Music has a unique ability to reach parts of the brain that regular speech or traditional therapies sometimes cannot. For those who have experienced a brain injury, the rhythmic and multi-sensory nature of music can bridge neurological gaps and provide a distinct pathway toward healing. In this episode, host Cristabelle Braden sits down with neurologic music therapist Serenna Wagner and her client, Alice Collier, who has experienced a brain injury to talk about the profound impact of music therapy on recovery.

We also feature a spotlight with Dr. Ryan Harvey from The Functional Neurology Center. Dr. Harvey explains the mechanics of auditory stimulation and music, breaking down how it triggers multi-sensory integration to stimulate neural pathways without overloading a recovering patient's sensory system.

🧠 In this episode:

• Understanding Neurologic Music Therapy (NMT) - how specific, standardized techniques use music to manipulate brain activity, join the brain's hemispheres, and circumvent damaged networks.
• A story of resilience and finding new dreams after Alice survived a traumatic brain injury from a bike accident
• How matching auditory cues to visual and physical actions drives the brain's timing and sequencing networks.
• How music therapy can be dynamically paired with physical therapy to make repetitive, challenging, or tedious physical movements highly motivating.
• Host Cristabelle shares how music and songwriting helped her reclaim her emotions, speech and motor skills following her own brain injury.

Connect with Serenna: https://thisinnervoice.com/

CONNECT

Follow @hopesurvives

Visit ⁠hopesurvives.org ⁠⁠

Join a support group at ⁠hopesurvives.org/community⁠⁠

Reach out to us anytime: ⁠hi@hopesurvives.org⁠

Hosted by Cristabelle Braden: @cristabellebraden |⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠cristabellebraden.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Sponsor

Thank you to The Functional Neurology Center for sponsoring this podcast - The FNC offers personalized neuro-recovery programs for anyone going through brain injury and a wide range of neurological conditions. Learn more:⁠ ⁠https://www.thefnc.com⁠⁠

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0:00 Intro

1:53 Music on Cristabelle’s Journey

6:10 Music and Multi-Sensory Integration in Brain Injury Rehabilitation with Dr. Harvey - Spotlight

9:43 Introducing Alice and Serenna

15:05 Finding New Life after Brain Injury

18:15 Understanding Music Therapy

23:05 How Music Brings Growth after Brain Injury

27:27 Creativity in Brain Injury Recovery

32:45 Playing “The Drunken Sailor”

35:28 Words of Hope

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Disclaimer

This podcast is for education and informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Please consult your physician for individualized care. More: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠hopesurvives.org/podcast⁠

When you are dealing with the overwhelming changes of a brain injury, it can easily feel like you are stuck in constant survival mode. There are so many changes in identity, dreams, and goals. So how do you move forward and find purpose? In this episode, Cristabelle sits down with Jackson Davis, who shares his powerful story of turning trauma into a deeper purpose. After surviving a catastrophic car accident that left him in a multi-month coma with severe physical and brain injuries, Jackson had to completely rebuild his life, reframe his goals, and discover what it truly means to endure - even becoming an ultra-endurance Ironman athlete.

We also feature a special spotlight with Dr. Ryan Harvey from The Functional Neurology Center on finding meaning during recovery. Dr. Harvey discusses the vital psychological shift from focusing on feeling "broken" to intentionally making yourself whole again, and how a purpose-driven perspective can actively build your neurological resilience.

🧠 In this episode:

• Navigating survival mode & why it is completely okay to just focus on getting through the day one moment at a time when your system is overwhelmed.
• Coping with the sudden loss of your old life plans and learning to accept and love the person you are today.
• How finding new purpose doesn't have to look like a massive plan right away; it can be found in the small ways you choose to show up for yourself and your community each day.
• Ways that Jackson defied medical expectations, overcame severe physical limitations, and trained to compete in multiple long-distance triathlons.
• The importance setting goals for yourself to take those small steps forward - even if it’s pacing your daily actions one hour at a time.

CONNECT

Follow @hopesurvives

Visit ⁠hopesurvives.org ⁠⁠

Join a support group at ⁠hopesurvives.org/community⁠⁠

Reach out to us anytime: ⁠hi@hopesurvives.org⁠

Hosted by Cristabelle Braden: @cristabellebraden |⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠cristabellebraden.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Sponsor

Thank you to The Functional Neurology Center for sponsoring this podcast - The FNC offers personalized neuro-recovery programs for anyone going through brain injury and a wide range of neurological conditions. Learn more:⁠ ⁠https://www.thefnc.com⁠⁠

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0:00 Intro

2:00 Welcome with Cristabelle

4:55 Spotlight - Finding Purpose within Recovery - Dr. Ryan Harvey

7:55 Introducing Jackson Davis

9:30 Jackson’s TBI Story

19:30 Emotional & Physical Recovery

21:50 Finding New Dreams & Goals

23:13 Defining Purpose

25:05 Journey to Ironman

27:45 Encouragement in Walking in Purpose

30:10 Words of Hope

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Disclaimer

This podcast is for education and informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Please consult your physician for individualized care. More: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠hopesurvives.org/podcast⁠

When facing cognitive challenges after a brain injury, your mindset has a massive impact on your overall recovery. Today, Cristabelle talks with speech-language pathologist Jenny Traver about mindset, learning, emotional recovery, and returning to school after a brain injury. Whether you are a student trying to go back to a busy school, a parent figuring out how to guide your child, or anyone navigating a unique path to wellness, this episode offers practical tips for your journey.

