Hope Survives | Brain Injury Podcast

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed after a brain injury, with the mix of symptoms, daily stress, and simply coping with how your life has changed. It’s also common after brain injury to end up in survival mode, feeling disconnected from your body, and pushing yourself - which may be okay short term, but can add to long term stress and chronic symptoms. Today, we are diving into the topics of grounding, mindfulness, and how learning to regulate your nervous system can help you to move forward with healing after a brain injury.
In this episode, host Cristabelle Braden interviews Occupational Therapist Shelley Latendresse, who shares practical insights on how mindfulness and grounding techniques can aid recovery from a brain injury. Listen to discover how simple daily practices can help manage symptoms, reduce cognitive load, and promote healing. We also talk about coexisting with pain, symptoms, and the ways that we can acknowledge where we are at while also moving forward.
We also feature a spotlight with Dr. Jeremy Schmoe from The Functional Neurology Center. Dr. Schmoe explains how to bring your nervous system out of a hyper-sympathetic "fight-or-flight" state using targeted neurological stimulation as well as ways to do it at home.
This is also our Season 5 finale! We are so grateful for the conversations we've had this season and we look forward to staying connected as we enter a break to prepare for the next season.
🧠 In this episode:
Navigating the process of managing symptoms, pain, and cognitive load post-concussion.
Why focusing on simple, everyday habits can bring forward healing after brain injury.
Understanding mindfulness as a core skill for present moment awareness to reduce stress after brain injury.
Exploring grounding techniques that actively involve your senses and nature.
Ways to stimulate your vagus nerve for nervous system regulation.

CONNECT
Follow @hopesurvives
Visit ⁠hopesurvives.org ⁠⁠
Join a support group at ⁠hopesurvives.org/community⁠⁠
Reach out to us anytime: ⁠hi@hopesurvives.org⁠
Hosted by Cristabelle Braden: @cristabellebraden |⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠cristabellebraden.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Sponsor
Thank you to The Functional Neurology Center for sponsoring this podcast - The FNC offers personalized neuro-recovery programs for anyone going through brain injury and a wide range of neurological conditions. Learn more:⁠ ⁠https://www.thefnc.com⁠⁠
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0:00 Intro
1:53 Welcome with Cristabelle
3:00 Season 5 Finale
7:15 Nervous System Regulation - Spotlight with Dr. Jeremy Schmoe
13:00 Introducing Shelley Latendresse, OT
17:51 Why Mindfulness Matters
19:55 Feeling Disconnected from Your Body & Mind
21:40 Ways to Connect to the Moment
31:30 Grounding for Coexisting with Pain and Symptoms
40:44 Finding Beauty in the Everyday
42:22 Words of Hope

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Disclaimer
This podcast is for education and informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Please consult your physician for individualized care. More: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠hopesurvives.org/podcast⁠

When you are recovering from a brain injury, simply trying to get through a daily task can feel like an absolute mountain to climb. Executive dysfunction can make it incredibly frustrating to finish what you start: you might find yourself losing your place mid-task, getting easily distracted, or completely forgetting what you were doing in the first place, leaving behind a trail of half-finished projects and not knowing how to continue.
In this episode, host Cristabelle Braden sits down for a full interview with Stacia Bissell and Katya Bowen to discuss the ins and outs of task completion after brain injury - and how you can map out a plan to get your focus back.
We also feature a spotlight with Dr. Jeremy Schmoe from The Functional Neurology Center all about some of the neurological and metabolic reasons behind executive dysfunction.
*Join the Maps for Task Completion Live Virtual Workshop - coming up on September 18 - register now! https://hopesurvives.org/maps-workshop
🧠 In this episode:
Why a brain injury makes it incredibly difficult to stay organized, manage your time, and follow through on daily tasks.
How to create your own “map” to finish your task.
How setting a simple, repeating alarm can systematically interrupt distractions and pull your focus back to the job at hand.
Importance of breaking the cycle of self-criticism and internal pressure, which actively drains the cognitive energy you desperately need to get things done.
Encouragement to step forward into initiation when it can feel like a struggle to just start.

