https://gofund.me/2606a6692, https://www.resilienceally.net/

Marina Compean, LCSW, Los Angeles, CA (2026)

04/19/2026

Saw this earlier this month: Is Brain Health the Next Healthcare Frontier?

And it prompted a lot of reflection—personally and professionally.

These last 6 months have changed how I understand healing. Living through a brain injury has humbled me in ways no training ever could. Things I once moved through with ease—focus, multitasking, energy—now ask more of me. And in that slowing down, I’ve had to listen and process differently.

Not just to my own brain and body, but about mental health and brain health. That’s a different conversation—one that brings together neurobiology, trauma, environment, culture, and relationship. It asks us to move beyond coping strategies and into deeper understanding of how the nervous system adapts, protects, and heals.

This experience has renewed my commitment to integrating neuroscience in a way that feels human and grounded in connections and “systems.”

Not clinical. Not abstract.
Relational. Accessible. Culturally affirming. Community building.

Because knowledge alone doesn’t heal—connection does. Safety does. Being seen in your full context does.

I’m especially thinking about the communities I serve—BIPOC, first-gen professionals, caregivers, healers—folks navigating high stress, systemic pressure, and often, invisible cognitive and emotional load. Brain health conversations need to include us. They need to reflect our realities, our languages, our bodies.

So I’m leaning in.

Learning more.
Translating neuroscience into something usable.Bringing it into the therapy room, workshops, and everyday conversations.

Not as a trend—but as a necessary and very personal evolution.

03/15/2026

For more than 20 years, I’ve worked as a trauma therapist supporting people through experiences that changed the course of their lives.

Late last year, my own life took that kind of turn when I survived a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Recovery from a TBI has meant months of Neuro-rehab working to rebuild cognitive stamina, manage sensory changes, and slowly regain capacities that once felt automatic. Progress happens, but the timeline is far less predictable than I initially believed.

During recovery, I’ve came across a finding from the World Health Organization: every dollar invested in mental health treatment returns about four dollars in improved health and productivity. When therapists help people recover from trauma, remain in the workforce, or rebuild their lives after disruption, the ripple effects extend far beyond the therapy room.

That perspective has deepened my commitment to returning to this work — eventually integrating what I’m learning through recovery into how I support professionals navigating trauma, burnout, and major life disruptions.

The reality, though, is that neurological recovery has required much more time and financial support than I ever expected. When I first created my GoFundMe, I was optimistic that I would be able to return to work sooner. As the months have unfolded, it has become clear that recovery will take longer and cost more than I had anticipated.

If you feel moved to help, I would be deeply grateful for any contribution or for sharing my fundraiser within your networks. Your support is helping make it possible for me to continue the work of healing so that I can, in time, return to the profession and communities I care deeply about.

I’m incredibly grateful to everyone who has reached out, offered encouragement, donated, or shared my story so far. The kindness of colleagues, friends, and community has been one of the most sustaining parts of this journey.

[GoFundMe link in bio]

03/13/2026

Working on a gradual return to work and rebuilding my practice and income capacity. My hope is not only to return to practice but to integrate my lived experience of brain injury recovery into the way I support clients and colleagues.

Healing from a brain injury is teaching me something many of us were never taught: recovery is not an individual effort—it is something community makes possible.

I’m deeply grateful for the community that has carried me through this unexpected chapter. If you’ve been considering contributing to my Go Fund Me (link in bio) or sharing, this would be a meaningful moment to do so.

If you are comfortable, please consider sharing with one professional group, listserv, or community you’re part of.

03/08/2026

Profoundly grateful for the steadfast support from colleagues, friends, and family! GFM link in bio. I’m on the mend and on my way back to work—I miss clinical work so much! Looking forward to getting back to sessions and feel like myself at 💯again!

03/02/2026

As part of my ongoing recovery from a traumatic brain injury (TBI), I’ve been “being myself” with my therapists—so I ask questions and crack jokes with them —always trying to understand the science and theory behind the exercises (and having some light heartedness around my initial clumsiness with once seemingly easy tasks).

