Verna Morris

Background

About Verna Morris

Verna is a Sheffield based specialist Brain injury Occupational Therapist, Counsellor and Motivational Interviewing Trainer. She qualified as an OT in 1991 and since this time she has worked in all stages of the brain injury care pathway from Neuro ITU to community based rehabilitation and long term support. She has spent 25 years in the private and third sector providing community based input to clients with acquired brain injury and other complex disabilities. Her combined qualifications in OT, Counselling and trauma intervention (EMDR) and her experience as a Motivational Interviewing practitioner and trainer give her a special interest and skill in working with clients who: • struggle to engage in therapy. • have complex emotional needs and cognitive and behavioural difficulties that impact on their functional performance in all aspects of daily life. Verna's key OT Skills include: • Home/community/work based occupational therapy • Working with clients with complex cognitive and emotional difficulties • Working with clients with impaired self- awareness • Working with clients with complex family situations • Facilitating cost effective rehabilitation programmes through the training and development of Support Workers • Cognitive Rehabilitation • Vocational Rehabilitation (Employment and Education) • Independent Living Trials • CBT based interventions Verna was a longstanding member of the OT Specialist Section Neurological Practice Brain Injury Forum since and was part of the committee that developed National Clinical Guidance for Occupational Therapists working in brain injury in 2013. She was part of the committee who developed national standards for Occupational Therapists working in brain injury. She is now an active member of the South Yorkshire Acquired Brain Injury Forum (SYABIF). Verna qualified as a counsellor in 2006. In her Counselling role Verna practices integratively and has additional training training in Trauma based interventions (EMDR) and CBT. Her extensive background in brain injury gives her specialist knowledge and insight into the challenges faces by people who have neurological issues and their families. In addition to her clinical role, Verna lectures at Sheffield Hallam University primarily in Motivational Interviewing and provides all the training across the UK for ABI Solutions in Motivational Interviewing. Verna is a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT)