On October 5, 2022, I will be giving a webinar on the topic of “Acceptance and Creating our New Normal after Brain Injury and Stroke” to the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, North Dakota through Zoom.
To view an outline of the presentation, click on this link:
Acceptance and Creating Our New Normal after Brain Injury and Stroke Webinar
Click on this link to access resources that have benefited me in accepting and creating my new normal.
Resources for Ongoing Brain Injury Recovery to Create Hope in Our Lives
Biographical Information for the Presenter
My name is Craig J. Phillips. I sustained an open skull fracture and a traumatic brain injury in an automobile accident when I was 10 years old in 1967. I remained in a coma for 3 weeks with right frontal lobe damage, a severe brain bruise with brain stem involvement. Waking from the coma, I felt like I had a bad dream, but the reality became apparent. I also fractured my left femur and remained in traction for 6-7 weeks to set the femur. I was then placed in a full body cast (Spica) for 5-6 months. After being taken out of the Spica cast, I learned how to walk, talk, read, write and speak in complete sentences. I also underwent 2 EEG’s and a battery of cognitive and psycho social testing when I was 10 years old.
The results were shared with my parents, but not with me. Once my external wounds healed, the impact of my traumatic brain injury went invisible and was never factored into my struggle. I was mainstreamed into the 6th grade. I graduated on time with my high school class and then went on to college, although the testing done in 1968 showed that I would probably not succeed beyond high school academically. It took me 10 years to obtain my undergraduate degree (2 universities and one college) and 3 ½ years to obtain my graduate degree (2 graduate schools). I had a long history of getting and losing jobs.
I applied for SSDI 3 times and was a client of the Department of Vocational Rehabilitation in Florida and North Carolina. After my 2nd DVR evaluation my vocational rehab counselor told me that I was unemployable. Shortly after being told that I was unemployable by DVR I was approved to begin receiving SSDI at the end of 1998. My undergraduate degree is in Theology. My graduate degree is in Rehabilitation Counseling Although I had diligently applied myself both academically and vocationally, I felt like someone all dressed up with nowhere to go. Nevertheless, I am glad that I did not give up on the process.
I still had a desire to use what I had been seeking to do all my life. On February 6, 2007 I created Second Chance to Live. Since that time, I have written 2033 articles, 12 eBooks, 446 video presentations, 20 slide show presentations and 40 inspirational posters, all focusing on a holistic recovery process. Since June 2020 and to date I have given 90 keynote presentations via Zoom. To see these presentations and locations, click on this link. Public Speaking; Craig J. Phillips MRC, BA Second Chance to Live. To access my resource page, click on this link: Resources for Ongoing Brain Injury Recovery.
Among Places Presented
Among the places where I have spoken: Cleveland Clinic, Medstar National Rehabilitation Hospital, Penn Presbyterian Hospital, Overland Park Rehabilitation Hospital, Adventist Rehabilitation Hospital, Magee Rehabilitation Hospital, Encompass Rehabilitation Hospital, Brooks Rehabilitation Hospital, Carolinas Rehab, Beechwood NeuroRehab Community-Integrated Brain Injury Specialty Programs, the Colorado Department of Education, the University of North Dakota and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
16 Core Topics Presented through Zoom
Finding Purpose after Brain Injury and Stroke Presentation
Acceptance and Creating a New Normal after Brain Injury and Stroke Presentation
Neuroplasticity, Setting Goals and Creating Hope After Brain Injury and Stroke Presentation
Believing in Ourselves through Self-Advocacy — A Guide to Owning Our Power after Brain Injury and Stroke Presentation
12 Ways to Enhance Our Lives, Well-Beings and Relationships after a Brain Injury and Stroke Presentation
The Progression of Living My Best Life after My Brain Injury Presentation
Making Our Lives Magical One Day at a Time after Brain Injury and Stroke Presentation
Cultivating Healthy Relationships after Brain Injury and Stroke Presentation
Living with a Brain Injury and an Invisible Disability — How are You Defining Success? Presentation
Living with a Brain Injury, an Invisible Disability and Change after Brain Injury and Stroke Presentation
Instead, We can Create our Own Genius after Brain Injury and Stroke Presentation
Grieving the Guilt and Shame of a Traumatic Brain Injury and Stroke Presentation
Brain Injury — Why Do I Feel so Misunderstood and Shunned? Presentation
Living with a Brain Injury — I Can Not Do Everything, But Still I Can Do Something Presentation
Comprehensive History of Second Chance to Live — Answering the Call that never Came Presentation
Second Chance to Live and Succeeding Beyond my Special Needs from 10 Years of Age Presentation
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