Rewiring Minds: Inside Coast Mental Health’s Brain Training Program
Download MP3Hosts Paul Cruz and Gino Akbari sit down with Janelle Peters (Mental Health Counsellor) and Amy Bujak (Social Worker) from Coast Mental Health’s Brain Training Team. Together, they explore how cognitive remediation and neuroplasticity empower individuals to overcome challenges with attention, memory, and executive functioning. From practical compensatory strategies like mental retracing and task linking, to stigma-smashing art pop-ups and the power of group connection, this conversation shines a light on how hope-based recovery transforms lives.
Whether you’re neurodivergent, a caregiver, an educator, or simply curious, this episode offers tools, stories, and perspectives that remind us: growth is always possible, and healing doesn’t have to be a solo journey.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode
- What cognitive remediation (CR) really means—and why it’s for everyone, not just those with clinical diagnoses.
- Practical strategies: how techniques like mental retracing, linking tasks, and automatic places can make daily life less overwhelming.
- Why group-based learning fosters community, belonging, and accountability in ways one-on-one work can’t.
- Stories of personal transformation: from “my brain is broken” to confidence, hope, and growth.
- The role of peer support workers and how lived experience enriches the recovery journey.
- Creative initiatives like the “Smash the Stigma” art pop-ups, where participants reclaim identity and confront harmful labels.
- How society can shift its perception of mental illness and cognitive challenges—through curiosity, compassion, and inclusivity.
Guest Highlights
- Amy Bujak – Social Worker, Coast Mental Health Brain Training Program
- Janelle Peters – Mental Health Counsellor, Coast Mental Health Brain Training Program
Coast Mental Health Brain Training Program Website: https://www.coastmentalhealth.com/brain-training-changes-lives/
Connect With Us
- Learn more about the Neurodiversity Voices Podcast: www.neurodiversityvoices.com
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Let’s amplify neurodiverse voices—together. 💜
Chapters
00:00 Personalized Strategies for Brain Training
16:48 Transformations Through Brain Training
21:53 The Power of Group Dynamics
27:21 Integrating Peer Support in Programs
29:03 Smash the Stigma: Art as Therapy
35:14 Future Directions for Brain Training
38:41 Shifting Societal Perceptions of Mental Health
Disclaimer:
The content provided in this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you have heard on this podcast.
Creators and Guests
Host
Gino Akbari
Gino Akbari is a global citizen with a passion for understanding the human experience. Having lived across multiple cultures and worked in a wide range of industries—from military training to acting, politics, and entrepreneurship—Gino has developed a deep appreciation for how people think, behave, and thrive within their environments. With over 12 years of experience training military personnel, he brings discipline, adaptability, and leadership into every space he enters. A multilingual speaker and lifelong learner, Gino’s journey has also led him to the performing arts, where he owns a dance company and embraces movement as a form of expression and connection. Today, Gino is a certified life coach with credentials across various disciplines. His mission is simple yet powerful: to explore what it means to live a truly full life—and to guide others on their own paths of growth, purpose, and continuous self-improvement.
