Together, we’ll create strategies tailored to your needs, helping you take meaningful steps toward independence.
We provide tools to help you build confidence and function
Our sessions focus on building skills to manage your energy, adapt tasks to your abilities, and identify tools that make everyday activities more accessible. Whether you’re working toward returning to work, managing your home, or pursuing hobbies, we’ll help you regain confidence and rediscover what’s possible.
Mental health occupational therapy focuses on the real-life impact of concussion and traumatic brain injury. We help people rebuild the daily skills, routines, and confidence disrupted by injuries.
Our sessions take place in your home, community, or virtually. We assess how your injury is affecting daily function and build a personalized plan around your actual life and goals.
We begin with an assessment that identifies where recovery is progressing and where it has stalled. From there, we build practical, personalized strategies that help close the gap between where you are now and where you want to be.
After a concussion, an occupational therapist assesses how symptoms are affecting your daily life and builds practical strategies to help you function, pace yourself, and recover.
Physical symptoms, including headaches, dizziness, light sensitivity, noise sensitivity, fatigue, and sleep disturbances, all affect daily function. We help you adapt your environment and routines to manage these symptoms while recovery continues.
When symptoms persist beyond the expected recovery window, this is called post-concussion syndrome. Persistent headaches, ongoing dizziness, chronic fatigue, and continued cognitive difficulties all fall within this. Occupational therapy is well-suited to support people at this stage.
Early support can prevent mild symptoms from becoming persistent. If daily tasks feel harder than they should, that is a good reason to reach out.
TBI recovery often involves multiple types of support. The right combination depends on the severity of the injury and how it affects daily function.
Physical therapy focuses on vestibular rehabilitation, balance retraining, oculomotor therapy, and physical recovery. Mental health occupational therapy focuses on daily function, mental wellness, and independence. These approaches are complementary. We are glad to coordinate with other providers on your care team.
No two brain injuries are the same. We build a personalized plan around your specific symptoms, goals, and daily life rather than applying a generic protocol.
Cognitive impairments after TBI, including brain fog, memory loss, attention deficits, slowed processing speed, and executive functioning difficulties, affect every part of daily life. We address these directly through practical strategy development.
The brain benefits from consistent, structured exposure to meaningful tasks that build capacity without overwhelming the system. Rest, pacing, and gradual challenge are all part of this. We find the right balance for where you are in recovery.
Retraining after a concussion focuses on helping the brain build new patterns for tasks that feel harder now. We use practical, everyday contexts so that strategies carry over into real life rather than staying confined to sessions.
Personality and behavioral changes after TBI are common and neurological in origin. Irritability, impulsivity, emotional dysregulation, mood changes, mood swings, and shifts in motivation are all recognized responses to brain injury, not character flaws.
We connect behavioral change to daily function. We look at what situations trigger difficult responses, what strategies support regulation in those moments, and how routines can reduce demands on a system that is already working hard.
Increased irritability, reduced frustration tolerance, and changes in social behavior are among the most commonly reported personality shifts after TBI. These changes can strain relationships and affect participation in daily life. We address them directly as part of recovery.
After a brain injury, home environments often need to be adapted to reduce cognitive and physical demands. Because our sessions happen in your home, we assess and recommend modifications based on your real context.
We help you identify and implement tools that make daily tasks more manageable, from digital reminder systems to environmental supports that reduce the cognitive load of ordinary activities.
The brain manages almost every aspect of daily function. When it is disrupted, the effects reach across all areas of life at once. Recovery requires the brain to adapt, which takes time and consistent support.
Screens demand significant cognitive processing, including rapid visual tracking, brightness management, and concentration. After a concussion, this can overwhelm the recovering brain and worsen headaches, dizziness, and fatigue. Limiting screen time gives the brain space to heal.
Brain injury often affects how the nervous system processes sensory input. Sensory overload, heightened sensitivity, and dysregulation all affect daily function and recovery. We address these as part of a comprehensive occupational therapy plan.
Recovery timelines vary widely. People who take longer to recover often include those with a history of repeated concussions or repetitive head trauma, pre-existing mental health conditions, high cognitive demands at work or school, or delayed access to support.
Mild traumatic brain injury can have a significant impact on daily function. Mild does not always mean brief. Persistent post-concussion syndrome, where symptoms continue beyond expected windows, affects many people regardless of initial injury severity.