For example, emerging research shows that just 12 minutes of walking per day — especially when paired with social connection — can significantly support brain function. In the context of physical and occupational therapy, that feels both encouraging and validating. AND MY ASSESSMENTS INDICATE ITS WORKING!!! 🧠😃

I’ve had to recalibrate my “competitive athlete” mentality to integrate the notion that rehabilitation has been about strategic, tolerable, repeatable inputs to the nervous system. A short, guided walk supports:
• Neuroplasticity through rhythmic bilateral movement
• Vestibular and balance integration
• Cardiovascular regulation and improved cerebral blood flow
• Mood stabilization via shifts in brain chemistry
• Executive functioning through dual-tasking (walking + conversation)

From an occupational therapy lens, integrating social walking into daily life also reinforces real-world skills: pacing, attention, conversational tracking, sensory regulation, and community re-engagement.

The social component matters. TBI recovery has been isolating. Walking with someone trusted (like my really friendly and sociable PTs and OTs) adds co-regulation — which supports emotional resilience and cognitive endurance. It turns “therapy” into relational rehabilitation.

For me, this reframes progress. It doesn’t have to look like intensity. It can look like brief intentional relational minutes. Consistency over force. Integration over overwhelm.

Healing the brain is not about grinding — it’s about guiding it back online, one tolerable, supported repetition/moment at a time. Your GFM (link in bio) support has helped me continue to cover the costs of PT and OT and that’s made a huge difference! Thank you!

02/28/2026

If donating to my GoFundMe (link in bio)doesn’t feel aligned right now, there’s another way to support my healing + rebuilding ❤️

You can purchase my self-published journal — the very first doorway I created into accessible, everyday somatic practice.

I wrote it as an entry point for anyone curious about body-based self-care…
for folks who want simple prompts to slow down and notice sensation…
for those needing a structured, compassionate space to track experiential reflections.

It was always meant to make somatic work less intimidating and more usable.

Now, as a TBI survivor, neuroscience geek, and trauma-informed clinician, I’m living inside the material in a whole new way. Recovery has become both laboratory and teacher. I have even more lived experience shaping what healing in real time actually asks of us — pacing, rest, humility, neuroplasticity, resilience.

Purchasing the journal feels like an exchange.
You receive grounded, accessible somatic practices. I receive support as I heal, rebuild my career, and cover ongoing expenses.

It’s meaningful to me that support doesn’t only have to be charity — it can also be collaboration, reciprocity, and shared nervous system wisdom.

Thank you for walking this with me 🤍
Link to purchase on Amazon (sorry) here:
https://a.co/d/04u4tV7O

02/25/2026

As a TBI survivor in early recovery myself, I am (of course) diving in with not only personal vested interest but intellectual curiosity. Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is often called an invisible wound — because you can’t see it.

No cast.
No stitches.
Sometimes not even a scar.

But inside, the brain has absorbed impact — and that changes things.

After a TBI, we may “look fine” and even sound like ourselves… while quietly navigating:

• Brain fog
• Slower processing speed
• Word-finding difficulty
• Overwhelm in busy spaces
• Emotional sensitivity
• Deep, bone-level cognitive fatigue

And here’s what’s important: these are not character flaws. Theyare injury-related neurobiological shifts.

The brain is an organ. When it’s injured, mood, memory, focus, and regulation are affected. Depression and anxiety rates increase after TBI (thankfully I believe in paying attention to mental health)— not because someone is weak, but because neural networks that support regulation have been disrupted.

From a nervous system lens, TBI can reduce regulation capacity. That might look like:
– Feeling overstimulated more easily
– Crying faster than you used to
– Irritability that surprises you
– Shutting down when overwhelmed

Recovery isn’t just “rest more.”
It’s pacing.
It’s reducing cognitive load.
It’s allowing grief for the version of you that existed before.
It’s rebuilding trust with your brain and body.

If you or someone you love is navigating TBI:
The struggle is real — even if it’s invisible.
Healing is possible — and rarely linear.

Your nervous system (and mine) deserves compassion, not criticism. 🧠✨

SomaticHealing

02/25/2026

Colleagues and community,

For over 15 years, my work has centered trauma-informed, somatic, and culturally affirming care — particularly with underserved communities and professionals in high-impact roles. This season of medical leave post TBI as a result of a MVA while walking my therapy dog (whom is my assistant on walk and talk sessions with clients) has required me to live those same principles in a deeply personal way.