We also have a spotlight with Dr. Jeremy Schmoe from The Functional Neurology Center on learning and neuroplasticity. He explains how the brain rewires itself when you learn new tasks, especially when you mix brain exercises with simple body movements to get blood flowing.

🧠 In this episode:

• How changing your self-talk helps your brain heal when facing difficult days.
• Why managing brain fatigue is just as important as studying or working.
• Learning to speak up for your needs is a skill you can practice and build over time.
• Coping with the hard emotional shift when your daily abilities suddenly change.
• Practical tips for parents and students returning to loud classrooms and managing mental fatigue.
• Navigating school accommodations and learning to move forward step-by-step.
• Caregivers don't need all the answers; just being a calm, supportive presence is a powerful tool.
• Taking it one day at a time will help you get back to what matters most.

CONNECT

Follow @hopesurvives

Visit ⁠hopesurvives.org ⁠⁠

Join a support group at ⁠hopesurvives.org/community⁠⁠

Reach out to us anytime: ⁠hi@hopesurvives.org⁠

Hosted by Cristabelle Braden: @cristabellebraden |⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠cristabellebraden.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Sponsor

Thank you to The Functional Neurology Center for sponsoring this podcast - The FNC offers personalized neuro-recovery programs for anyone going through brain injury and a wide range of neurological conditions. Learn more:⁠ ⁠https://www.thefnc.com⁠⁠

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0:00 Intro

2:10 Welcome with Cristabelle

3:45 Spotlight with Dr. Schmoe

6:35 Introducing Jenny Traver

11:55 The Intertwined Picture of Recovery

13:15 Cognitive Challenges of Returning to School

18:30 Mindset Shifts & Gentle Reframing

25:20 Importance of the Right Support

29:55 Self-Advocacy and Executive Functioning

33:30 Asking for Help

35:40 Words of Hope

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Disclaimer

This podcast is for education and informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Please consult your physician for individualized care. More: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠hopesurvives.org/podcast⁠

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is one of the leading causes of death and disability globally, yet it has never received distinct, individualized attention from the world’s largest health policy bodies. For years, TBI has been treated as a "footnote" in broader neurological discussions, but that is about to change.

In this episode, our host Cristabelle is joined by Paul Dubetz, whose lived experience with traumatic brain injury eventually led to working with a global coalition to bring a historic resolution before the World Health Organization (WHO). Paul also shares his story of survival after a catastrophic accident in Italy, and explains why reclassifying brain injury as a chronic condition is the key to unlocking global standards of care.

🌏 This conversation arrives at a pivotal moment as the 79th World Health Assembly convenes in Geneva, Switzerland, this May 2026. As the supreme decision-making body of the WHO, this Assembly has the power to approve programs and set the international health policies that will define the future of neurological care. Paul is part of leading a critical effort at a side event during the Assembly, where a panel of individuals with lived experience will advocate directly to member states to ensure that TBI is officially recognized as a chronic and notifiable condition on the world stage in 2027.

🧠 In this episode:

• Why the World Health Organization is the essential vehicle for setting international health policies for TBI.
• Paul’s personal account of a severe TBI and the advanced neurosurgeries that saved his life in Milan.
• Understanding how labeling TBI as a "chronic and notifiable condition" will allow member states to implement long-term surveillance and treatment.
• A glimpse into the legislative process behind the World Health Assembly and the target for adoption in 2027.

CONNECT

Follow @hopesurvives

Visit ⁠hopesurvives.org ⁠⁠

Join a support group at ⁠hopesurvives.org/community⁠⁠

Reach out to us anytime: ⁠hi@hopesurvives.org⁠

Hosted by Cristabelle Braden: @cristabellebraden |⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠cristabellebraden.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Sponsor

Thank you to The Functional Neurology Center for sponsoring this podcast - The FNC offers personalized neuro-recovery programs for anyone going through brain injury and a wide range of neurological conditions. Learn more:⁠ ⁠https://www.thefnc.com⁠⁠

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0:00 Intro

1:53 Welcome with Cristabelle

6:34 Introducing Paul Dubetz

8:50 The Life Changing Accident

18:05 Effects of the TBI

22:32 Involvement with the World Health Organization

26:10 Resolution for TBI Recognition

32:58 Words of Hope

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Disclaimer

This podcast is for education and informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Please consult your physician for individualized care. More: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠hopesurvives.org/podcast⁠

Recovery after a brain injury can feel like solving a puzzle, uncovering the pieces and trying to put it all together. For many, dysautonomia is the missing piece of the puzzle that explains why symptoms like brain fog, lightheadedness, and extreme fatigue persist long after the initial impact.

