Family Needs After Traumatic Brain Injury: Implications for Rehabilitation Counselling

Family involvement in the rehabilitation counselling process is increasingly being recognised as an important component of rehabilitation success. This may be particularly true for persons who have an acquired or traumatic brain injury (TBI). For such individuals the emotional and psychosocial functioning of their family and caregivers has been associated with a variety of functional, psychosocial, and employment outcomes. Addressing the needs of family members is an important component of providing effective rehabilitation counselling services, but one that has received little attention in the rehabilitation counselling literature. This article reviews current research on the frequently identified needs of families and caregivers of persons with TBI, the family and situational variables that have been explored for their relationship to family needs, and the extent to which these needs are met. Clinical and research implications for rehabilitation counsellors are identified.