Dr. Holly Hurn is Clinical Psychologist at QEF’s Care and Rehabilitation Centre, where she is part of a multi-disciplinary team providing expert neuro rehabilitation; enabling people with an acquired brain injury following a stroke, accident or other neurological condition to rebuild their lives and maximise their independence.
“My primary role is to support our clients to better understand their diagnosis and regain their confidence and sense of self. Loss of identity can be a significant part of a neurological injury – often people find themselves dependent on somebody else for the first time since childhood. They are fearful for the future and their self-confidence crashes.
We view each person as an individual and seek to understand their values, what drives them and what makes them who they are. We then try to support our clients to reconnect with those values – as in most cases, regardless of what else an injury might rob us of, it can seldom take away one’s core values. Re-connecting with one’s values can guide someone forwards through a period of uncertainty and draw on the strength they have to get them through this difficult event in their life.
A brain injury can really affect how someone processes the world around them and can cause hidden disabilities that loved ones may not be expecting. We support individuals to understand and adjust to their neurological injuries. We offer education, tips and coping strategies to help our clients manage the changes resulting from their injury. Such changes may include impaired attention, processing speed and memory, as well as high levels of fatigue.
Emotions, personality and behaviour may also be affected, which can be challenging for family and friends to navigate. We involve loved ones as much as possible and support clients in their psychological adjustment, encouraging their progress, nurturing their cognitive skills and regaining a sense of identity so they can feel confident about their future.
Our new Care and Rehabilitation Centre just outside Leatherhead in Surrey, provides a beautiful setting to help a client begin their emotional, as a well as physical and cognitive, recovery following a neurological injury. We have beautiful grounds in which to run client relaxation and Mindfulness groups, 1:1 sessions and COVID-safe family meetings.”
