Melinda Davis is a stay-at-home mom, end-of-life doula, poet and photographer who experienced a stroke on the right side of her brain. While this podcast is generally focused on concussions specifically, I felt that Melinda's story and experience with brain injury was surprisingly similar in many ways to what people with concussions experience, and the success of her treatment at CognitiveFX is inspiring and worth sharing.

In this conversation we mentioned some content that we would link in the show notes:

*Jill Bolte Taylor's TED Talk: "My Stroke of Insight" https://youtu.be/UyyjU8fzEYU?si=LMKsSjkzfdYaNBSb

*The Concussion Coach Podcast episode #37 with Dr. Mark Allen: "Post Concussion Syndrome, Dysautonomia, & Intervals" https://youtu.be/pnkIWUWtLWk

*CognitiveFX clinic in Provo, UT: www.cognitivefxusa.com

If you would like to sign up for a free concussion coaching consultation with me to learn how you can understand & manage your symptoms, speed up your recovery, and get your life back following a concussion, go to my website, www.theconcussioncoach.com, or click on this link: https://theconcussioncoach.com/contact

Have you ever wondered what occupational therapists do to help people managing post concussion symptoms? Katie Robertson, MOTR/L and I discuss some of the ways we get to assist people who come through CognitiveFX in our role as occupational therapists. We share some of our favorite therapeutic activities and why they are effective for our patients. Katie also shares an amazing tool that she has created to help people who want to improve their cognitive capacity. This tool is modeled after the system used at CognitiveFX, and is a fantastic combination of games and activities that can be used therapeutically to help improve cognitive functioning and overall help with post concussion symptoms. It's a great tool for clinicians to use with clients or for individuals to use in their homes. She has given a discount code specifically for listeners to this podcast. To access the Cognitive Efficiency Tool, go to www.myndspark.com and use the discount code: Myndsparkmy15 for 15% off.

Katie can also be found on Facebook at Myndspark-Concussion Tool and Instagram @Myndspark. We both work at CognitiveFX and highly recommend looking into the program there if you are struggling with Post Concussion Syndrome: www.cognitivefxusa.com. Also mentioned in this podcast are two books by Norman Doidge: The Brain That Changes Itself and The Brain's Way of Healing.

If you would like to sign up for a free concussion coaching consultation with me to learn how you can speed up your recovery and get your life back following a concussion, go to my website, www.theconcussioncoach.com, or click on this link: https://theconcussioncoach.com/contact

Thea James is an absolutely delightful human being whose experiences with multiple concussions have given her perspective, understanding, and wisdom beyond her years. After her 4th concussion as an adult, she left her career in agriculture to pursue a master’s in Speech Language Pathology. She also does content creation and brain injury advocacy, and is based in New Zealand. In this interview, she shares her experiences with aphasia and other post-concussion symptoms with humor and grace, offers a beautiful perspective full of compassion for self and others, and suggests tools that have helped in her recovery process. Enjoy this conversation!

Thea mentioned a hearing protection that she finds particularly helpful: Flare Audio (Calmer Pro) https://www.flareaudio.com/en-us/collections/calmer/products/calmer-pro

You can hear more from Thea on Instagram at YourBrainBFF (https://www.instagram.com/yourbrainbff/) or email her at [email protected]

If you would like to sign up for a free concussion coaching consultation with me to learn how you can speed up your recovery and get your life back following a concussion, go to my website, www.theconcussioncoach.com, or click on this link: https://theconcussioncoach.com/contact

Have you ever debated whether you should stop and take a rest break, or push through symptoms and finish what you're doing? This is one of the most common concerns people who face post concussion syndrome (or any chronic illness or fatigue) deal with. And the results of your decision can definitely have an impact on how you feel going forward.

While this can feel like such a daunting question, there are tools to help in making that decision. The Gage System is one such tool that is extremely important and helpful. Listen to this conversation from the Post Concussion Success Coaches to hear how you can set up your own gage system to know how to pace your activities and know how to spend your limited energy resources.

If you would like to individualized help with creating and using your own gage system, Kaylee Blair and I would love to be of assistance! Our coaching program is called Post Concussion Success, and you can sign up for a free consultation at this link: https://calendly.com/post-concussion-success/meet-with-either-of-us or email us at [email protected].

Aselin Maloney is an executive coach that specializes in the Clifton Strengths. The Clifton Strengths assessment is a powerful tool that helps people understand and utilize their talents and strengths to improve their relationships, their work endeavors and their overall life satisfaction. Understanding personality tendencies and peoples’ core way of approaching life can give great insights to the caregivers supporting someone with a concussion, as well as to the person struggling with ongoing symptoms. I feel it is well worth our time to consider personality types and try to understand how to best support and love people in whatever is innately challenging for them.