CONNECT
Follow @hopesurvives
Visit ⁠hopesurvives.org ⁠⁠
Join a support group at ⁠hopesurvives.org/community⁠⁠
Reach out to us anytime: ⁠hi@hopesurvives.org⁠
Hosted by Cristabelle Braden: @cristabellebraden |⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠cristabellebraden.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Sponsor
Thank you to The Functional Neurology Center for sponsoring this podcast - The FNC offers personalized neuro-recovery programs for anyone going through brain injury and a wide range of neurological conditions. Learn more:⁠ ⁠https://www.thefnc.com⁠⁠
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0:00 Intro
2:10 Welcome with Cristabelle
5:00 Executive Dysfunction - Spotlight with Dr. Jeremy Schmoe
8:45 Introducing Stacia & Katya
16:55 Task Completion
19:25 Creating Your Map
26:00 Setting Yourself Up for Success
34:35 Encouragement
36:25 Words of Hope

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Disclaimer
This podcast is for education and informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Please consult your physician for individualized care. More: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠hopesurvives.org/podcast⁠

Imagine a world where brain injury recovery isn't a frustrating game of trial and error, but a precisely mapped, tech-driven path designed for how your unique brain heals. The future of neuro-rehabilitation is no longer a distant dream - it is happening right now, and it brings so much hope.
In this episode, host Cristabelle Braden sits down with Dr. Jeremy Schmoe from The Functional Neurology Center to unpack some of the recent groundbreaking technology advancements reshaping rehabilitation. If you or a loved one has ever been stuck in survival mode or told your scans look "normal" despite a daily battle with brain fog and fatigue, this conversation is an exciting look at the advanced care happening across the globe.
🧠 In this episode:
Why the most effective way to spark neuroplasticity and rewire the brain is by activating multiple systems at once.
A look at a cutting-edge tablet technology out of Paris that measures how your eyes converge and diverge using light and sound cues in a natural, active environment.
How functional near-infrared spectroscopy from South Korea images real-time blood flow changes in the frontal and temporal cortex during everyday movements.
Why interactive testing in free space uncovers subtle visual and tracking deficits that standard, stationary medical testing completely overlooks.

CONNECT
Follow @hopesurvives
Visit ⁠hopesurvives.org ⁠⁠
Join a support group at ⁠hopesurvives.org/community⁠⁠
Reach out to us anytime: ⁠hi@hopesurvives.org⁠
Hosted by Cristabelle Braden: @cristabellebraden |⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠cristabellebraden.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Sponsor
Thank you to The Functional Neurology Center for sponsoring this podcast - The FNC offers personalized neuro-recovery programs for anyone going through brain injury and a wide range of neurological conditions. Learn more:⁠ ⁠https://www.thefnc.com⁠⁠
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0:00 Intro
1:47 Welcome with Cristabelle
6:05 Introducing Dr. Schmoe
12:25 New Visual Tablet Tech - REMOBI
21:20 New VR Assessment Tech - NESPLORA
24:52 New Brain Imaging Tech - NIRSIT
28:20 Words of Hope
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Disclaimer
This podcast is for education and informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Please consult your physician for individualized care. More: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠hopesurvives.org/podcast⁠

Music has a unique ability to reach parts of the brain that regular speech or traditional therapies sometimes cannot. For those who have experienced a brain injury, the rhythmic and multi-sensory nature of music can bridge neurological gaps and provide a distinct pathway toward healing. In this episode, host Cristabelle Braden sits down with neurologic music therapist Serenna Wagner and her client, Alice Collier, who has experienced a brain injury to talk about the profound impact of music therapy on recovery.
We also feature a spotlight with Dr. Ryan Harvey from The Functional Neurology Center. Dr. Harvey explains the mechanics of auditory stimulation and music, breaking down how it triggers multi-sensory integration to stimulate neural pathways without overloading a recovering patient's sensory system.
🧠 In this episode:
Understanding Neurologic Music Therapy (NMT) - how specific, standardized techniques use music to manipulate brain activity, join the brain's hemispheres, and circumvent damaged networks.
A story of resilience and finding new dreams after Alice survived a traumatic brain injury from a bike accident
How matching auditory cues to visual and physical actions drives the brain's timing and sequencing networks.
How music therapy can be dynamically paired with physical therapy to make repetitive, challenging, or tedious physical movements highly motivating.
Host Cristabelle shares how music and songwriting helped her reclaim her emotions, speech and motor skills following her own brain injury.