Recovery from a traumatic brain injury is not linear. It demands pacing, nervous system regulation, cognitive rehabilitation, and respect for capacity in each moment. I’m preparing for a gradual, medically guided return to practice, beginning part-time as neurorehabilitation continues.

While limited disability benefits have provided some support, they do not fully cover living and recovery-related expenses during this transition. If you feel moved to contribute to or share my GoFundMe, I would sincerely appreciate it. Link is in my bio. Reaching the remaining goal would allow me to return sustainably — aligned with the very values of steady, ethical practice that guide my work.

I remain grateful for this professional community and look forward to reconnecting more fully in the months ahead.

02/23/2026

Slowly but surely… after 5 months, I’m tiptoeing back into work life come March

Reintegration is happening (cue cautious celebration), but it’s a gentle ramp-up — not a full sprint. For now, hours are limited while my brain and body keep healing, which means my income is too.

If you’ve already supported me — thank you so so much. Truly. Your generosity has carried me through more than you know.

I’ve got PT and OT ongoing and have ortho consult coming up! If you’ve been meaning to donate or share, this is the in-between season where it really helps bridge the gap, since medical leave benefits are ending but I’m not yet able to work a full day.

Every share, every contribution, every word of encouragement makes this softer. Link to go fund me in bio. Thank you all!

02/20/2026

Recovery Update 💛

I wanted to share a small but meaningful update.

I’m continuing to make steady progress in my recovery, and I’m deeply grateful for how far I’ve come. The healing process has required patience, consistency, and a lot of support — and I truly feel that support from this community.

I’m now in the final stages of my medical leave before returning to work. While this feels hopeful and significant, I’m still not fully back to baseline. My return will be gradual and carefully paced so I don’t undo the progress I’ve worked so hard to make.

As I prepare for this transition, the financial impact of extended leave is still very real. Income won’t fully resume right away, and there are ongoing medical and living expenses to bridge during this period.

If you’ve been meaning to give, or feel moved to help carry Milo and I through this final stretch, a contribution of any size truly helps. Link is in my bio. Sharing the fundraiser is also deeply appreciated. This last push would give me the stability to return to work thoughtfully and sustainably.

Thank you for walking alongside me through this chapter. Your support — practical and emotional — has mattered more than I can say.

With deep gratitude,
Marina 💛and Milo 🐾

02/03/2026

I’m sharing this fundraiser with care and humility.

In late 2025, while walking my dog in a marked crosswalk, we were struck by a vehicle. Both of us survived, and I’m deeply grateful for the medical care and community support that helped stabilize us in the immediate aftermath. My dog, Milo—a trained psychiatric service animal—was thankfully not injured and is helping me recover with his sweet, loyal companionship.

Although my doctors expect a full recovery, the reality has been a prolonged and demanding healing process that has included hospitalization, ongoing medical appointments, rehabilitation, and a 6 month loss of work capacity. Much of this recovery work is invisible, time-intensive, and not fully covered by insurance.

This fundraiser is intended to help offset medical expenses, rehabilitation costs, and basic living expenses during this period of drastically reduced income, allowing me to focus on healing safely and sustainably. And helping me to get back to the work I love!

If you are able to contribute, I am profoundly grateful. If not, simply sharing this page or holding us in care is equally appreciated. Your support—financial or otherwise—helps reduce the strain of recovery.

Thank you for taking the time to read and for any support you’re able to offer. Link in my link tree…

With appreciation,
Marina

09/27/2025

Today we paused to celebrate and honor the strength, brilliance, and heart of Latino physicians. Your presence in medicine carries forward a legacy of resilience, service, and deep commitment to community care.

I’m grateful to have been part of this special day, offering a grounding practice to support participants’ reconnecting with your breath, your body, and your purpose. 🫀🌱

To every physician who shows up with presence, compassion, and dedication—you are needed, you are valued, and you belong here. 💙

✨ May you continue to find encouragement, restoration, and community as you walk this path of healing.

Marina Compean, LCSW

04/19/2026

03/15/2026

03/13/2026

03/08/2026

03/02/2026

02/28/2026

02/25/2026

02/25/2026

02/23/2026

02/20/2026

02/03/2026

09/27/2025

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