Coaching for Brain Injury Caregivers & Supporters
Brain Injuries are often incredibly difficult to cope with for the individuals who experience them. There are lost abilities, emotional challenges, cognitive challenges— not to mention the financial impact of lost wages from a long recovery, or the emotional toll of losing the ability to work, in general.
But they can be a huge challenge for family members, as well.
Sometimes, they have to provide or coordinate care for their loved ones.
Often, family members are tasked with picking up the slack in other ways: making up for lost income by working more, shouldering more of the childcare, doing more around the house, organizing and keeping straight all of the details of running a household in their heads. And then there are the emotional demands placed on them— to emotionally support their loved one who has suffered such a disruptive event in his/her life, to try to remain upbeat in the face of whatever happens, and to weather the ups and downs of their loved one’s good days and bad days. Meanwhile, family members have their own feelings of grief, anger, uncertainty and stress which they need to work through.
It can feel like more and more and more is being heaped upon their shoulders, and that they are groaning under the weight of it all.
Family members and other caregivers of individuals with TBIs and other brain injuries often need their own support too.
As a first step, they should seriously consider seeking out counseling for themselves. Not only can counseling provide welcome support for the feelings and emotions that they are experiencing, it can also provide family members and supporters a space to focus on themselves, even if it’s just for one hour per week.
Coaching not only can provide additional support, it can help caregivers come away with practical ideas they can use to address the dilemmas in their everyday roles. It also can help caregivers see the Big Picture of their own lives again— and rediscover their balance, energy and inspiration.
Rebuilding Coaching can help. Rebuild Coaching works with supporters of brain injury survivors as they adjust to new roles and demands caused by their loved one’s brain trauma. We understand brain injury and the myriad challenges it causes for survivors— and for their family members and other supporters. We have successful experience with helping families come up with their own realistic, individualized solutions to each cope with their changed reality and significantly improve their quality of life.