Connect with Serenna: https://thisinnervoice.com/
CONNECT
Follow @hopesurvives
Visit ⁠hopesurvives.org ⁠⁠
Join a support group at ⁠hopesurvives.org/community⁠⁠
Reach out to us anytime: ⁠hi@hopesurvives.org⁠
Hosted by Cristabelle Braden: @cristabellebraden |⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠cristabellebraden.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Sponsor
Thank you to The Functional Neurology Center for sponsoring this podcast - The FNC offers personalized neuro-recovery programs for anyone going through brain injury and a wide range of neurological conditions. Learn more:⁠ ⁠https://www.thefnc.com⁠⁠
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0:00 Intro
1:53 Music on Cristabelle’s Journey
6:10 Music and Multi-Sensory Integration in Brain Injury Rehabilitation with Dr. Harvey - Spotlight
9:43 Introducing Alice and Serenna
15:05 Finding New Life after Brain Injury
18:15 Understanding Music Therapy
23:05 How Music Brings Growth after Brain Injury
27:27 Creativity in Brain Injury Recovery
32:45 Playing “The Drunken Sailor”
35:28 Words of Hope

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Disclaimer
This podcast is for education and informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Please consult your physician for individualized care. More: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠hopesurvives.org/podcast⁠

Concussions are incredibly complex, and because they can disrupt up several systems in your body at once, recovery never looks the same for any two people. If you have ever felt like your (or your loved one’s) symptoms are completely overlapping, today we are going to help you understand why - and what to do about it.
In this episode, host Cristabelle Braden is joined by neuro-rehabilitation specialist and clinician Dr. Melissa Biscardi to break down "concussion phenotypes,” which are the distinct categories of symptoms that can present in concussion. From visual and vestibular disruptions to autonomic and cervical triggers, Melissa offers a path forward in reading the body's post-injury baseline and creating an order of operations for physical, cognitive, and emotional recovery.
We also feature an expert clinical spotlight with Dr. Jeremy Schmoe from The Functional Neurology Center. Dr. Schmoe helps us understand concussion rehabilitation, including explaining why pairing multi-system tasks (such as combining cognitive tracking with physical movement) drives neuroplasticity and can safely accelerate healing.

🧠 In this episode:
A breakdown of the core concussion phenotypes and how they constantly interact.
Why your nervous system must feel foundationally stable and safe before you can successfully rehabilitate through targeted cognitive therapy.
How subtle formatting issues or structural injury in the neck directly spark secondary symptoms like nausea, blurry vision, and tracking headaches.
Honoring the intense identity shifts, irritability, and anxiety that naturally occur when an unexpected injury flips your daily life upside down.
How physical movement, even a simple sequence of marching in your bedroom for 10 seconds, drives essential oxygen and blood flow straight to a healing brain.
Why changing or rotating clinicians as your baseline improves is a sign of therapeutic progress, not failure; different phases of recovery demand different clinical specialties.

Melissa's previous episodes with us:
57- Female Hormones after TBI/Concussion: https://hopesurvives.org/podcast/57
54- Pillars of Concussion Care + Holistic Approach: https://hopesurvives.org/podcast/54
CONNECT
Follow @hopesurvives
Visit ⁠hopesurvives.org ⁠⁠
Join a support group at ⁠hopesurvives.org/community⁠⁠
Reach out to us anytime: ⁠hi@hopesurvives.org⁠
Hosted by Cristabelle Braden: @cristabellebraden |⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠cristabellebraden.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Sponsor
Thank you to The Functional Neurology Center for sponsoring this podcast - The FNC offers personalized neuro-recovery programs for anyone going through brain injury and a wide range of neurological conditions. Learn more:⁠ ⁠https://www.thefnc.com⁠⁠
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0:00 Intro
1:55 Welcome with Cristabelle
3:10 How to Treat Concussion with Dr. Schmoe - Spotlight
8:00 Introducing Dr. Melissa Biscardi
12:12 Breaking Down Concussion Phenotypes
20:50 How Symptoms Show Up in Everyday Life
27:18 Intentional Movement
29:24 Metabolic Factors
33:25 Words of Hope

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Disclaimer
This podcast is for education and informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Please consult your physician for individualized care. More: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠hopesurvives.org/podcast⁠