This document discusses trauma, rehabilitation, and recovery from injuries or illnesses. It outlines Val Lougheed's personal journey recovering from trauma and acquiring a brain injury. It describes the challenges of recovering a sense of identity and independence. It also discusses methods that can help in recovery, such as neuroplasticity, resilience, and focusing on healing the whole person rather than just the injury. The document promotes a holistic, patient-centered approach to vocational rehabilitation and recovery through the services offered by Northern Lights Canada.

1. Val Lougheed
Northern Lights Canada
Real Work * Real People * Real
Results
PUTTING THE PIECES TOGETHER
Trauma, Rehabilitation and Recovery
~ Keep your Fork ~
1-800-361-4642 * www.northernlightscanada.ca * vlougheed@northernlightscanada.ca

2. “You don’t want your
impairments to define
you – you want them
to inform you.”
(Hanita Dagan, personal communication, 2005)

3. www.slideshare.net/vlougheed
#NLCAN
www.northernlightscanada.ca/our-company/our-
president/be-still

4. Agenda
• Beginning …
• Middle …
• End …

5. Putting the Pieces Together
1. What does it mean to recover?
2. What can I do to recover and
return to a life that includes
work?
3. What can we do to facilitate
recovery and a return to work?

6. Rated PG-113
People Strongly Cautioned!
May contain bad language, brief nudity,
sexual overtones, and drug usage.

7. Beginning
1978

10. VIDEO CLIP
Val being
interviewed in
Minden

12. Sept. 9, 2003 - morning

13. Sept. 9 – p.m.

14. Sept. 15 2003 – Jan. 19 2004
Journey Back to Life

19. February 2004 – Present
Starting Point

21. The
Re-organization
of Self
March 2004

22. “In the aftermath of traumatic
life events … [the] sense of self
has been shattered.”
(Herman, 1992, p. 61)
“An existential crisis …”
(Hanita Dagan, personal communication, 2005)

23. Sliding Down the Slope

24. Sliding Down the Slope

26. A Foothold
• Mild – moderate ABI
• Depressed (dysphoria)
• Working memory problems
• Hiding pain
1st
Neuropsychological Assessment
June 2004 -- Results

27. ABI – Measuring Loss
Subjective Report – difficulty retrieving words and communicating ideas
Objective Report – above-average performance on neuropsychological measures
(Prigatano, 1999; p. 59)

28. Losing My Grip
My IWRP
August 2004

29. Video of Borg

31. Rescued in the Valley of
Despair
Head Injury Program
Oct. – Dec. 2004

33. GRTW – The Plan
Jan. 3 – Feb. 7, 2005
(5 weeks)

34. GRTW – The Reality

35. GRTW – The Reality

36. GRTW – The Reality

37. GRTW – The Reality

38. GRTW – The Reality

39. GRTW – The Reality

40. GRTW – The Reality

41. GRTW – The Reality

42. GRTW – The Reality

44. Work-Site Performance
Evaluation©

45. Sliding Back Down
Into The Abyss
• Non-compliance
• Malingering
• Trying too hard
• Not trying hard enough
2nd
Neuropsychological Assessment
May 2005 -- Edmonton

47. Test Results
• Mild to Moderate ABI
• Pain?
• Depression?
• Motivation?
• “a high flyer”
• “phobic avoidance”
• Future plans – “live off
dividends” [from company]

48. Lesson
ASSUMPTION
S
REVEAL BIAS

49. • Mild – moderate ABI
• Good prognosis
• Post-Traumatic amnesia
• Pain?
• Depression?
• “Adjustment Disorder with
Anxiety and Depressed Mood”
3rd Neuropsychological
Assessment
August 2005 -- Calgary

50. Symptom Overlap
(co-morbidity)
(Michael Sullivan, Centre for Research on Pain and
Disability, McGill University, September, 2006)
Pain, Trauma, Depression, ABI

52. Oct. 3 – Dec. 11

54. Pain Research
1600’s – Rene Descartes (philosopher)

55. Pain Research
1950’s – Wilder Penfield (brain surgeon)

57. Pain Research
Patrick Wall (physiologist)
Ronald Melzack (psychologist)

59. Pain – The Future
SCN9A
(Globe and Mail, March 24, 2007)
Glia Cells
(Scientific American, November, 2009)
Poppy Genes
(U of Calgary -- Calgary Sun, March 15, 2010)

63. “In every encounter, basic trust is in
question.” ( Herman, 1992, p. 92)
“Survivors feel unsafe in their bodies
– and in any relationship with other
people.” (Herman, 1992, p. 160)
Rehab & Recovery

65. DISSO
CIA
TION
Trauma Research

66. VIDEO CLIP
Adrenaline:
Flight or Fight
Trauma Research

67. Fight

68. Freeze

69. “Survival Central”
(Rothschild, 2000, p. 46)
• Amygdala - Implicit memory
• storage of emotions and sensory reactions
(Rothschild, 2000, p. 20)
• Hippocampus – Explicit memory
• creates memories of actual sequence of
events
(Rothschild, 2000; p. 28)
Trauma Research
Limbic System and Memory

