Online Brain Injury Groups
Classes, courses and discussions
What are online groups and who are they for?
Cognivate’s online groups are another part of our approach to unlocking lives after brain injury – using a combination of video calls and prerecorded material, we bring psychoeducation into your front room. Each of our groups has been carefully designed to focus on particular topics or activities which may be important to someone whose life has been affected by brain injury.
Why join an online group?
Our groups aim to help those who have been affected by brain injury to:
- make sense of what has happened to them
- talk about their experiences and compare notes
- access expert advice from qualified therapists
- try out exercises and strategies
- and most of all, support each other.
How to sign up
If you’re interested in signing up for one of our online groups, or referring someone then please use this form.
Once we’ve received your form, one of our therapists will be in touch to assess your needs and determine whether one of our upcoming groups is right for you.
Before a group starts we will send all participants the start date (if applicable), joining instructions, and any other relevant information.
Key details
- More information coming soon.
Relationships after Brain Injury
Experiencing a brain injury does not only impact the individual. It can have a profound impact on the quality of an individual’s relationships, including friendships, romantic relationships, extended family and work relationships.
This three week group explores the key changes and challenges that may occur in relationships following a brain injury. People are welcome to attend individually or with a close other.
The sessions will be led by two specialist neurorehabiliation therapists, including Neurpsychologists, Occupational Therapists and Speech and Language Therapists.
Key details
- 15th January 10am 22nd January 2pm & 5th February 2pm
- 60-minute sessions
- 3 week course (one session per week)
- Takes place on Zoom
- Led by an experienced neurorehabilitation team
Understanding brain injury
The Understanding Brain Injury Group is for adults with an acquired brain injury who would like to learn more about brain injury, the effects it can have, and what can help recovery. Family members and carers are welcome to attend too. It is free to attend but spaces are limited.
Over the 6 week course each of our therapists will explain how brain injury can affect the way we move, see and hear, think and remember, communicate and feel, and what you can do to help manage this.
Sessions will cover
- Basic brain anatomy and different types of injury
- Physical effects of brain injury
- Communication difficulties following brain injury
- Cognitive effects of brain injury
- Emotional effects of brain injury
- Recovery and rehabilitation
Managing Emotions After Brain Injury
This group is designed for those who have experienced changes in mood following a brain injury, for example feeling low, anxious, irritable or having mood swings.
Over the 6 week course we will explore common emotional changes after brain injury, why they happen, and what you can do to manage them. This course is led by our Neuropsychologist Martha.
Sessions will cover
- Common emotional changes after brain injury
- Mood swings
- Low mood
- Feeling anxious and worried
- Temper outbursts and irritability
- Strategies to manage mood and emotions
Managing Fatigue after Brain Injury
This group is for adults experiencing fatigue after brain injury. The group consists of 6 weekly sessions and one additional follow-up session after a month.
Facilitated by our occupational therapist, Alison Hipkiss, we will discuss what fatigue is, how to recognise fatigue and triggers, and explore ways to help you manage it. Weekly tasks are set to help you apply the information from the sessions to your own life.
Sessions will cover
- The reasons people experience fatigue after brain injury
- Recognising fatigue and triggers
- Managing influencing factors such as sleep, nutrition, exercise, and low mood
- Fatigue management strategies
Sessions will cover
- More information coming soon.
Neuropilates
The ‘Introduction to Neuropilates’ is led by our neurophysiotherapist Kathy McDougall and is designed to introduce you to the principles of pilates with the aim of building your confidence to attend a regular pilates/neuropilates class.
The course is designed to be accessible for those with neurological difficulties and will introduce you to the 5 key elements of pilates and teach you a variety of basic pilates exercises. You will be given a specific exercise to practise each week.
The sessions will cover
- Posture
- Balance
- Strength
- Flexibility
Cognitive skills after brain injury
The Cognitive Skills After Brain Injury Group is an 6 week course for adults with acquired brain injury and their family member or carer. Each session mixes learning with activities and discussion to help participants deal with the challenges they face with concentrating, remembering, and reasoning things through.
Alison, our occupational therapist, will lead the sessions and help the group to understand the reasons for these problems and to explore how a range of techniques can help. Weekly tasks are given at the end of each week to apply information and strategies learnt in real life.
Sessions will cover
- Basic brain anatomy and the cognitive skills hierarchy
- Strategies to help manage cognitive difficulties
- Attention skills
- Memory skills
- Information processing
- Executive function