Schurig Center for Brain Injury Recovery

Donate Button

Your gift helps people thrive after brain injury!

  • About
    • Mission & History
    • Board of Directors & Advisory Board
    • Staff
    • Our Partners
    • For Healthcare Professionals
    • Impact Report
    • Jobs
    • What is a brain Injury?
    • Videos
    • Our Garden
  • How We Help
    • Services Overview
    • Classes
    • Support Groups
    • Art Therapy Program
    • Information & Resource Referral Assistance
    • Brain Injury Information Handbook
    • Caregiver Speaker Series
    • Concussion Education
    • Brain Injury Educational Services
    • For Healthcare Professionals
  • Stories of Healing
  • How You Can Help
  • Gala
  • News & Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • Gala
    • Bocce
    • Blog
    • Media Room
  • Contact

October 17, 2024 by Angela

Your Generosity Helps Turns Strokes of Paint Into Strokes of Healing

A Special Message from Schurig Center’s Art Director, Midge Casler

I want to share something deeply meaningful that I believe will touch your heart – how your support helps people heal through the transformative power of art.

photos of artists painting

When someone experiences a brain injury, it’s not just the body that suffers. The mind, emotions, and spirit are all affected in profound ways. Simple things we take for granted, like speaking, remembering, and moving, suddenly become mountains to climb. However, the greatest struggle for many is the loss of identity and a life once known, the sense of isolation, and the emotional scars that are invisible to the outside world. This is where Art Therapy helps.

Art Therapy is not just about creating art; it’s about rebuilding one’s sense of identity. Each stroke of the brush, each color chosen, tells a story of resilience and healing.

While traditional medical treatments play an essential role in recovery, there is something profoundly healing about creative expression that often goes overlooked. But I can personally attest to the incredible healing power of Art Therapy because I witness it in action every day in Schurig Center’s art studio.

This healing magic is made possible by your giving!

In Art Therapy group, a variety of art forms are used to enhance a person’s cognitive, physical, and social abilities while supporting their psychological well-being. Each class begins with a calming, sensory-awareness exercise followed by one or more creative activities, such as visual arts, movement, writing, and music. At the end of class, participants share their experience with one another.

Schurig Center for Brain Injury Site Icon The creative process is a powerful rehabilitative tool. Creating art engages the entire brain helping to build new neural connections through a process called neuroplasticity. This stimulation can lead to improvements in areas such as focus, concentration, memory, cognition, communication, fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and problem solving.

Schurig Center for Brain Injury Site Icon Art therapy provides a space for survivors to express complex feelings, process trauma, and rediscover parts of themselves they thought were lost. I’ve seen survivors who were once filled with frustration and despair find joy and calm as they put paint to canvas. I’ve witnessed tears turn into smiles as someone who felt invisible begins to feel seen, heard, and understood.

Schurig Center for Brain Injury Site Icon Art therapy fosters a sense of community and reduces isolation. Survivors create side by side in a supportive environment of understanding that reminds them they are not alone in this journey. People form strong bonds with one another, which is often even more vital to their healing than the art itself.

What’s truly remarkable is seeing someone rediscover parts of themselves they thought were gone – their confidence, their ability to connect with others, and their sense of self-worth. Some of the most touching moments I’ve witnessed is when survivors share their artwork with their families and the community through our art shows. The pride that comes from seeing others understand their emotions through art is indescribable. It fosters connection, empathy, and healing in ways that other therapies cannot.

Your generosity helps fund this life-enhancing program as well as the 12 other rehabilitative and supportive services offered at Schurig Center. This unique array of brain injury services is not available anywhere else in our area and they rely on community support. Over 80% of the revenue needed to offer Schurig Center’s programs is provided by foundations and individual donors like you. You are truly at the heart of the healing that happens at Schurig Center.

If you are in a position to help, I hope you’ll join me in improving lives and choose to donate to Schurig Center today. I can assure you that gifts of all size will help improve lives.

Photo of Midge C.Please know your donation is not just about funding programs. Your gift gives someone a chance to heal in ways that traditional therapies sometimes cannot. Because of you, brain injury survivors have the chance to engage in supportive programs that help them begin to rebuild their lives – piece by piece. You are a part of their journey. The impact of your generosity ripples through their entire recovery, helping them regain their confidence, autonomy, and sense of self.

                    From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you.

