Monday, June 28, 2010

Next meeting: July 12, 2010


Lifelines: The Brain Injury Support Group
meeting at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas.


The July meeting is scheduled for Monday, the 12th, from 6:30 – 8:00 PM (directions below).


Lynda Gail Jones will lead us in a session of: Collage as a form of art therapy.

Lynda Gail Jones, longtime member of Lifelines, is also a Housing Recovery Specialist in the Mental Health Field. She works with clients who are challenged by Bipolar, Schizophrenia, and Major Depressive Disorder. Some of these clients have also had brain injuries, substance abuse issues, and criminal histories that complicate their lives. Her role is to assist them in stabilizing both housing and mental health through psychosocial rehabilitation skills training.

Lynda Gail is also a brain injury survivor. Now age 63, her first brain was in September 1992 when she was rear-ended. While in the hospital, she started her adventure with collage and ceramics. The arts helped her process things during recovery.


She is an alumni of the Richland College Adult Brain Injury Survivor Program (TRI). From there she mainstreamed into college and earned by Bachelors of Science in Rehabilitation Studies with a minor in Emergency Management focusing on Special Populations. In April 2007 and again in January 2010 she re-injured her brain in car accidents; she was rear-ended by other drivers. She acknowledges the continued brain injury presents a challenge for her daily life.



Lynda Gail and her husband celebrate their 45th anniversary in August 2010. They have three children and nine grandchildren.

Thank you, Lynda Gail for sharing the collage therapy that helped you so much!!!


What is Collage?

The term collage originates from the French word coller, which means “to glue.” The collage is a form of the visual arts and is created by gathering many different pieces or chunks of things. After you’ve gathered a variety of pieces you can then assemble the pieces into one, collective piece of art. This usually achieved by placing the individual pieces and gluing them onto a canvas or piece of paper, for instance, essentially creating a unique piece of artwork.


Read more:
http://www.arttherapyblog.com/art-therapy-ideas/get-creative-with-collages/#ixzz0sAU1lg2c



How is this helpful to brain injury survivors?
Collage allows expression of self and perhaps what you are not able to verbalize, you can still express through collage. It also provides eye hand coordination, spacial orientation and physical exercise for an affected limb.

Please send a reply email to Kimberly Aikman (aikmank@gmail.com) or call 214 289 0286 so we know to expect you.


Directions to Presbyterian Hospital:
Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas is located on Walnut Hill Lane, just east of U.S. 75 (Central Expressway). The meetings are in the
Fogelson Building, Ground Floor, Haggar Hall
Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas
8200 Walnut Hill Lane
Dallas, TX 75231

When turning into the campus from Walnut Hill, the best route of entry may be the driveway prior to the light. The Fogelson Building is to the right when facing the main hospital entrance, and is next to the Margot Perot Center. Using the underground parking is the easiest way to reach the meeting location; if entering from the main floor, cross the foyer (past the stairs) and take the elevators to the ground floor. Haggar Hall is to the left off the elevators.

Remember that parking is now free! Be sure to get your validation sticker at the start of the meeting.

Neither Lifelines: The Brain Injury Support Group nor Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas support, endorse or recommend any method, treatment, or a program for persons with a brain injury. The intent of the group is to provide support and make information available. Attendance in the group is not a substitute for an informed discussion between a patient and his/her health care provider. No endorsement is intended nor implied.



Monday, June 7, 2010

Next meeting: June 14, 2010

Lifelines: The Brain Injury Support Group
meeting at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas.


The June meeting is scheduled for Monday, the 14th, from 6:30 – 8:00 PM (directions below).


9th year anniversary - A celebration of where we've been and where we're going.

It's hard to believe we've been meeting for nine years! Please join us for a group discussion. To help facilitate discussion, please consider the following:

  • Name and age
  • Where are you in terms of recovery (years out)?
  • What deficits do you have?
  • What type of rehabilitation have you been through?
  • What are you doing now? (employment, any volunteer work)
  • What difficulties do you face on a daily basis?
  • What has been the most frustrating aspect of your recovery?
  • What have you learned about the brain / brain injury and how did you learn it?
  • What have you found to be most useful in your own recovery? (treatment, research, books or articles; please bring these with you to share with the group)
  • What topics would you be interested in for future support group meetings?
  • How do you feel about the world?
  • What do you do for fun?

Please send a reply email to Kimberly Aikman (aikmank@gmail.com) or call 214 289 0286 so we know to expect you. Also note that we are in Haggar Hall.


Directions to Presbyterian Hospital:
Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas is located on Walnut Hill Lane, just east of U.S. 75 (Central Expressway). The meetings are in the
Fogelson Building, Ground Floor, Haggar Hall
Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas
8200 Walnut Hill Lane
Dallas, TX 75231

When turning into the campus from Walnut Hill, the best route of entry may be the driveway prior to the light. The Fogelson Building is to the right when facing the main hospital entrance, and is next to the Margot Perot Center. Using the underground parking is the easiest way to reach the meeting location; if entering from the main floor, cross the foyer (past the stairs) and take the elevators to the ground floor. Haggar Hall is to the left off the elevators.

Remember that parking is now free! Be sure to get your validation sticker at the start of the meeting.

Neither Lifelines: The Brain Injury Support Group nor Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas support, endorse or recommend any method, treatment, or a program for persons with a brain injury. The intent of the group is to provide support and make information available. Attendance in the group is not a substitute for an informed discussion between a patient and his/her health care provider. No endorsement is intended nor implied.