Personal Development Series
Fatigue Management
Welcome to our NEW ONLINE Series focused on Fatigue Management after Brain Injury.
​​​​​Please read our Code of Conduct, HERE
Session #1 – Neurologic Music Therapy: Strategies for Managing Overstimulation and Enhancing Well-Being
​ April 7th, 6:30 – 8 PM SPEAKER: Kaitlyn Aquino, Neurologic Music Therapist (NMT) TALK DESCRIPTION: This presentation will explore sound complexity and auditory processing following a Brain Injury. Referred to as an invisible injury, symptoms of overstimulation and auditory processing are often overlooked. Led by Neurologic Music Therapist Kaitlyn Aquino, participants will learn and experience how music can help manage overstimulation and assist in return to preferred activities. ABOUT THE SPEAKER: Kaitlyn Aquino is a Neurologic Music Therapist (NMT) with a Master of Music in Applied Music and Health Sciences from the University of Toronto. She is the founder of Rhythmic Rehab Inc, a rehabilitation company providing Neurologic Music Therapy services to individuals with neurologic impairment in Toronto, Ontario. Specializing in neurorehab, she supports individuals recovering from neurologic illness and injury across the lifespan. Kaitlyn is dedicated to collaborating with community partners to advocate, educate and treat, helping individuals living with neurologic impairment find their rhythm.
Session #2 – How to Improve Your Sleep After Brain Injury​
April 14th, 6:30 – 8 PM SPEAKER: Dr. Taher Chugh,Sports Medicine, MD, CCFP(SEM), FCFP. Dip Sport Med., BCB TALK DESCRIPTION: Sleep disturbances are common after Brain Injury, which can impact recovery and quality of life. In this talk, Dr. Taher Chugh will discuss effective strategies to help improve your sleep. He will also be available for a question and answer period following the talk. ​ ABOUT THE SPEAKER: Dr. Chugh’s serves as the medical director of the Toronto Concussion Clinic. A graduate of the University of Toronto’s medical school and the University of Ottawa’s family medicine residency program, he later pursued sports medicine training which culminated in him being awarded the Sports and Exercise Medicine Diploma. He has completed additional training in the management of the multitude of consequences that can riddle post-concussion syndrome including binocular vision assessment and vestibular rehabilitation. He draws on over 10 years of clinical medical experience in multiple settings – inpatient hospital care, family practice, urgent care and sports medicine – which affords him a wealth of relevant experience in treating patients in this broad, multidisciplinary field of concussion management.​
Session #3: Nature Connection and Rejuvenation
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More information coming soon!
SPEAKER: Julie Novak (M.Ed.)
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ABOUT THE SPEAKER: Julie Novak is an educator, activist, writer, and consultant who is dedicated to shifting our broken food system and promoting body liberation and disability justice within an intersectional social justice framework. Julie has a background in education, community development, public health, and the local food movement.
Her project, The Seasonal Body stems from her personal experience of finding healing from disordered eating through therapeutic farming, as well as living as a disabled person with multiple chronic illnesses after traumatic brain injury. Julie is a white settler living on the Indigenous territory of the Anishinabek, Huron-Wendat, Haudenosaunee, and the Mississaugas of the Credit (a region of Turtle Island that is known today as Toronto, Canada).
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Register, HERE
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ABI Info Series
Learn about Emotional Regulation & Brain Injury in a 4-Week Series Session #1 – Emotions and the Brain: Making Your Own Plan (IN PERSON) Monday, March 10th, 6:30 – 8:00 PM SPEAKER: Dr. Carolyn Lemsky, Ph.D., C. Psych, ABPP-CN, C-CAT (MB) Experiencing emotions is one of the best and most difficult parts of being human. Many people notice that managing emotion after a brain injury is a particular challenge. Problems with depressed mood, anger or difficulty getting started on things can be one of the biggest obstacles to claiming the life you want. Figuring out what works for you takes time, effort and information. Dr. Lemsky will provide a very brief explanation of the main reasons that living with a brain injury may make managing emotions more difficult. In this workshop participants will be introduced to a framework and some ideas that can be used to start or add to a personalized plan for managing emotions. Session #2 – Anger Management After Brain Injury (HYBRID) Monday, March 17th, 6:30 – 8 PM SPEAKER: Stacey Levine; Behaviour Therapist, Journey Rehabilitation Emotional dysregulation after brain injury can lead to a range of strong emotions from anger to sadness. These can lead to many challenges, from avoiding triggering situations to damaging important relationships. In this workshop, learn strategies to help understand potential triggers and ways to prepare how best to manage the various challenges that one must face day-to-day. This will also incorporate strategies for self-care to increase overall coping tolerance and ways to stay motivated and focused on the positives. Session # 3 – Using Music For Emotion Regulation: Strategies From a Neurologic Music Therapist (HYBRID) March 24th, 6:30 – 8 PM Speaker: Kaitlyn Aquino, MTA, NMT-F, Rhythmic Rehab This presentation will explore how music impacts our mood and can help us regulate our emotions. Led by Neurologic Music Therapist Kaitlyn Aquino, participants will learn and experience strategies for regulating emotions and coping with stressors, as well as incorporating music into their daily lives. Session # 4 – Emotional Regulation After Brain Injury – Strategies from a Speech Language Pathologist (HYBRID) March 31st, 6:30 – 8 PM Speaker: Simone Friedman, Speech Language Pathologist, Therapy Spot Brain injuries can impact emotional processing and regulation, speech language patholigists can help individuals understand and manage emotional changes that often accompany brain injuries, such as impulsivity, irritability, or difficulty in controlling anger.