“Neuro-psychology is all about deficits”

That was a comment from Nina Carr, a lived experience panelist at the INS/CCN/ASSBI brain injury conference I attended — and it stopped me in my tracks.

In many ways, she is right. Neuropsychologists are often asked to determine the nature and severity of an injury. That task, by definition, means focusing on areas that may have been affected by brain injury — attention, memory, executive functioning, speed of processing, social cognition.

These functions matter deeply. They impact work, relationships, independence, and identity. And especially in a personal injury context, it’s essential to document how someone has been affected, so they can access the support and compensation they need.

But perhaps we don’t think often enough about what this process feels like from the client’s perspective.

Being assessed — having your thinking and memory laid bare — can be confronting. Sometimes traumatic.

That’s why it’s so important, especially when giving feedback, to reflect on and highlight a person’s strengths.

Even if their short-term memory isn’t what it used to be, perhaps they’re still brilliant with visuospatial tasks. Or they have a wicked sense of humour. Or they radiate resilience and zest for life.

None of us — including neuropsychologists — have ‘perfect’ brains. We all carry the marks of life: experience, relationships, trauma, ageing, maybe even episodes of mental illness or addiction.

That’s why I found it so inspiring to hear people with lived experience of brain injury speak not just about loss — but about hope, meaning, and growth.

If someone with a significant brain injury can find a positive path forward and make a difference — then there’s hope for us all.

How do we shift our language — and our mindset — to recognise post-injury growth as well as loss?