans, military members and their families. Photo courtesy of Craig Hospital. By Eliza Marie Somers A plethora of benefits are obtainable to veterans and active-duty military members who have suffered a brain injury, however, accessing these benefits can be like walking in a corn maze. And it’s this maze of paperwork and run-around that frustrates many TBI survivors. To help veterans and military members, the Brain Injury Hope Foundation put together a panel of people who are well-versed in available resources for the Oct. 13, 2023 Survivor Series: The [...]

By: Regina Schoenfeld Thanks to grants and donations from Mindsource Brain Injury Network; Dr. Steve and Debbie Cohen; and Dr. Danny Mistry, Aasha Brain Clinic, along with the efforts of a dedicated group of volunteers, The Brain Injury Hope Foundation (BIHF) continues its "Survivor Series" in Spanish. This effort provides information and hope for the Latino/Hispanic community in Colorado and the rest of the country. Our second annual Survivor Series in Spanish was held on Friday, September 8, 2023. Our host, Dr. Ricardo Esparza, opened the session with some words of encouragement for the participants, inspiring them to move forward. [...]

Dr. Danny Mistry uses a team of healthcare professionals to help brain injury survivors. By Eliza Marie Somers As a brain injury survivor, do you sometimes feel as if you’re spinning your wheels dashing to vision therapy to vestibular therapy to speech therapy? It’s no wonder mTBI survivors experience fatigue, especially when you add in daily chores such a cooking, cleaning and grocery shopping. Dr. Danny Mistry just may hold the key to the future model of brain injury therapy at his clinic in Fort Collins, Colorado During the Brain Injury Hope Foundation’s Aug. 11, 2023, Survivor Series: “Dr. Danny [...]

By Eliza Marie Somers Speaking up and advocating for yourself can be a difficult prospect for many individuals, and this is especially problematic for many brain injury survivors who don’t have the capacity to undertake such a daunting task. After a brain injury, many survivors are dealing with their new normal: fatigue, brain fog, headaches, confusion and memory issues, along with numerous doctor appointments and therapy sessions. It’s like being swept up in a wave of information without a paddle to navigate your wants and needs to successfully heal. During the Brain Injury Hope Foundation’s July 14, 2023, Survivor Series: [...]

Courtesy of the Colorado Able Website and the State of Colorado. By Eliza Marie Somers Saving money while on federal assistance is nearly impossible for many brain injury survivors as they risk losing their Medicaid coverage or Supplemental Security Income (SSI). For example: to be eligible AND remain eligible for Medicaid a person cannot have more than $2,000 in their bank account. This creates a culture of people with disabilities unable to work because of the real danger of losing their healthcare. However, the State of Colorado is making it easier for survivors and their families to get a leg [...]

Tools to Protect Your Future: Financial Health, Trusts, Power of Attorney, Conservatorship, Guardianship, Resources and More How to Protect Your Assets Executive Director of the Colorado Fund for People with Disabilities Megan Brand says estate planning is essential especially for people who rely on Medicaid or Supplemental Security Income. By Eliza Marie Somers We’ve all heard the refrain: Get Your Affairs in Order. Even the National Institute on Aging has a web page dedicated to “getting your affairs in order.” But how many of us keep putting it off? If you or your loved one is disabled and receives federal [...]

Research confirms the virus the causes COVID-19 can have multiple effects on the brain that can last for months or longer. Photo courtesy of FusionMedicalAnimation After three years of an ongoing once in a lifetime pandemic more awareness and studies are being directed at people who experience COVID-19 long-haul syndrome, whose symptoms mimic that of brain injury survivors. As one clinical study revealed “manifestations of COVID-19 are diverse, fluctuating and viable,” so too can be said of the long-term effects of the disease. Long-haul COVID, also known as post-COVID, can develop into a variety of conditions including brain fog, fatigue, [...]

By Eliza Marie Somers Many brain injury survivors turn to “alternative” or “holistic” healers and experience progress in their recovery journeys. The Brain Injury Hope Foundation (BIHF) enjoys sharing some of these healthcare providers with the mTBI community through our Survivor Series. We do not endorse these providers; our hope is to help you on your recovery by giving you information. Some of these healing modalities won’t work for everyone because, as you know, every brain injury is different and so is every recovery. If you have a healthcare provider you or a loved one has experienced healing with, please [...]

