From Research to Resources – Creating Brainkind Adapt

Steffy Bechelet, Brainkind’s Domestic Abuse and Brain Injury Researcher, shares her reflections on the recent Virtual Intimate Partner Violence & Brain Injury Conference and highlights how our new tool – Brainkind Adapt – is supporting professionals working with survivors of domestic abuse who may be living with the effects of a brain injury. 

Earlier this month, I had the privilege of presenting at the third annual Virtual Intimate Partner Violence & Brain Injury Conference, hosted by ENIGMA IPV and PINK Concussions.  

The two-day event, which took place on 5 and 6 November, brought together an inspiring community of researchers, clinicians, advocates, and survivors, to explore the intersection of brain injury and intimate partner violence (IPV). 

This year’s theme, “Empowering Innovation: Highlighting Promising Practices in IPV & Brain Injury Research, Recognition, and Response,” provided the perfect platform to share our work at Brainkind. 

I spoke about Brainkind’s journey from research to resource development, focused on raising awareness of brain injury symptoms in survivors of domestic abuse in the United Kingdom. 

I shared the process of creating Brainkind Adapt – our new, free, web-based tool designed to support professionals working with survivors of domestic abuse, who may be living with the effects of a brain injury.  

This tool was developed in response to our research findings — particularly our Too Many to Count report — which revealed that 1 in 2 survivors of domestic abuse may have sustained a brain injury, often through blows to the head or non-fatal strangulation.  

Brainkind Adapt helps professionals to: 

• Facilitate structured conversations about head injury and strangulation in a trauma-informed, collaborative way

• Support conversations about potential symptoms of brain injury  

• Adapt their support using practical accommodations, such as breaking tasks into smaller steps, setting routines, and validating survivors’ experiences

• Signpost to appropriate services, ensuring survivors are not left navigating complex symptoms alone. 

It’s not a diagnostic tool, but it empowers professionals across sectors — from domestic abuse services to housing, health, education, and justice — to better understand and respond to the symptoms of potential brain injuries survivors may be living with. Brainkind Adapt is available on our website.  

At Brainkind, we work hard to ensure research findings turn into tangible, positive social change, including  holding consultations with survivors and professionals across the UK to make this happen.  

Presenting at the third annual Virtual Intimate Partner Violence & Brain Injury Conference was a wonderful experience, and I am so grateful for the opportunity. It was a great chance to highlight the voices of survivors who shaped this work, and to connect with others committed to improving recognition and response in this space.