Synopsis
This workbook guides survivors of brain injury and blast injury through the powerful healing experience of telling their own stories with simple journaling techniques. By writing short journal entries, survivors explore the challenges, losses, changes, emotions, adjustments, stresses, and milestones as they rebuild their lives. Journaling after brain injury helps written and verbal communication skills and provides cognitive retraining for following instruction. It helps promote self awareness as well as recognition of strengths and difficulties after brain injury. It is a tool for planning for the future and discussions with family members. Journaling can be done individually, in a group or with assistance from caregivers or family. This workbook has been developed specifically for survivors of brain injury and blast injury. Based on journaling workshops for survivors of traumatic brain injury, it is filled with journaling exercises that guide the user through examining and expressing the many ways that the brain injury has affected and altered their lives. Vignettes by individuals give it a personal touch and also serve as examples of journaling. Users may go through the workbook from front to back or they may select chapters and activities most relevant to their lives and stage of recovery. Breaking it down into sections, users explore changing sense of self; loss, memory and resilience; altered relationships with family and friends; anger and emotions; grief and loss; facing the future; building hope and; moving forward. Journaling is a proven therapeutic tool used to explore one s inner self by expressing emotions, confronting fears, relieving anxiety, coping with stress, celebrating successes, and preparing for new challenges. By writing for only a few minutes at a time, journalers can heal and cope with crises due to illness, death, or any life-altering event. This is the first journaling workbook developed specially for adults with acquired brain injuries, and it can be used by individuals or facilitated groups. Families will find it helpful as an outlet and coping mechanism for survivors. Clinicians will find it a useful cognitive tool for building communication skills of reading, writing and comprehension. Both families and clinicians will find it helpful for promoting insight, self-awareness and goal setting.
About the Author
Barbara Stahura discovered the power of personal journaling years ago and now shares her knowledge in workshops that provide pathways to personal growth and self-empowerment. Her book After Brain Injury: Telling Your Story grew from her long-running journaling group in Tucson, Ariz.
She has also facilitated journaling events for the National Guard, family caregivers, writers, equine-facilitated experiential learning groups, and others. She is also an award-winning author and certified instructor of Journal to the Self®. She now lives in Indiana with her husband, a TBI survivor.
Susan B. Schuster, M.A., CCC-SLP, has nearly twenty years of experience as a speech-language pathologist, the majority being a provider of cognitive communication services to people with brain injury in varied settings including an adult day program and rehabilitation hospitals. She has a special interest in combining traditional speech therapy with the latest technological advances in the field, including the Interactive Metronome. She co-facilitates a journaling workshop for people with brain injury with Barbara Stahura.
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