Our Process

 

Our concussion service is designed for people whose recovery has become confusing, stalled, or hard to translate into real-life function—especially at work, with screens, and under cognitive load.

We focus on the cognitive and emotional effects of concussion, and we coordinate care with trusted providers who treat the physical and sensory drivers of symptoms (e.g., vestibular, vision, sleep).

 

Who this process is for

 

You may be a good fit if you are 4+ weeks post-concussion and experiencing things like:

  • brain fog, slowed thinking, difficulty concentrating

  • mental fatigue that builds quickly and takes time to recover

  • irritability, overwhelm, reduced frustration tolerance

  • screen intolerance, headaches with reading/monitoring tasks

  • difficulty multitasking, meetings, decision-making, or returning to work/study

 

If you are in the first 2–3 weeks after injury, we typically recommend your GP and/or physiotherapist manage the acute phase first. We can provide early education and pacing guidance in select cases, but our core work is most useful once the initial recovery phase has passed.

 

Step 1: Pre-intake and referral triage

 

Before your first appointment, we’ll clarify:

  • your injury timeline and symptom pattern

  • current medical management and any red flags already addressed

  • your main functional goals (work, study, daily life, sport, screens)

  • whether you’re best suited to our service now, or would benefit from other care first

 

This ensures we start with the right scope, at the right time.

 

Step 2: Concussion Neurocognitive Assessment (Focused Battery)

 

This is a targeted neuropsychological assessment—not a full, exhaustive battery.

What we assess

We map how efficiently your brain is working under load, including:

  • processing speed and cognitive efficiency

  • sustained and divided attention (especially multitasking cost)

  • working memory under load

  • executive functioning (shifting, inhibition, organisation—endurance matters)

  • learning/encoding efficiency (as needed)

  • fatigue and recovery curve (how performance changes across tasks)

 

What we also include

  • a structured functional interview focusing on screens, work demands, and day-to-day cognitive load

  • brief screening for emotional impacts that commonly follow concussion (e.g., anxiety, low mood, irritability)

 

Why we do it this way

Many post-concussion difficulties aren’t “global impairment”—they are inefficiency, fatigue sensitivity, and load intolerance. A focused battery is often more accurate, more useful, and less anxiety-provoking than over-testing.

 

Step 3: Feedback, Psychoeducation, and Your Recovery Map

 

This appointment is where everything gets translated into a clear plan.

You’ll receive:

  • a plain-English explanation of what the assessment shows

  • how concussion can disrupt attention, speed, fatigue regulation, and emotional control

  • what is likely driving your symptoms (and what is not)

  • a personalised Recovery Map for rebuilding function safely and steadily

 

Our goal is for you to leave with clarity, not confusion—plus specific steps you can start immediately.

 

Step 4: Cognitive–Emotional Recovery Program (Optional)

 

If you’d like support implementing your plan, we offer a structured, time-limited program focused on:

  • cognitive pacing and preventing boom–bust cycles

  • graded cognitive exposure (returning to complexity without flare-ups)

  • rebuilding attention stamina and screen tolerance

  • practical executive strategies (meetings, planning, switching, decision-making)

  • emotional regulation in the context of fatigue and overload

  • confidence rebuilding and returning to your normal level of function

 

This is not open-ended therapy. It is a skills-and-reintegration program tailored to concussion recovery.

 

Step 5: Linking You With the Right Specialists (Coordinated Care)

 

Concussion recovery is often multi-system. When symptoms suggest other systems are blocking recovery, we will link you to trusted providers such as:

  • Vestibular / neuro physiotherapy (dizziness, balance issues, exertion intolerance)

  • Neuro-optometry / vision therapy (visual tracking problems, screen intolerance)

  • Sleep support (CBT-I providers or sleep physicians where needed)

  • Occupational therapy (workplace reintegration, graded activity planning)

  • Sports/rehab medicine (medical oversight and return-to-activity planning)

 

We remain involved for the cognitive and emotional aspects while your other providers treat the relevant physical/sensory components.

 

Follow-ups and progress checks

 

Where appropriate, we offer brief follow-ups to:

  • recalibrate pacing and workload thresholds

  • troubleshoot flare-ups

  • support return-to-work/study planning

  • repeat focused cognitive probes when clinically useful

 

We aim to keep your care structured, efficient, and outcome-focused.

 

What makes our approach different

 

  • We assess how your brain is working under load, not just whether you “pass” tests

  • We focus on real-world function: work, screens, multitasking, fatigue, and emotional regulation

  • We avoid unnecessary testing and overly medicalised narratives

  • We provide clear psychoeducation and a practical recovery map

  • We coordinate with specialists for non-cognitive symptoms so your care is joined-up