Many people with TBI do return to full or near-full function, particularly with appropriate and timely support. Recovery looks different depending on the severity of the injury, timing of support, and individual factors.
For mild TBI and concussion, most people recover fully. For moderate to severe TBI, meaningful recovery, including independence and return to daily roles, is a realistic and valuable goal even if the path looks different from before.
Yes. Imaging may look clear while symptoms affecting daily function persist. This is a common and recognized experience. Occupational therapy is well-suited to support people navigating this gap between clinical findings and lived experience.
This depends on the severity and location of the injury. Mild TBI and concussion do not typically cause permanent structural damage, though symptoms can persist. More significant injuries may involve lasting changes that require long-term adaptation and support.
The brain has a meaningful capacity for recovery and adaptation. Many people recover full function, especially after mild TBI. For more significant injuries, the goal shifts toward maximizing independence, daily function, and quality of life.
Full recovery is possible for many people, particularly after mild TBI. The most important factors are early support, personalized rehabilitation, and goals tied to meaningful daily function rather than fixed timelines.
Most people with a concussion do fully recover with appropriate support. When symptoms persist, structured rehabilitation, including occupational therapy, helps restore function even when the timeline extends beyond initial expectations.
With appropriate support, most people improve rather than worsen over time. Lack of support, repeated injuries, or unmanaged symptoms can affect the recovery trajectory. Early and consistent occupational therapy support gives recovery the best foundation.
Sports injuries are among the most common causes of concussion, particularly in contact sports, cycling, and outdoor activities. Portland’s active outdoor culture means sports-related concussions are a common starting point for the people we support.
Motor vehicle accident head injuries are a leading cause of traumatic brain injury. The force of impact, even in lower-speed collisions, can disrupt brain function in ways that affect daily life long after the accident itself.
Slips and falls are a frequent cause of brain injury, particularly among older adults. Whether on a trail at Mount Tabor Park or on a wet sidewalk, a fall that results in a head impact can have lasting effects on function and independence.
Workplace injuries, particularly in physical occupations, are another common cause of concussion and TBI. Return-to-work planning is an important part of what mental health occupational therapy offers.
Recovery timelines vary based on injury severity, how quickly support was accessed, and individual factors. There is no single timeline that applies to everyone.
Severe TBI recovery is typically a long-term process. Progress is often gradual and nonlinear. Goals are best set around function, daily independence, and quality of life rather than fixed timelines.
As soon as daily tasks begin to feel harder than they should. Early occupational therapy support can prevent symptoms from becoming entrenched and help build the right foundation for recovery from the start.
Physical therapy focuses on vestibular rehabilitation, balance retraining, oculomotor therapy, cervical spine treatment, and physical recovery after brain injury. Mental health occupational therapy focuses on daily function, mental wellness, cognitive strategy development, and independence.
Occupational therapy and physical therapy are complementary. Many people benefit from both, especially in moderate to severe TBI recovery. We are glad to coordinate with physical therapists and other providers as part of a comprehensive recovery plan.
Yes. Occupational therapy is a well-established part of comprehensive concussion and TBI rehabilitation. Its strength is in connecting recovery directly to the daily activities and roles that matter most to you.
Some people notice an increase in symptoms when they first begin structured rehabilitation. This is not unusual. We monitor closely and adjust pacing so that sessions support recovery rather than strain it. If something is not working, we address that directly.
If previous support did not produce results, it may not have been the right fit for your stage of recovery or your specific needs. Mental health occupational therapy takes a different approach, grounded in your daily life and practical function. We are happy to discuss what has and has not worked before.
Holistic Community Therapy accepts several insurance plans, including:
Coverage varies by plan. Our team can help verify your benefits before your first appointment.
Yes. We offer virtual occupational therapy for concussion and TBI recovery throughout Oregon. Virtual sessions are a strong option for people managing fatigue, light sensitivity, or transportation challenges during recovery.
We provide concussion and TBI recovery support throughout the Portland metro area. Sessions take place in your home, community environments, or virtually.
If you are searching for OT for concussion and TBI near me in Portland, OR, please contact us to confirm service availability in your area.
Please note – we only offer home, community-based, and virtual sessions. We do not provide in-office services.