If you want to take the Clifton Strengths Assessment, you can find it here: https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/en/252137/home.aspx

If you would like to hear more from Aselin or have her help you interpret and best utilize the results of your Clifton Strengths Assessment, you can find her here: www.azmaloneycoaching.com

If you would like to sign up for a free concussion coaching consultation with me to learn how you can speed up your recovery and get your life back following a concussion, go to my website, www.theconcussioncoach.com, or click on this link: https://theconcussioncoach.com/contact

Today I get to share one of my absolute favorite strategies for helping people manage their minds and emotions and post concussion symptoms: mindfulness! Mindfulness is incredibly beneficial for all humans, but can be particularly helpful for those dealing with post concussion syndrome because it improves some of the symptoms that people with concussions often deal with, namely emotional regulation, nervous system destimulation, and problems with attention/focus and memory. Listen in for more reasons to practice mindfulness, some of my favorite ways to practice, and some excellent resources to learn more about this incredibly effective strategy. Your brain will thank you! :)

If you would like to sign up for a free concussion coaching consultation with me to learn how you can speed up your recovery and get your life back following a concussion, go to my website, www.theconcussioncoach.com, or click on this link: https://theconcussioncoach.com/contact

Emily Peterson is a licensed speech-language pathologist who specializes in neurocognitive rehabilitation, and her professional career is focused on growing people through cognitive therapy and growing companies through strategic marketing consulting and entrepreneurship. In today's episode, Emily shares tips and strategies to help people suffering from post concussion symptoms to manage some of the cognitive deficits they may be facing following a brain injury. We discuss many executive function topics, including memory, planning, decision-making, and focus and attention.

Emily has developed an excellent resource for people struggling with cognitive concerns -- a pencil-and-paper-based series of logic and deduction puzzles. You can find that resource and contact Emily through her website, www.cognitivebraingames.com. You can also find Emily on Instagram: @emilypeterson_slp

If you would like to sign up for a free concussion coaching consultation with me to learn how you can speed up your recovery and get your life back following a concussion, go to my website, www.theconcussioncoach.com, or click on this link: https://theconcussioncoach.com/contact

Sharik Peck is a physical therapist and rehabilitation counselor who has spent over 28 years helping people eliminate pain from their lives. He has experienced several disabling accidents, including a broken neck and back, a stroke, a dislocated shoulder, and years of chronic pain. He has spent years researching resonance and its effect on the human nervous system, and has developed a device that can tune into frequencies that help calm the nervous system and decrease pain and problems for people suffering from a number of conditions, including concussions and post concussion syndrome. In today's interview he shares how this came about and why and how the Rezzimax Tuner helps people heal.

If you want to find out more, you can go to www.rezzimax.com, and if you want to purchase a device, you can use this link https://rezzimax.com/?ref=BethanyLewis and the promo code "BethanyLewis" to get $25 off. :)

If you would like to sign up for a free concussion coaching consultation with me to learn how you can speed up your recovery and get your life back following a concussion, go to my website, www.theconcussioncoach.com, or click on this link: https://theconcussioncoach.com/contact

Ali Rheaume is an award-winning artist, public speaker, disability advocate, and spokesperson who is passionate about people and bringing awareness to brain injury. She shares her personal experience with concussion and recovery, and lessons she's learned along the way. Ali has excellent advice for managing family relationships and support systems, discovering and loving yourself post injury, setting boundaries, and communicating with others. I also love her perspective on the concern so many people can related to about feeling like a burden to those supporting them. Enjoy this conversation!

If you want to hear more from Ali, she can be found in the following places:

Instagram: @alison.rheaume and @embracingunique

Facebook: Alison Rheaume

Website: https://alirheaume.com/

Email: [email protected]

If you would like to sign up for a free concussion coaching consultation with me to learn how you can speed up your recovery and get your life back following a concussion, go to my website, www.theconcussioncoach.com, or click on this link: https://theconcussioncoach.com/contact

Brooke Eveleigh is a Registered Physiotherapist and Virtual Coach for concussion care in the heart of British Columbia, Canada. She and I share a passion for helping people understand concussions and that healing is possible after one occurs. Our conversation ranges from dispelling common myths about concussions to discussing what to do when someone has an acute concussion (hint: see a concussion specialist asap!) to tips for managing screen time and explaining why driving can be so challenging following a concussion. Brooke shares some excellent tips and education about concussions, and this conversation will be sure to benefit anyone who has questions about how to handle having had a concussion, particularly parents and coaches who have student athletes with concussions wondering when they can return to play. Enjoy!

You can find Brooke on Instagram @concussion.physio or at her website: https://www.concussionphysio.ca/

If you would like to sign up for a free concussion coaching consultation with me to learn how you can speed up your recovery and get your life back following a concussion, go to my website, www.theconcussioncoach.com, or click on this link: https://theconcussioncoach.com/contact