Join the National Association of State Head Injury Administrators (NASHIA) for a webinar series about how to address two areas focused on wellness and brain injury. Both sessions will be recorded and made available for replay.
Part 1: Sleep and Brain Injury
Wednesday, July 1, noon - 1 pm ET
Sleep is everything. Sleep (or the lack of it) can significantly impact brain function for everyone, and individuals are particularly at risk after brain injury. Accurate assessment of sleep disorders is critical in addressing residuals as is appropriate behavior management. This presentation will discuss:
- Sleep and dementing disease, and how less sleep chemically increases the spread of pathology;
- Various sleep disorders after brain injury;
- The criticality of assessment of sleep disorders; and
- Approaches to behavioral health management of sleep problems.
Presenter: Kim Gorgens, PhD, ABPP,Professor, University of Denver. Dr. Gorgens is an expert in assessment and management of healthy, aging, and injured brains and oversees a large portfolio of TBI research. She has lectured extensively on brain injury (including her 2010 TED talk on youth sports concussion and a 2018 TED talk on brain injuries in criminal justice). Her work has been featured in US News, Newsweek, Salon.com and many others. She is board certified in Rehabilitation Psychology and is the Vice President of the American Board of Rehabilitation Psychology.
Part 2: Yoga and Meditation for Brain Injury
Wednesday, July 15, noon - 1 pm ET
This presentation will describe the evidence-based benefits of yoga and meditation for rehabilitation from brain injury and guide participants through examples of brain injury-friendly yoga and meditation practices, which have been shown to improve physical, cognitive, and psychosocial outcomes. Participants will:
- Be able to explain evidence-based benefits of yoga and meditation for brain injury rehabilitation;
- Experience accessible yoga and meditation practices to understand unique benefits for enhancing well-being and community integration post-injury;
- Understand how key stakeholders in advocacy, health care, research, yoga, and program administration can coordinate efforts to implement this program in communities across the U.S. and Canada; and
- Be able to explain techniques for adapting yoga and meditation for the people with brain injury.
Presenter: Kyla Pearce, PhD, MPH, E-RYT-200, CBIS, Senior Director of Programs, LoveYourBrain Foundation. Dr. Pearce serves as Senior Director of Programs at the LoveYourBrain Foundation, overseeing design, implementation, and evaluation of programming. She has been part of the Pearce family for years, and, following Kevin's accident, played an integral role in the launch of the LoveYourBrain Foundation. Kyla blended her expertise as a yoga teacher and researcher to develop the LoveYourBrain Yoga TBI-centered curriculum, which she trains yoga teachers and clinicians to deliver through yoga studios and health care facilities across the country.
The National Association of State Head Injury Administrators (NASHIA) assists state government in promoting partnerships and building systems to meet the needs of individuals with brain injuries and their families.