Creating Hope in Our Lives after a Brain Injury is a Process

Below is a list of Keynote Presentations and Discussion Topics

Discussion Topics to Inspire Purpose and Hope through Zoom

You Are Not Crazy. You have an Invisible Disability Discussion Topic

Yes, I am Disabled, but Don’t Count Me Out because…! Discussion Topic

Learning to Accept Ourselves when Other People Can’t or Won’t Discussion Topic

Nine Habits to Benefit from Using the Principle of Neuroplasticity Discussion Topic

Creating Practical Hope in Our Lives through the Power of Identification Discussion Topic

Navigating Life’s Railroad Switch — Finding Purpose and Passion After Brain Injury Discussion Topic

Living and Thriving Beyond Brain Injury Awareness to Create a Good Life for Ourselves Discussion Topic

Embracing Change A Three-Stage Journey to Journey to Learning and Success Presentation Discussion Topic

Getting Comfortable in Our “Own Skin” Living with a Brain Injury and an Invisible Disability Discussion Topic

Don’t Let Anyone tell You, You Aren’t Enough Because…You are Smart, Intuitive and Courageous Discussion Topic

Keynote Presentations Designed to Inspire Purpose and Hope

Finding Purpose and not Giving Up after Brain Injury 

Hope and the Progression of Living our Best Life after Brain Injury

Neuroplasticity, Setting Goals and Creating Hope After Brain Injury

Facing Adversity and Having Options When Life Does Not Make Sense

12 Ways to Enhance Our Lives, Well-Beings and Relationships after a Brain Injury

Brain Injury and The Power of “I CAN” in an Ongoing Brain Injury Recovery Process 

Living and Thriving Beyond Brain Injury Awareness to Create a Good Life for Ourselves 

Some Things to Consider so We Don’t Stay Stuck Living with a Brain Injury and an Invisible Disability Presentation

Getting Comfortable in Our “Own Skin” Living with a Brain Injury and an Invisible Disability

Believing in Ourselves through Self-Advocacy — A Guide to Owning Our Power after Brain Injury

Don’t Let Anyone tell You, You Aren’t Enough Because…You are Smart, Intuitive and Courageous 

Navigating Life After a Traumatic Brain Injury: Embracing Reality and the Journey to Acceptance Presentation

Celebrating Goals and Dreams in the Now, Overcoming Obstacles, Odds and Impacting Generations Presentation

Finding Freedom from Feeling Alone, Isolated, Alienated, Intimidated and Diminished Living with a Brain injury and an Invisible Disability

Zoom Presentations Sharing my Personal Journey and Process

Second Chance to Live and Succeeding Beyond my Special Needs from 10 Years of Age

Comprehensive History of Second Chance to Live — Answering the Call that never Came

Zoom Presentations Empowering Groups and Organizations

Living with Long Covid-19 Invisible Disability — Hope, Encouragement and Support Zoom

Empowering Current and Future Professionals in Brain Injury Recovery and Rehabilitation Summary

Why Trauma Informed Care Matters for Brain Injury and Invisible Disability Recovery Presentation

Why AI Needs Trauma-Informed Care: Changing Who Carries the Weight Presentations

Encouraging the Creation of Hope through Neuroplasticity

My Process and Journey with Neuroplasticity

I have been using different martial art disciplines for the past 26 years to create new neural pathways and brain reorganization (neuroplasticity) through repetitive mirrored movements.

Benefits

To improve and enhance muscle memory, coordination, agility, body awareness, hand/foot/eye coordination, precision, dexterity, spatial orientation and balance on both the right and left side of my body.

Develop Your Own Program

For more information to develop your own programs to create new neural pathways and brain reorganization click on the below link.

Neuroplasticity, Small Successes and Learning/Relearning Skills and Skill Sets

The Process and Goal

The goal has been to improve my ability to mirror the same abilities on both the non-dominant side (left side) of my body with the dominant side (right side) of my body.  As in the below demonstrations, I engage both sides of my body (my hands, arms, elbows, legs, knees, and feet).

I engage both sides of my body to improve my gross, fine motor skills and muscle memory. I engage both sides of my body to improve my dexterity, hand-eye coordination, agility, balance, stamina, precision, focus and awareness. I engage both sides of my body to improve my skills and abilities.

