Brain Wellness - the Podcast

Mandi Dickey is a Board Certified Nurse Practitioner with experience in healthcare since 1999. She is a four-time Top Nurse Practitioner award winner, received the Faculty Excellence award in her previous role of nursing professor, has been on the review committee for several nursing textbooks, was the recipient of the Women of Armor Personal Growth award for 2023, was listed in Marquis Who’s Who...

Dr. Amy Coopersmith, OTD, OTR/L, MA Ed, FAOTA is an internationally recognized occupational therapist, educator, researcher, speaker, and children's author who has dedicated more than 30 years to helping youth become confident, capable, and self-determined. Dr. Coopersmith's groundbreaking research and published scholarly work focus on self-determination—the ability to make choices, solve...

Kristin McKenzie is an AVM and stroke survivor, former scare actor and video director working every day to recover from a life altering incident and bring awareness to aneurysm & stroke symptoms to save others from a condition that almost ended her life in 2024. Find Kristin at:  TikTok:  https://www.tiktok.com/@kristinstrong24 Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/mckenzii/ Facebook:  https:/...

Dr. Saara Haapanen is a performance psychologist, keynote speaker, executive performance coach, and founder of Performance is Haapanen. With a PhD in Sport and Exercise Psychology, a background as an international-level athlete, and more than 26 years of coaching experience, she helps high-achieving humans improve motivation, energy, focus, and follow-through without burning themselves out. Her wo...

Dr. Steven Broglio has investigated concussion and mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) for more than three decades, holding faculty positions at the University of Michigan in the School of Kinesiology, along with joint appointments in Neurology and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Following his doctoral studies at the University of Georgia, Dr. Broglio established his research portfolio focuse...

Wendy Lurrie is a former Chief Marketing Officer, growth and strategy executive, and the creator of Rupture: The World of BestGuessistan, a platform exploring what happens when systems fail—especially the human ones we rely on most. After a traumatic brain injury disrupted her ability to function in the ways she once could, Wendy began documenting the invisible, structural changes that follow rupt...

Lee Carlson is an author, journalist, and Zen practitioner whose acclaimed memoir Passage to Nirvana chronicles his recovery from traumatic brain injury using writing, sailing, and Zen. A former magazine editor and documentary producer, his work has appeared in  Outside , the  Los Angeles Times , and multiple Time Inc. publications. A longtime student of Peter Matthiessen, Carlson’s current book e...

Mandi Dickey is a Board Certified Nurse Practitioner with experience in healthcare since 1999. She is a four-time Top Nurse Practitioner award winner, received the Faculty Excellence award in her previous role of nursing professor, has been on the review committee for several nursing textbooks, was the recipient of the Women of Armor Personal Growth award for 2023, was listed in Marquis Who’s Who...

My middle child, Hayden, and I talk about real life frustrations and tips for moms with TBI and keeping up relationships with kids during recovery. Find more about Brain Wellness at: https://brainwellnesssolutions.com/ Support the show with Buy me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/brainwellnessnp

Maureen Cunningham has been with the Brain Injury Association of Missouri as Executive Director since 2008. She has more than 30 years of experience in health, social, and disability non-profit organizations.   Find BIA MO at:  www.biamo.org Phone: 1-800-444-6443  Email:  MCunningham@biamo.org Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/BIA.MISSOURI Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/braininjuryassocia...

Mandi Dickey is a Board Certified Nurse Practitioner with experience in healthcare since 1999. She is a four-time Top Nurse Practitioner award winner, received the Faculty Excellence award in her previous role of nursing professor, has been on the review committee for several nursing textbooks, was the recipient of the Women of Armor Personal Growth award for 2023, was listed in Marquis Who’s Who...

Mandi Dickey is a Board Certified Nurse Practitioner with experience in healthcare since 1999. She is a four-time Top Nurse Practitioner award winner, received the Faculty Excellence award in her previous role of nursing professor, has been on the review committee for several nursing textbooks, was the recipient of the Women of Armor Personal Growth award for 2023, was listed in Marquis Who’s Who...

Dr. Carmen Frede, DNP, AGACNP-BC, Brain Injury Expert | Author | Advocate- Dr. Carmen Frede is a board-certified Nurse Practitioner dedicated to redefining traumatic brain injury (TBI) recovery. Specializing in the critical transition from acute emergency care to long-term neuro-rehabilitation, she is a recognized leader in evidence-based concussion management and patient education. A University o...

Mandi Dickey is a Board Certified Nurse Practitioner with experience in healthcare since 1999. She is a four-time  Top Nurse Practitioner  award winner, received the  Faculty Excellence  award in her previous role of nursing professor, has been on the review committee for several nursing textbooks, was the recipient of the  Women of Armor Personal Growth  award for 2023, was listed in Marquis Who’...

Kelly Tuttle joined the "head injury survivors club" (as she described it) in 2015, the night another car pulled in front of her as she was driving. It wasn't until three months later that she realized something was seriously wrong. Kelly's traumatic brain injury (TBI) marked the beginning of a new life and a personal journey of self-discovery. Kelly Tuttle is the author of After...

Vance Mattzela is an Alaskan born, traveling millwright that was in a massive motorcycle accident in Florida in 2017, which broke his body and brain. He moved to Michigan in 2020 in order to be closer to family and to get treatment for his back and TBI. He started B4B in 2023 in order to bring better visibility to TBI among bikers and the general public. Find Vance at:  https://www.b4busa.org/ Ema...

Dr. Jennifer Gans is a San Francisco based clinical psychologist and researcher recognized internationally for her expertise in the psychological impact of tinnitus, hyperacusis, and hearing loss on well-being. She serves as a Board Member of the American Tinnitus Association (ATA). She is the CEO/Founder of MindfulTinnitusRelief.com, the first-ever self-administered 8-week online skill-building c...

Mandi Dickey is a Board Certified Nurse Practitioner with 20+ years of experience in healthcare. She is a three-time Top Nurse Practitioner award winner, received the Faculty Excellence award in her previous role of nursing professor, has been on the review committee for several nursing textbooks, and was the recipient of the Women of Armor Personal Growth award for 2023. In 2022, Mandi began her...

Dr. Barry Miller has over 25 years of higher education experience that includes research, teaching, and administrative roles. For the past 7 years he has served as the Director of Outreach and Business Development for the Virginia Tech Helmet Lab. His educational background includes anatomy, exercise physiology, strength & conditioning, and biomechanics. He has a PhD in Biomechanics from the U...

Will Grove is the Helpline Director for the Brain Injury Association of Arizona. In his role, Will assists survivors of brain injury as well as families and caregivers with getting connected to resources in their community, while also hosting multiple support groups and programs in Arizona. He also travels the state promoting BIAAZ and assisting with public policy initiatives. Prior to working at...

Dr. Daniel Avesar, PhD is a brain injury survivor and advocate dedicated to raising awareness and promoting understanding of brain injury. When he was 18 years old (10/11/1999), during the third week of his undergraduate studies, Daniel sustained a severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) that required a craniotomy of the right side of his skull. That marked the beginning of a seven-year journey to reb...

Jessie Rain Anne Smith is a Qualified Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Teacher, trained through the University of California San Diego's Mindfulness-Based Professional Training Institute. She has also completed Dr. David Treleaven’s Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness training, and was one of a select few chosen by Dr. Treleaven for mentorship in 2022. Following a car accident and brain inju...

Mandi Dickey is a Board Certified Nurse Practitioner with 20+ years of experience in healthcare. She is a three-time Top Nurse Practitioner award winner, received the Faculty Excellence award in her previous role of nursing professor, has been on the review committee for several nursing textbooks, and was the recipient of the Women of Armor Personal Growth award for 2023. In 2022, Mandi began her...

Cynthia Schwartzberg, LCSW, is a psychotherapist, trainer, and author of The Curious Voyage to Authenticity: A Rule-Breaking Guide for Personal Growth. Known for a warm, experiential, and deeply attuned style, she helps people understand how patterns live in both mind and body, and how change becomes possible when the nervous system is supported. Cynthia created Harmonic Brain Healing™, an integra...

Scott Powell has served as Executive Director of AHIF for nearly twelve years. Scott has a sincere passion for this population, and is committed to building programs and services to help each survivor reach their fullest potential.   Find AHIF at:  www.ahif.org Email:  spowell@ahif.org Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/ALHeadInjuryFoundation Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/alheadinjury/  ...