Jess Tiergyn along with their service dog is a therapist and a brain injury survivor. Mental Health Panel: Promoting Well-Being for Individuals with Brain Injuries By Eliza Marie Somers Recovering from a traumatic brain injury not only takes a physical toll on your body, it also can have damaging effects on your mental health, including a loss of identity to loss of relationships. However, there are mental health professionals who specialize in TBI recovery with strategies to help you on your recovery journey. Crisis Hotline The State of Colorado has a 24/7 hotline you can call or text for FREE [...]

Debra Finegold says she got her life back after using ear filters. Before the filters she could not go outside because the sound was so painful. Hearing Sensitivities and Tinnitus By Eliza Marie Somers Suffering a traumatic brain injury, even a mild TBI, can result in a range of issues connected to the ear, including balance and coordination problems, hearing loss, tinnitus and sensitivity to sound. These hearing issues tend to be undiagnosed or simply tolerated by the survivor, but suffering from persistent ringing in the ears or auditory processing problems doesn’t have to be a TBI survivor’s way of [...]

Iris Reyes dice que hay alegría en ver a su esposo, José, avanzar en su recuperación. Panel de compañeros de cuidado: Estrategias para apoyar a los sobrevivientes de lesiones cerebrales y a ti mismo Por Eliza Marie Somers (Traducción: Regina Schoenfeld) La sensación de estar abrumado es un refrán común entre los compañeros de cuidado de los sobrevivientes de lesiones cerebrales traumáticas, asimismo es la alegría que sienten cuando sus seres queridos avanzan en su recuperación. "Hay tanta alegría cuando veo cuánto más puede hacer José y cómo ha mejorado la calidad de su vida", dijo Iris Reyes, quien fue [...]

Iris Reyes says there is joy in seeing her husband, Jose, make strides in his recovery. Care Partner Panel: Strategies to Support Brain Injury Survivors and Yourself By Eliza Marie Somers The feeling of being overwhelmed is a common refrain among care partners of traumatic brain injury survivors, however, so is the joy they feel when their loved ones make strides in their recovery. “There is so much joy when I see how much more Jose can do, and how the quality of his life has improved,” said Iris Reyes, who was a panel member at the Brain Injury Hope [...]

Maggie Whittum utiliza terapia de arte para ayudar en su recuperación de un derrame cerebral. Este es un autorretrato que creó para mostrar la mitad de su rostro como irreconocible. Panel de sobrevivientes: Resiliencia y Pasando de la Lucha a la Prosperidad Por Eliza Marie Somers (Traducción: Regina Schoenfeld) Así como no hay dos lesiones cerebrales traumáticas idénticas, también son variadas las recuperaciones de las LCT, junto con las trayectorias en las que las lesiones cerebrales te llevarán. Este dicho fue evidente en la Serie de Sobrevivientes: Resiliencia y Pasando de la Lucha a la Prosperidad ofrecida por la Fundación [...]

Maggie Whittum uses art therapy to help in her recovery from a stroke. This is a self-portrait she created to show half her face as unrecognizable. Survivor Panel: Resiliency and Moving from Struggle to Thriving By Eliza Marie Somers Just as no two traumatic brain injuries are alike, so too are the recoveries from TBIs, along with the paths in which the brain injuries will take you. This adage was evident at the Brain Injury Hope Foundation’s  Survivor Series: Resiliency and Moving from Struggle to Thriving on January. 14, 2022, as the panelists revealed their different paths to a thriving [...]

BIHF co-founder Dr. Mary Ann Keatley notes that Our brain is like a radio dial, and after a TBI, many survivors say they feel like they are in a fog because of being in this state called theta.  Brain Injury Survivors Experience “Greater Calling” By Eliza Marie Somers “If you had the opportunity to relive the experience of having a concussion and learning life’s lessons from it, would you do that?” You may be wondering: Who in the world would ask that question of a brain injury survivor. Well, that’s exactly what Brain Injury Hope Foundation co-founder Dr. Mary Ann Keatley [...]

Survivor Series panelists and facilitators, top left to right: Facilitator Gayann Brandenburg, Equine Therapist Terri Mongait, Facilitator Joanne Cohen; bottom left to right: Spiritual Mentor Kevin Skillen, Grief Counselor Rita Coalson, Pediatric TBI Specialist David Dunlap. Taking the Road Less Traveled By Eliza Marie Somers Businesses are finding success by embracing the “think outside the box” mentality. And now might be the time to take that approach of “looking further and not thinking of the obvious” when it comes to recovering from a traumatic brain injury. Going beyond the traditional approach of therapy was the theme of the virtual Brain [...]