Join the Empowered Neuro Community

Welcome Neuro Ninjas!

If you've made your way to this community, you're probably recovering from a neurological injury, caregiving for a warrior in their journey, or looking to optimize brain health.

I'm so glad you found us. 

We are certified practitioners who specialize in neurological rehabilitation and have many years of experience. Hence, many secrets to share with you!

Our goal is to bring you resources that have never existed before. We know how important daily therapy is to your recovery and the one day a week your insurance provides just isn't enough.

Join us so you can continue to build those important neurological connections every day!

Have access to a team of practitioners at all times. 

When you leave the hospital, it can be scary. You go from having a team of specialists working with you daily to nothing. We want to bridge this gap and provide you with access to practitioners at all times to help guide you and answer your questions.

Learn therapy secrets to progress toward your goals.

All of our experience will now be shared with you. We will provide you with specific strategies that are only taught in school or learned from experienced therapists.

We will teach you how to progress with resources in all things therapy:

• Exercise programs (physical and cognitive)
• ADLs (Dressing, Bathing, Eating, Grooming, Toileting)
• IADLs (Cooking, Cleaning, Shopping, Laundry, Financial Management, Caring for others, etc.)
• Mobility (Transfers, Walking, Wheelchair Mobility, Community Mobility, Return to Driving, etc.)
• Fall Prevention and Home Modifications
• Leisure, Return to Work, Traveling, Behavioral Management

Live Events with Professionals in the Neurology Field

• Interviews and Webinars on current best practices and treatments
• Live Q&As where you can ask personalized questions to medical professionals

We also have a live event for our book club meetings! We choose a book, movie, podcast, etc. that focuses on recovery and get together to share our thoughts and ideas.

Become a Therapeutic Caregiver

One day of caregiver training in the hospital just isn't enough. You have a lot on your plate as a caregiver and we want to help with that. 

You know your loved one deserves the best care and in our world that doesn't mean doing everything for them. It means finding the just right challenge during their daily activities so they actually progress. It means setting up their environment to be most effective for their recovery. It means taking care of yourself along the way so you don't get burned out.

You're not alone and we're here to guide you through every step of the way.

Connect with others in recovery or other caregivers

We all know support in this journey is key. You will have the ability to chat with other people at all stages of the recovery and other caregivers. You can even meet others who live near you if you'd like. As warriors in recovery or caregivers, you also have tips and tricks to share with each other. Let's be on the journey together.

Meet Our Team

Jacqueline D'Aries

Occupational Therapist, Certified Brain Injury Specialist, and Founder

Hello! I’m an Occupational Therapist (OT) living in the Bay Area, California. I have been practicing for over 7 years in physical rehabilitation centers helping people recover from the toughest moments of their life.

I moved from the east coast to work at Encompass Health of Murrieta where I learned how to treat people who are recovering from a brain injuries, strokes, spinal cord injuries, multiple trauma, and orthopedic surgeries. I grew a passion for helping people recover from neurological injuries and became a Senior OT at the Kaiser Foundation Rehabilitation Center in Vallejo, CA where I specialized in brain injury and stroke rehab. I expanded my knowledge with the brain injury specialist certification to provide a more holistic approach to treatment.

Throughout the course of my professional life I have built very special relationships with my clients and their families, and would often support them as they transitioned back home. I grew disheartened to hear that home therapy was not meeting their expectations, that their healing process was being slowed down, and how much they were struggling to integrate back to into their lives or navigate a new normal. This is why I decided to branch out on my own and start my community OT practice and this Holistic Life Skills Community.

Everyone deserves access to resources to continue progressing and building a better quality of life. I'm here to help guide you!

Cavin Balaster

Functional Nutritionist, Brain Injury Thriver, and Founder

My name is Cavin Balaster and I collaborate with clients worldwide to maximize recovery potential.

• I am a brain injury survivor and thriver. I empowered myself by becoming educated on nutrition, neurology, physiology, and holistic health, building a network of medical professionals, and testing what I learned by implementing what was shown in research to be safe and effective. As a result, I have recovered beyond all expectations and have helped others to do the same.
• I am trained in functional nutrition by the Functional Nutrition Alliance and have had functional neurology training from the Kharrazian Institute, and the Interdisciplinary Association of Functional Neurosciences and Rehabilitation (IAFNR). 
• I have been the keynote speaker for the Neuro Optometric Rehabilitation Association (NORA), the Interdisciplinary Association of Functional Neurosciences and Rehabilitation (IAFNR), The Mind-Eye Institute, Bastyr University, the World Congress on Brain Mapping & Therapeutics, Ketocon, the New Jersey Society of Optometric Physicians (NJSOP), and several brain injury alliances and foundations.
• I am well-informed about various facets of health that impact neurology. This includes oral health, digestive health, immune health, hormonal health, circulatory health, and emotional health.
• I have a deep understanding of neuroplasticity and neurorehabilitation and I can guide nutrition, supplementation, and lifestyle to mitigate neuroinflammation and to improve overall health in partnership with you and your healthcare team.
• I am an experienced patient advocate who has been through the ins and outs of the medical system with firsthand knowledge going through it myself and also assisting clients during medical crises. 
• I have strong relationships with speech-language pathologists, functional neurologists, neuro-optometrists, and naturopathic physicians who I consult with for individualized guidance.
• I have direct experience collaborating with doctors, therapists, and medical teams to utilize the safest and most effective treatments and therapies for each family’s unique situation.
• I am a trauma-informed survivor and thriver. I can assist and facilitate the functional integration of emotional or physical trauma.

If you have any questions before joining our community, please feel free to reach out to Jacki. You can email her at [email protected].

See you in there!

Check out local organizations who use the Empowered Neuro Community!