70. Stress Hormones
• Amygdala - Implicit memory
• storage of emotions and sensory reactions
(Rothschild, 2000, p. 20)
• Hippocampus Explicit memory–
• creates memories of actual sequence of
events
(Gunnar & Barr, 1998)
Trauma Research
Limbic System Under Threat

72. Trauma
Personal Experience
• Dissociation & Cocoon = Safety
• System on High Alert Always =
Survival
• World is black & white = Trust
Trust (Safety) = Love
No Trust (Life Threatening) = Hate

73. Trauma
Personal Experience
• Listen to me
• Understand me
• Respect me
• Are competent
I trust (love, feel safe with, will
try hard for) people who:

76. “… depression [caused by
trauma] is not the same as
ordinary depression.”
( Herman, 1992, p. 118)
Depression

77. Candace Pert, 1997; pp. 171 -- 179
Psychoimmunoendocrine Network

80. Affects more than IQ
….
Touches core … of a
person’s self-esteem
(Prigatano, 1999; p. 58)
ABI

81. Back to Wilder Penfield – 1950’s
ABI
Localizationist

82. VIDEO CLIP Story of Paul
Bach-y-Rita’s dad
Paul Bach-y-rita
Neuroplasticity Video Clip;
link to Neuroplasticity –
YouTube; bren49764
00 – 2:20

83. Paul Bach-y-Rita – 1934 – 2006
Scientist and Rehab Doctor
Neuroplasticity - 1969

86. METHODS OF
HELPING

87. “The words and attitudes of
others … are potent. They help
or hex healing and recovery.”
“ Expectations are powerful.”
(Bolen, 1996; p. 94)
Body-Mind Connection

88. Cortisol and Immune
Cells
Sternberg, 2001; p. 112

89. SCARF MODEL (Rock,
2008)

90. VIDEO CLIP
Esther
Sternberg
Dr. Esther Sternberg Demo
Reel – YouTube;
00 -- .36

91. • Hypothalamus
• Peptides
• Receptors
• Biochemical Events

92. Video clip Addicted
to Love song

93. Quantum Connection
The Living Matrix
(Braden, 2007; p. 45)

94. “Loss of identity can evoke a
personal crisis, creating a need
for change.”
(Ornelas, in Smith & Johnson (Eds), 1997; p. 172)
The Re-Organization of Self
Identity Research

96. Scaling the Canyon

97. Sept., 2005
Waskesiu

102. Breast Cancer
Reconstructive Surgery
March 2006

103. Convocation M.Ed. -- June
2006

104. Back in “a” Saddle
September 2007
• Officially change role/
title
• Re-organize NL
• Home Office

106. Putting the Pieces Together
Resilience
 Ability to return to original form after
being bent (bounce back)
Thriving in constant change, ability to be:
• Flexible
• Creative
• Adaptable
• Learn from experience
http://www.resiliencycenter.com/articles/5levels.shtml

107. Putting the Pieces Together
Rehabilitation (habiter – to live inside)
“Rehabilitation is the learning to live
inside not only one’s body, however
it is after an injury or illness, but
inside one’s very being.”
(Kabat-Zinn, in Meili, 2003; p. 241)

108. Putting the Pieces
Together
Recovery
Curing Focus on the illness/
impairment [outside]
Healing Focus on the person
[inside]
(Crombez, October; 2003)

109. Be Still

110. Putting the Pieces Together
1. What does it mean to recover?
2. What can I do to recover and
return to a life that includes
work?
3. What can we do to facilitate
recovery and a return to work?

111. Keep Your Fork

112. Northern Lights Canada is a person-centred
organization committed to providing innovative,
responsive links to real work.
We offer 4 major divisions of service:
• Vocational Rehabilitation Services
• Employment Services
• Employer Services
• Corporate Training
For more information, please contact us:
1-800-361-4642
www.northernlightscanada.ca

113. Voc Rehab Canada (VRCAN) is a national consortium of experienced
regional vocational rehabilitation companies. VRCAN provides
customers with single-point access to VR services anywhere they are
needed in Canada, whether on an individual service or contract basis.
Member companies include:
Argus Management Consultants, Inc. Sandra Preeper & Associates
Advantage Rehabilitation Consultants
Ltd.
Rehabilitation Alternatives Limited /
Vocational Alternatives Software
OPTIMA Rehabilitation CVE Inc.
Northern Lights Canada Occupational Rehabilitation Group of
Canada (ORGOC)
Western Rehabilitation Specialists Inc. Diversified Rehabilitation Group
Genesis Rehabilitation Ltd. Rehabilitation Focus
For more information, please feel free to contact us at 1-800-361-4642