                    Sincerely,
                    Midge Casler, MA
                    Art Program Director

     

photos of artists painting

Filed Under: Art & Music, Art Shows, Blog, For Survivors, Therapeutic Art Tagged With: aneurysm, apashia, art therapy, brain injury, brain tumor, charity, concussion, do good, donate, marin county, rehabilitation, San Francisco Bay Area, stroke

October 8, 2024 by Angela

Inside/Out: Unmasking the Inner Journey of Brain Injury Survivors

The Karen G. Schurig Art Studio is pleased to present The Inside/Out Project

Brain injury is often referred to as an “invisible disability.” On the outside, a person with brain injury may “look fine” to others. But, in reality, the person affected by brain injury may be experiencing a range of cognitive, physical, behavioral, and emotional challenges. Through the creation of hand painted masks, The Inside/Out Project offers brain injury survivors the opportunity to explore and express how they feel others see them on the outside and how they see themselves on the inside. Below is a video featuring masks created by survivors for this project.

Building understanding with a person living with an invisible disability, like a brain injury, requires patience, empathy, and active listening. It’s important to recognize that their challenges may not always be visible, so offering support without making assumptions is key. Open communication and creating a safe space for them to express their needs can foster deeper connection and trust.

The Inside/Out Project Mask Slideshow

YouTube video

Donate Today!

Your generosity powers life-enhancing programs at Schurig Center, like Art Therapy, that help people thrive after brain injury. Thank you!

Filed Under: A Day at the Center, Art & Music, Art Shows, Blog, For Survivors, Therapeutic Art, Uncategorized Tagged With: art therapy, brain injury, concussion, recovery, stroke, tbi

June 16, 2022 by Angela

New Board of Directors Chair and Vice Chair Appointed

[Download press release here]

Schurig Center is honored to have an engaged, caring Board of Directors at our helm with expertise from an array of fields, including finance, healthcare, legal, human resources, civic leadership, and philanthropy. Throughout the year, Board members volunteer their time to ensure Schurig Center is offering high-quality services that meet the community’s needs. As we know all too well, life brings change. Our long-time Chair Kim Strub resigned from her post after 12 years of leadership. We thank Kim for all she has done for Schurig Center and the people we serve. Her positive impact will be felt for many years to come. We are honored to announce Catherine Way and Ellen Takayama have been appointed as the new Board leaders, guiding Schurig Center to more great things this year. Please join us in welcoming Catherine and Ellen to their new roles!

Photo of Catherine Way

Catherine Way, Chair

Catherine joined Schurig Center’s Board in 2016. She is a retired registered nurse and former managing partner of a surgical-legal consulting firm. As the daughter of a stroke survivor, Catherine brings personal knowledge of the unique challenges that brain injury survivors and their families face to regain their best quality of life after an injury. Catherine is also an active community volunteer and a dedicated public servant who currently serves on the Larkspur City Council.

Photo of Ellen Takayama

Ellen Takayama, Vice Chair

Ellen has been a Schurig Board member since 2012, and she has led the planning of our Annual Gala event since its inception. Ellen brings a wealth of business management and human resources experience built during her 37 years with Macy’s, Inc. in various positions, including VP of Human Resources. In retirement, Ellen now enjoys travel, reading, socializing with friends, taking care of her pup, and volunteering with Schurig Center.

Photo of Kim Strub

Thank You for Your Service Kim Strub

After 12 years of service, Kim Strub has resigned from her role as Schurig’s Board Chair. Kim joined the Board in 2010 as the organization was transitioning from the loss of founder Karen Schurig. Over her term, Kim led the organization through multiple transitions and donated hundreds of hours of her time to ensure Schurig Center is a successful, respected organization that provides high quality care to everyone served. Kim creates connections in all that she does and truly offered her heart and soul to this community. We are deeply grateful! Kim will continue to support Schurig Center as an Advisory Board member.

Filed Under: A Day at the Center, Community Partnerships, Press Releases, Staff & Board of Directors, Thank You Community Supporters Tagged With: aneurysm, Board of Directors, brain injury, charity, concussion, Marin, San Francisco Bay Area, stroke, tbi

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • …
  • 5
  • Next Page »

Recent Posts

  • Your Generosity Helps Turns Strokes of Paint Into Strokes of Healing
  • Inside/Out: Unmasking the Inner Journey of Brain Injury Survivors
  • Why Your Support Matters
  • New Board of Directors Chair and Vice Chair Appointed

Categories



facebook icon   youtube icon   linkedin icon
twitter icon   instagram icon

Schurig Center logo

1132 Magnolia Avenue
Larkspur, CA 94939
(415) 461-6771
501(c)(3) Charity #68-0105213
Legal Name: Marin Brain Injury Network



facebook icon  youtube icon  linkedin icon  x icon  instagram icon

© 2025; Marin Brain Injury Network