Below you can find a range of stories from staff members at the Laura Fergusson Brain Injury Trust - in these you can learn about the careers on offer as a part of our multidisciplinary team!
Staff Profiles
What is a...?
Our Occupational Therapists (OT) play a crucial role in the assessing, rehabilitating and aiding the recovery of individuals with injuries, ranging from concussion to a severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) spinal cord injury (SCI) or other complex injury.
OT’s support various aspects of TBI and SCI recovery, such as education about the injury, development of coping skills, enhancement of independent living, improvement of memory and cognitive functions, social skills training, and driving.
OTs use a blend of restorative and compensatory techniques to provide tailored
rehabilitation. They might:
- Gradually Increase Task Demands: Help clients improve function through participating in an activity that is meaningful for them.
- Teach New Techniques: Support clients to learn strategies to perform tasks differently.
- Provide Assistive Equipment and Modify Environments: Supply and train clients and their families/whānau in using items such as wheelchairs. Arrange modifications to homes and vehicles to enhance accessibility and independence.
In brain injury rehabilitation, the power of occupational therapy lies in its ability to foster neuroplasticity, encouraging adaptive changes in the brain through consistent and task-specific practice
Our team of expert Physiotherapists specialise in neurological rehabilitation, focusing on recovery from traumatic brain injuries, spinal injuries, and other complex conditions. Here’s why being a physiotherapist in this field is so exciting:
Transform Lives Daily: You’ll address a wide range of physical challenges, including:
- Balance and vestibular issues (dizziness)
- Coordination
- Paralysis
- Spasticity
- Exercise tolerance
- Pain
- Perception
- Proprioception
- Range of movement
- Strength
- Musculoskeletal problems
Holistic Impact: Often a person with a brain injury may not show obvious physical difficulties but struggle with reduced fitness and fatigue. You’ll design personalised gym or home exercise programs to help them build routine, fitness, and overall well-being. Your work will not only improve their physical health but also boost their mental resilience.
Innovative Techniques: Dive into specialized areas like vestibular physiotherapy, where you’ll assess and treat dizziness by examining vision, the vestibular system (inner ear), and proprioceptive system (muscles and joints). You’ll create exercise programs that retrain balance, resolve inner ear signal differences, and enhance visual focus.
Empower Independence: By recommending and fitting mobility aids, you’ll help patients regain their independence and confidence, making a tangible difference in their daily lives. Some of our physios even hit the ski slopes or Port Hills with clients for them to practice using adaptive sports equipment!
Our Community Nursing team provide one-on-one nursing services to clients in their own home. They are trained to take care of complex needs that can result from spinal cord and other physical injuries.
Clients may benefit from our nursing service for several reasons:
- Bladder and bowel management including catheter changes, PEG changes and carer training
- Wound care management and assessments
- Tracheostomy changes and ventilator issues
Our team of dedicated Psychologists specialise in neurological rehabilitation, helping clients overcome mental distress and reclaim their well-being. Here’s why being a psychologist in this field is so exciting:
Transform Lives: You’ll work with clients experiencing anxiety, depression, PTSD, and adjustment difficulties, providing them with the tools they need to manage these conditions and thrive. Your support will be crucial in their journey to recovery.
Innovative Therapies: Our team uses cutting-edge, evidence-based psychological therapies to foster strong recovery and coping strategies. You’ll be at the forefront of psychological innovation, applying the latest techniques to help clients achieve their goals.
Personalised Care: You’ll start by assessing each client’s unique situation and formulating a tailored plan to address their specific needs. This personalised approach ensures that every client receives the best possible care and support.
Family Involvement: Recognising the impact of brain injuries on families, you’ll also involve and support family members, helping them navigate the challenges and changes that come with their loved one’s injury. This holistic approach strengthens the support network around each client.
Make a Difference: Every day, you’ll have the opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of your clients, helping them regain their mental health and improve their quality of life. It’s a rewarding and fulfilling career that offers both personal and professional satisfaction.
Our Rehabilitation Coaches have interesting and varied roles. The work under the supervision of, and alongside members of our allied health team, (e.g. Occupational Therapists (OTs), Physiotherapists (PTs), Clinical Psychologists and Speech Language Therapists (SLTs) to support our clients in achieving their goals.
They work with kiritaki/clients in settings such as: group programmes, residential home, small group living, as well as a variety of community settings (kiritaki/client’s home, school, university, workplace, gym/pool, etc.) providing rehabilitation and support.
LFBIT Rehab Coach Patricia says: “I have passion for working with people. It’s very rewarding to think about the impact you can have on someone’s life. What we want is to empower our clients, in no way do we want this connection to turn into dependencies on us. We try to make sure they are as independent as possible.”
Speech and Language Therapists support people who have a brain injury with communication and eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties that can also arise from it.
Depending on the person’s needs, the SLT may help them:
- improve speech to make it clearer;
- express thoughts more effectively;
- better understand what they read;
- improve attention during daily tasks and activities;
- improve memory using tools like memory books, calendars, and to-do lists;
- improve problem-solving, planning, and organization skills;
- work on social skills, including reading social cues and taking turns in conversation; and
- learn ways to swallow safely
Some people cannot speak clearly for a long time after a TBI. SLT’s may support people to learn to communicate in other ways, like picture boards or computers that speak for them. This is called augmentative and alternative communication.
Our Social Workers are dedicated to helping individuals find solutions to their challenges, enhancing their personal and social well-being.
After a brain injury, many people face relationship vulnerabilities and breakdowns. Cognitive, behavioral, psychological, and physical changes can make forming new relationships difficult. This often leads to social isolation, depression, employment difficulties, and a reduced quality of life.
Social work support can mitigate these challenges. Our social workers work with clients to identify areas needing change and connect them and their families/whānau with essential resources such as secure housing, financial support, family or drug and alcohol services and counselling or psychology services.
Support workers here at Laura Fergusson are a compassionate team who assist in the every day living of people with traumatic brain injuries. This ranges from day-to-day support with health needs, to accessing the community their social groups.
We aim to support our residents in a number of ways to achieve their goals and create new opportunities for them based on their desires. This is not just a job – it’s an opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the lives of those you serve while developing and refining your healthcare skills. If you value empathy, dedication, and the chance to grow professionally in a supportive setting, we encourage you to look into becoming a support worker!
Support Worker Keeley says: “I love hanging out with the residents. I love making new connections with them. I’m just able to engage with them on a daily basis and knowing how they just trust me a lot is really nice. It’s especially great when they’re excited when you come on shift. You know it’s going to be a good evening or good morning when they’re really happy to see you.”
Support Worker Kieran says: “Working with the clients is what I enjoy most. We build strong relationships with a lot of the clients on an individual basis. Some of them have real wicked senses of humour, and they’re great to have a laugh with. Being able to do a job where you’re actually making a tangible and immediate difference in someone’s wellbeing is really nice.”