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Supporting the Whole System: Why supporting families matters
When an individual experiences a catastrophic injury, the impact extends far beyond the person who has been injured.
Families, partners, carers and support teams can all be affected by the changes that follow. Relationships, roles, routines and expectations may change significantly, while those providing care are often trying to support someone else while managing their own emotional response to what has happened.
For this reason, we believe that effective rehabilitation needs to consider the whole system around the individual, not simply the individual’s presenting difficulties.
There is growing evidence within neurorehabilitation and trauma-informed practice that caregiver wellbeing and resilience can have a significant influence on the quality and sustainability of care. When caregivers are overwhelmed by stress, trauma or emotional exhaustion, their capacity to remain regulated, emotionally available and responsive, can be affected. In some circumstances, this can unintentionally contribute to what has been described as “blocked care” (Hughes & Baylin, 2012).
Conversely, when families and support networks are given appropriate understanding, support and practical strategies, they are better able to respond to the individual’s needs, maintain relationships and contribute positively to longer-term rehabilitation.
Supporting the individual
For individuals living with the consequences of catastrophic injury, our work focuses on helping them understand and manage the relationship between their mind, body, emotions and sensory systems.
Depending on the individual’s needs, intervention may support:
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Emotional regulation and management of distress
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Understanding and responding to sensory and physiological needs
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Managing frustration, overwhelm and sensory overload
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Rebuilding confidence and a sense of identity
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Developing greater awareness of what helps them feel safe and regulated
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Increasing engagement in meaningful everyday activities
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Reconnecting with relationships, interests and social participation
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Developing a greater sense of control, purpose and meaning.
Our approach recognises that behaviour and emotional responses are often forms of communication. Rather than simply focusing on what needs to stop, we seek to understand what the person’s nervous system may be communicating and what they need to feel safe, regulated and able to engage.
Supporting parents, partners and family members
Families can find themselves carrying significant emotional and practical responsibilities following a life-changing injury.
We can provide space for parents and partners to develop a better understanding of their own responses, recognise the impact of stress and trauma, and explore practical ways of supporting both themselves and the person they care about.
This may include developing strategies around:
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Co-regulation and emotional connection
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Recognising triggers and early signs of dysregulation
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Understanding sensory and emotional needs
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Managing stress and maintaining their own wellbeing
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Responding to changes in behaviour or emotional presentation
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Maintaining connection and relationships
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Adapting to changing family roles and expectations.
Supporting family members is not about asking them to do more. It is about helping them feel better equipped, less overwhelmed and more able to remain connected and responsive over time.
Supporting carers and support teams
For individuals who require ongoing support, the people around them form an important part of their therapeutic and emotional environment.
We can work alongside carers and support workers to develop a shared understanding of the individual’s sensory, emotional and regulation needs, alongside practical strategies that can be incorporated into everyday care.
We also consider the regulation needs of the people providing that care. A support team that understands its own stress responses and sensory needs is better placed to remain calm, consistent and responsive when an individual is distressed or dysregulated.
A systemic, person-centred approach
Our work brings together occupational therapy, psychology, sensory and trauma-informed approaches with an understanding of the relationships and environments in which people live.
We consider:
The person — their abilities, needs, experiences, identity and aspirations.
Their environment — the physical, sensory and social environments in which they live and function.
Their relationships — the people who provide care, support, connection and meaning.
Their future — what may help them to live a more meaningful, connected and sustainable life.
This allows us to look beyond individual symptoms or difficulties and consider the person within the context of their whole life.
Ultimately, our aim is simple:
To help create the conditions in which individuals and the people supporting them can feel safer, more understood and better equipped to move forward.
Because sustainable recovery is not just about what happens in therapy.
It is about what happens in everyday life, with the people who matter most.
Let’s start a conversation
If you would like to find out more about how we can support the individual, their family or wider care team, download our litigation information leaflet (here) pack and book a free 20-minute consultation with us (here). We’d be happy to talk through your clients’ needs and explore whether our approach could be a good fit.