Bonnie Nish will be defending her dissertation research proposal in the teleconference room in Ponderosa Commons (PCOH 1306A) on Monday, January 14, at 1pm.
All are welcome to attend.
Supervisory Committee:
Dr. Carl Leggo (Supervisor),
Dr. Rita Irwin (Committee Member),
Dr. Laura Apol (Committee Member)
Title: “The Promise of Returning Home after Mild Traumatic Brain Injury”
Abstract:
Trauma is anything that happens to us, physically or psychically, that is beyond our capacity to cope given our personal circumstances and development. Trauma devastates individuals and those who support them. Brain injuries, whether considered mild, moderate or severe, are a common source of trauma. Mild Traumatic Brain Injuries (MTBI) are underreported injuries and can have long-lasting, life-altering effects and even result in death. What once felt like home, internally and externally is knocked off its foundation, no matter how solid, in a single instant. How does one navigate through the complex journey of reconnecting and to finding one’s way back home to self? Research needs to put a name to the face of the injured part, and to create a connection to the reader and speak to the sense of isolation and loss. Drawing from trauma theory, compassion theory and ethics of care theory, this study explores how it is fundamental to one’s recovery from MTBI to be engaged and to engage in a healthy and caring manner. Through the use of poetic inquiry and life writing I share the changes that occurred as I moved from isolation, back out to the world as a changed person and how these changes continue to affect me. My writing has been my guide throughout this entire journey that I now give to others as a way to find their own hope in desperate times.