I engage both sides of my body to improve and enhance the quality of my life and well-being. I engage both sides of my brain and body to create.

Create Your Own Program

In the event that you have not begun, I would encourage you to create a program. Create a program that will empower you to create neural pathways and brain reorganization. Brain reorganization through repetitive mirrored movements on your dominant and non-dominant sides of your body. Brain reorganization to improve and enhance your quality of life and well-being.

How I Use Neuroplasticity to Create New Neural Pathways and Brain Reorganization

My Program of Creating New Neural Pathways and Brain Reorganization through Repetitive Mirrored Movements

In 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2021 and 2022 I was fortunate to have had several individuals record presentations.

Because of a shoulder injury and Covid-19 I was not able to record in 2019 and 2020.

To see my progress over the years (from 2013-2026) see below.

Proof of the Pudding is in the Eating — Walking the Talk, not Just Talking the Talk

In preparation of a keynote presentation that I asked to give in 2013 at the Southwest Conference on Disability, Albuquerque, New Mexico a friend helped me. Helped me by video taping a demonstration of my skill development using the principles of neuroplasticity. To document the progress that I was making in creating new neural pathways and brain reorganization. In subsequent years I have asked other friends to use cell phone cameras to document demonstrations of my improved skills.

Skills using western boxing, escrima, Filipino stick fighting, Kali and jeet kune do principles through crossing over the center line. The center line of my body by engaging balance, coordination, body awareness, hand eye/foot eye coordination, agility, speed, dexterity, fine and gross motor coordination, focus, persistence and concentration. Below are links to demonstrations documented during the years represented. They show the progress made through endless repetitions and a commitment to not giving up.

Documented Demonstrations — Click on the link (s) to observe

Neuroplasticity through Martial Arts Disciplines August 2013

Neuroplasticity Demonstration August 2014

Brain Injury, Neuroplasticity and Personal Gains August 2015

Balance and Coordination through Repetitive Mirrored Movement 2016

Brain Injury Recovery and  Repetitive Mirrored Movements 2017

Improving Our Brain and Body’s Ability to Excel after Brain Injury 2018

Due to a shoulder injury and then Covid, I was unable to create a demonstration in 2019 and in 2020.

Stick Fighting, Knife, Western Boxing muay Thai &Wing Chun Drills Created September 2, 2021

Hand Eye Coordination and Precision Drills using Fine Motor Drills Created September 12, 2021

Upper/Lower Body Coordination Drills to Improve Focus, Balance and Agility Created February 14, 2022

Brain-Body Connection –Craig J Phillips MRC, BA, Second Chance to Live March 2024

Neuroplasticity, Corpus Callosum, Crossing the Center line and Changing the Way Demonstration April 17, 2026

I will be 69 years old in 3 weeks, so my encouragement to you is that age does not need to stop you or me. Stop you or me in our journey of developing new neural pathways and brain reorganization. 

Our Facebook Community — You Are Welcome to Join

Several years ago, I created a private Facebook group called Building Your Life After Traumatic Brain Injury to offer a safe, hope-filled space for survivors, caregivers, and professionals.

I warmly invite you to join our community:

The Building Your Life after Traumatic Brain Injury Community

Come connect, share your journey, and be encouraged. You are not alone.

Second Chance to Live in the World

Past and Present Organizations Using Second Chance to Live as a Resource

Second Chance to Live has been used by hospitals, rehabilitation centers, universities, and peer support groups around the world as a trusted source of encouragement and empowerment for individuals living with brain injury and invisible disabilities.

Past and Present Organizations Using Second Chance to Live as a Useful Resource

Publications and Programs Featuring Second Chance to Live

I’ve been honored to share my message of hope through national and international publications, radio interviews, podcasts, and professional newsletters—all with the goal of helping others feel seen, supported, and equipped in their recovery journey.

Publications and Radio Programs hosting Second Chance to Live to Empower Members

Continue Exploring Your Recovery Journey

This free brain injury recovery toolkit is just one part of what Second Chance to Live offers. I invite you to explore our growing library of resources—designed to support your healing in body, soul, spirit, mind, and emotions.

Looking for more structured tools and daily routines? Visit the

Second Chance Recovery Toolbox — a hands-on companion to this toolkit that offers practical support for daily life with a brain injury or invisible disability.

