Strategies for Person-Centered Approach to Mild TBI: An Interprofessional Perspective

Approximately 42 million people worldwide experience mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) each year. Even if they don’t exhibit verifiable cognitive symptoms, they might experience cognitive inefficiency in their daily lives. How can health care professionals, such as speech-language pathologists and psychologists, help them? The Joint Committee on Interprofessional Relations of ASHA and the American Psychological Association (APA) suggests taking a person-centered approach to treatment that focuses on education, counseling, and use of compensatory strategies to help patients re-engage in meaningful daily activities. A person-centered approach to mTBI treatment understands that people with mild brain injury can identify their symptoms and challenges. This ability allows them to use facilitative therapeutic support from SLPs or psychologists to overcome those challenges. When providing such support, clinicians: Exhibit genuineness while discussing issues with the patient or client. Hold the person in positive regard. Empathize with the person. Provide a supportive and proactive environment. In such an environment, people with mTBI will likely engage in activities leading to successful outcomes. Try the following strategies to achieve this holistic approach: Motivational interviewing (MI) With MI, the clinician can guide patients to self-identify behaviors they wish to change with methods that work for the patient. This promotes patient empowerment and change becomes more rea...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Tags: Academia & Research Health Care Private Practice Schools Slider Speech-Language Pathology ASHA Convention Cognitive Rehabilitation Traumatic Brain Injury Source Type: blogs