Modalities (Services)

Art therapy uses creative expression as part of the healing process, helping patients explore experiences, emotions, and challenges that may be difficult to express through words alone. No artistic experience or skill is needed; the focus is on the process of creating, not the finished product.

As part of MIBH’s interdisciplinary approach to care, art therapy can support self-awareness, emotional regulation, mindfulness, and relaxation while engaging cognitive skills such as attention, memory, problem-solving, and decision-making. Creative expression can also provide patients with new ways to process their experiences, recognize patterns, build self-compassion, and reconnect with a sense of identity and purpose.

By integrating creative and therapeutic processes, art therapy provides another pathway for patients to explore their internal experiences and support their cognitive, emotional, and psychological well-being.

MIBH behavioral health clinicians provide specialized, trauma-informed care grounded in an understanding of the complex relationship between traumatic brain injury (TBI), post-traumatic stress, moral injury, and emotional well-being. Treatment is individualized and informed by the experiences, cultures, and unique behavioral health needs of Veterans, Service Members, and First Responders.

Behavioral health care at MIBH is practical and action-oriented, helping patients better understand how brain injury and psychological health can affect emotions, relationships, behavior, and daily life. Clinicians work with patients to develop effective strategies for managing stress, regulating emotions, strengthening coping skills, and navigating changes that may have occurred following injury or trauma.

Treatment may also address traumatic experiences that can complicate recovery. Using evidence-based approaches, including Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) when appropriate, clinicians help patients process trauma, reduce distress, and develop healthier, more adaptive responses.

Ultimately, behavioral health treatment helps patients better understand their experiences, build skills that support long-term well-being, and move forward with a stronger and more integrated sense of self.

Neurology plays an important role in the evaluation and treatment of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and related neurological symptoms at MIBH. Every patient receives a comprehensive neurological evaluation, with access to additional specialty consultations as needed.

During the evaluation, the neurologist reviews the patient’s medical history, symptoms, and any previous tests or treatments. The neurologist then performs a detailed examination to assess areas such as headache, thinking and memory, movement, balance, sensation, and other neurological functions. By considering these findings alongside information gathered across disciplines, the neurologist helps develop a more complete understanding of each patient’s condition and contributes to an individualized treatment plan.

Throughout treatment, the neurologist remains an active part of the interdisciplinary care team. Neurology works closely with other providers to monitor symptoms, address medical needs, and evaluate progress as patients participate in therapy. When additional testing or specialty care is needed, MIBH’s location on the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus provides access to a wide range of medical specialists and resources.

This integrated approach allows neurological care to remain connected to the full picture of each patient’s health, recovery, and long-term well-being.

Neuropsychology helps patients and the MIBH care team better understand how brain health, injury, psychological health, and other medical factors may be affecting cognitive and emotional functioning. As part of the evaluation process, patients receive psychological or neuropsychological assessment based on their individual needs and clinical presentation.

A neuropsychological evaluation examines areas of cognitive functioning such as attention, memory, processing speed, language, problem-solving, and executive functioning, while also considering emotional and psychological health. The evaluation may include a clinical interview, standardized assessments, review of medical history, and information gathered by other members of the interdisciplinary team.

Importantly, neuropsychological findings are not considered in isolation. Factors such as sleep, chronic pain, fatigue, medications, psychological distress, and other health conditions can influence how a person thinks and functions. Neuropsychologists interpret assessment results within this broader context to help identify factors that may be contributing to a patient’s cognitive concerns.

The results help inform diagnosis and individualized treatment planning, identify areas of strength and challenge, and provide patients with a clearer understanding of their cognitive functioning. When appropriate, assessment findings may also provide a baseline for understanding changes over time and progress throughout recovery.

Physical therapy at MIBH focuses on how symptoms related to brain injury affect movement, balance, physical activity, and daily life. Through individualized evaluation and treatment, physical therapists help patients improve function, build confidence in movement, and return to meaningful activities.

Evaluation may include assessment of balance and walking, strength and mobility, neurological function, and the visual, vestibular, and sensory systems that help the brain understand where the body is in space. These systems work together constantly to help us move safely and process complex environments. When they are not working together efficiently, everyday situations—such as navigating a busy grocery store, riding in traffic, exercising, or interacting in visually stimulating environments—can contribute to symptoms such as dizziness, nausea, fatigue, imbalance, or feeling overwhelmed.

Treatment is individualized based on each patient’s symptoms, goals, and evaluation findings. Physical therapy may incorporate vestibular and eye movement-based exercises, balance and coordination training, resistance and aerobic exercise, and progressive exposure to movement or environments that contribute to symptoms.

By helping patients better tolerate physical and sensory demands, physical therapy supports improved function, participation in daily activities, and overall quality of life.

Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) at MIBH specialize in evaluating and treating cognitive-communication challenges associated with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and other complex health conditions. Changes in brain health can affect skills such as attention, memory, executive function, processing information, and communication—all of which can influence daily life, relationships, and the ability to function effectively at work, home, and in the community.

During the evaluation, SLPs assess each patient’s cognitive-communication skills and how these skills may be contributing to symptoms such as mental fatigue, difficulty concentrating, losing track of information, or feeling overwhelmed in complex environments. When clinically appropriate, evaluation may also address speech, voice, and swallowing concerns as well as screening for hearing concerns related to the patient’s medical history and overall health.

During treatment, SLPs work with patients to develop practical strategies for managing cognitive and communication challenges in everyday life. Individual and group sessions may focus on teaching and application of various strategies such as attention, processing, memory, metacognitive, social communication strategies, with a treatment plan shaped by each patient’s individual goals and priorities.

Working closely with the interdisciplinary care team, SLPs help patients understand their cognitive-communication needs, develop strategies that support greater independence, and apply those skills to the activities and environments that matter most to them.