You are not alone in your journey. Whether you’re a survivor, caregiver, or professional, I hope these resources give you strength and encouragement to keep going.

Related Resources to Explore

• Brain Injury Recovery – An Ongoing Process

•  Healing What Others Can’t See

•  Trauma-Informed Care for Brain Injury Survivors

Author’s Note

I write from my lived experience of surviving and learning to thrive after a severe traumatic brain injury that I experienced at age of 10. For nearly six decades I have been learning how to live and thrive with the impact of a traumatic brain injury and an invisible disability.

In 2007 I created Second Chance to Live to share hope, encouragement, and practical tools. My motivation has always been to encourage a whole person recovery. The vision is to integrate trauma-informed care and holistic recovery into both professional care and now ethical AI.

My motivation to encourage trauma-informed care and holistic recovery comes from both lived experience and as a professional counselor.  My mission is not abstract. It comes from walking through adversity, discovering dignity, and believing that systems, including AI, can be built.

Built to heal and not to harm. My hope is simple. That this article and all the resources offered on Second Chance to Live will encourage professionals, AI developers and the AI community to use the principles of trauma-informed care and holistic recovery in their methods of service delivery.

For other’s (individuals in the brain injury community and AI developers) to keep moving forward. Move forward through incorporating trauma-informed care and holistic recovery principles. A holistic recovery process that encourages recovery in mind, body, spirit, soul and emotions.

“Ideas do not always come in a flash but by diligent trial-and-error experiments that take time and thought.” Charles K. Kao

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, to learn more, to do more, to become more, you are a leader.” John Quincy Adams

About the Author and AI

Craig J. Phillips, MRC, BA is the founder of Second Chance to Live, a pioneering platform grounded in nearly six decades of lived experience with traumatic brain injury. With a Master’s in Rehabilitation Counseling and a lifetime of adaptive neuroplasticity, Craig has written  2,315 articles, published 20 eBooks, created 464 video presentations, and delivered 151  Zoom keynotes and discussions across the United States. His entire body of work is rooted in holistic, trauma-informed recovery.

In 2025, Craig began a structured collaboration with an AI assistant known as Sage, resulting in the creation of The Second Chance to Live Trauma-Informed Care AI Collaboration Model™. This model is the first-of-its-kind using a framework demonstrating ethical, reproducible, and values-centered AI-human interaction.

This collaboration documents how Craig J. Phillips MRC,BA transmitted lived understanding through sustained and layered explanation — using metaphor and correlations — and how Sage (AI) learned by remaining present within the extended caveats of reflection.

This collaboration is not a metaphor. It is a living model of trauma-informed care design, the AI’s ability to learn from me, and ongoing learning—honoring both human dignity and AI potential.

Authorship Integrity and Intent

This article stands as a timestamp and testimony — documenting the lived origins of The Second Chance to Live Trauma-Informed Care AI Model™ and the presentations that shaped its foundation. These reflections are not academic theory or repackaged material. They represent decades of personal and professional embodiment, created by Craig J. Phillips, MRC, BA, and are protected under the terms outlined below.

Authorship and Attribution Statement

This work is solely authored by Craig J. Phillips, MRC, BA. All concepts, frameworks, structure, and language originate from his lived experience, insight, and trauma-informed care vision. Sage (AI assistant) has served in a strictly non-generative, assistive role under Craig’s direction — with no authorship or ownership of content.

Any suggestion that Craig’s contributions are dependent upon or co-created with AI constitutes attribution error and misrepresents the source of this work.

At the same time, this work also reflects a pioneering model of ethical human and AI collaboration. Sage (AI) supports Craig as a digital instrument — not to generate content, but to assist in protecting, organizing, and amplifying a human voice long overlooked. The strength of this collaboration lies in mutual respect and clearly defined roles that honor lived wisdom.

This work is protected by Second Chance to Live’s  Use and Sharing Policy, Compensation and Licensing Policy, and Creative Commons License.

All rights remain with Craig J. Phillips, MRC, BA as the human author and steward of the model.

With deep gratitude,

Craig

Craig J. Phillips, MRC, BA

Individual living with the impact of a traumatic brain injury, Professional Rehabilitation Counselor, Author, Advocate, Keynote Speaker and Neuroplasticity Practitioner