Date of Conferral

10-7-2026

Date of Award

October 2026

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Psychology

Advisor

Susan Marcus

Abstract

The number of people living with persistent deficits following an acquired brain injury (ABI) continues to be a leading healthcare concern, as rehabilitation for deficits following an has been limited to conventional, biomedical rehabilitative interventions. Recent studies have shown that complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) modalities are viable treatment options, and The Feldenkrais Method® has been investigated as an approach for working with musculoskeletal conditions. More research is needed in order to better understand how this CAM method is utilized for this population because of their complex and long-term deficits. The purpose of this qualitative grounded theory (GT) study was to understand Feldenkrais practitioners’ experiences with working with adult clients who have been diagnosed with an ABI and to propose a model that explains the process of helping and healing from the practitioners’ perspective. A sample of 17 Feldenkrais practitioners were interviewed. The results describe (1) the necessary conditions for working with clients with a diagnosis of an ABI; and (2) the confidence of the practitioners in their ability to work with people who have ABI deficits. This model also identified similarity in the courses of the intervention across participants and results consistent with standard Feldenkrais Method outcomes. Variations in the challenges in working with the ABI population were also described. The implications for positive social change include offering a model for collecting case study data across practitioners and settings and providing support for both Feldenkrais practitioners and potential clients to consider The Feldenkrais Method as a viable option for recovering from such deficits.

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