In this episode, Cristabelle sits down with Dr. Ryan Harvey from The Functional Neurology Center to pull back the curtain on the autonomic nervous system and explain why a problem with the autonomic nervous system and blood flow might be the real reason you’re struggling to find stability. Dr. Harvey also shares his powerful personal journey from a child experiencing mysterious fainting episodes to becoming a lead clinician helping others navigate the same complex neurological dysfunctions.

🧠 In this episode:

• Understanding dysautonomia as a dysfunction in how your brain signals blood flow throughout the body.
• Neurogenic inflammation from a head injury can last much longer than typical body inflammation, often triggering autonomic issues.
• Identifying the wide range of symptoms of dysautonomia, from cold hands and feet to GI issues and exercise intolerance.
• Why simple positional changes, like standing up or showering, can become major hurdles for cerebral perfusion.
• Practical, controllable strategies for taking the next step forward.
• How to move from a state of overstimulation into a multimodal rehabilitation plan where life eventually becomes your therapy.

CONNECT

Follow @hopesurvives

Visit ⁠hopesurvives.org ⁠⁠

Join a support group at ⁠hopesurvives.org/community⁠⁠

Reach out to us anytime: ⁠hi@hopesurvives.org⁠

Hosted by Cristabelle Braden: @cristabellebraden |⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠cristabellebraden.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Sponsor

Thank you to The Functional Neurology Center for sponsoring this podcast - The FNC offers personalized neuro-recovery programs for anyone going through brain injury and a wide range of neurological conditions. Learn more:⁠ ⁠https://www.thefnc.com⁠⁠

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0:00 Intro

2:00 Welcome with Cristabelle

6:20 Introducing Dr. Harvey

11:40 Explaining Dysautonomia

15:50 POTS & Other Forms

18:20 What to Look Out For

20:50 Exercise Intolerance

23:18 Where to Start to Regulate Nervous System

27:07 Dysautonomia vs. Post-Injury Dysfunction

30:20 Words of Hope

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Disclaimer

This podcast is for education and informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Please consult your physician for individualized care. More: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠hopesurvives.org/podcast⁠

Navigating life after brain injury often means managing a complex overlap of symptoms where the lines between neurological changes and mental health can become blurred. Too often, individuals find their very real neurological symptoms misdiagnosed as purely psychological issues, leaving them without the comprehensive care they need. Or there can be mental health needs that go overlooked due to the brain injury, leading to things getting missed.

In this episode, we sit down with trauma neurosurgeon Dr. Edie Zusman to discuss the often-overlooked mental health aspects of brain injury and the necessity of a holistic approach that integrates both neurological and psychological support. Dr. Zusman is also the Founder and CEO of Safe Living Space, a nonprofit organization dedicated to brain injury awareness, education, and advancing brain injury research where it is most frequently overlooked.

🧠 In this episode:

• Understanding both the cognitive and emotional aspects of an injury is vital for effective recovery.
• Many neurological symptoms are frequently misdiagnosed as psychological issues, highlighting the need for specialized expertise.
• Brain injury symptoms can create barriers in interpersonal relationships that require patience and understanding.
• Recognizing the neurological basis of symptoms can lead to more validated experiences and better treatment outcomes.
• The path to wellness is unique for everyone and requires a high degree of patience with the process.
• Prioritizing safety and preventing further brain injuries is essential for long-term health and stability.

CONNECT

Follow @hopesurvives

Visit ⁠hopesurvives.org ⁠⁠

Join a support group at ⁠hopesurvives.org/community⁠⁠

Reach out to us anytime: ⁠hi@hopesurvives.org⁠

Hosted by Cristabelle Braden: @cristabellebraden |⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠cristabellebraden.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Sponsor

Thank you to The Functional Neurology Center for sponsoring this podcast - The FNC offers personalized neuro-recovery programs for anyone going through brain injury and a wide range of neurological conditions. Learn more:⁠ ⁠https://www.thefnc.com⁠⁠

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0:00 Intro

1:58 Welcome with Cristabelle

6:45 Introducing Dr. Zusman

10:15 Common Gaps with Brain Injury

15:00 When Symptoms Get Missed or Misdiagnosed

20:00 The Effect on Sense of Self and Relationships

22:40 Understanding Brings Empowerment

33:20 Takeaways

34:45 Words of Hope

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Disclaimer

This podcast is for education and informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Please consult your physician for individualized care. More: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠hopesurvives.org/podcast⁠