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Brain Dance: My Journey with Invisible Illness, Second Chances, and the Wonders of Applied Neuroscience
It could happen to anyone. One afternoon coming home from the gym, Diane Wilson pulled to a stop at a red light. In an instant, her life changed in ways that could never be reversed. What unfolded was a vexing journey into a health care system with few insights or tools. Diane became a person with an invisible injury, that no one would talk about, that affected every second of her life and eventually birthed a new vocation, as an applied neuroscientist. Brain Dance is a captivating, and touchingly candid true story. It traces Diane's journey through random and sometimes humorous events which shed light on how her brain kept her injury from her, the loss of focus, mobility and sense of self, an obsession of day-trading retirement funds, and finally holistic therapies-including a retreat with Thich Nhat Hahn, acupuncture, singing and neurofeedback. She chronicles the gift of recovery and her incredible journey to now help people around the world and make the most of their amazing brain. This book is for anyone who is curious about the brain, has had even a bump on the head or has felt totally lost in life and a need to start over. Diane Grimard Wilson is a Chicago peak performance coach, licensed clinical professional counselor and has a board certification as a fellow in neurofeedback. She holds certifications in integrative medicine for nutrition for mental health, music therapy and meditation teaching. Her first book, "Back in How to Stay Sane Productive and Inspired in Your Career Transition" was a finalist for the prestigious Nautilus Book Awards and she is a former contributor to the Chicago Tribune. Her clients include physicians, leaders, executives and parents. Diane is host of the " Sciencing Our Human Potential" podcast where she interviews leaders and other personalities for their human stories on resilience, change and coping with the global pandemic. Diane lives in Oak Park, Illinois with her husband, Gary Wilson, an environmental journalist.
166 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 29, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
October 18, 2021
I have read other books about the brain, but Diane Grimard Wilson’s personal account of injury, recovery and second chances was particularly motivating. Her thirst for knowledge, drive to heal herself and others, and openness to life are apparent. I learned from her experience and have a renewed appreciation for the importance of taking care of the brain by giving it the rest and nutrients it needs.
May 15, 2021
I wrote this book. Just learning my way around Goodreads and trying to get it on my page. I am so excited to share Brain Dance. I've had several advance readers, experts from my field and outside it, and got great recommendations. Hoping you like it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 2, 2021
I loved a lot about this book - there is a lot to love! I enjoyed getting to know the author through her personal stories and unique writing style, and I was excited about how much science and psychology were weaved into the story. The ways she found community in her new normal was encouraging and even had me googling local Unitarian Churches. Overall, I found the author's journey inspiring and didn't want the book to end.
February 17, 2022
"Traumatic brain injury" and "page turner" aren't necessarily phrases you think of together. But Diane Wilson's story of her journey to understand her own injury (from a car accident) and how to recover from it is conversational, compelling, and even humorous at times. Learning so much about how our brains work was fascinating, and following Diane on her determined path to wellness was inspiring. An inspirational read.
January 21, 2022
This incredible book by Diane Grimard Wilson is fascinating and informative on many levels, from the intricate cover to the title, itself. Part memoir/part self-help, this dramatic true story could be the insight someone needs to have following a brain injury caused by an auto accident.
One minute, she was at the gym; the next, she was in a collision at a red light—a moment that changed her life forever. Readers will immediately be caught up in the author’s journey through the healthcare system and healing, and immediately see that none of it came easy, because she was also dealing with an invisible injury—the kind that affects you in profound ways. Her medical issues led to a new career calling, that of a neuroscientist. With honesty, pathos, and a little humor, Wilson recounts the events surrounding her brain injury and recovery process, which involved traditional approaches but alternative, too, such as acupuncture, singing, and neurofeedback.
Even if you don’t know of anyone who has experienced a brain injury or concussion, this book will inform and equip you with valuable information about the brain, which is still seen as being the most mysterious organ in the human body. If you know what a concussion is, then perhaps you can relate, because this is the first step in the process of starting over after head trauma.
I love how she has taken a traumatic event and her gradual process of healing, and turned it into a gift for others to use in book form, but also in her career as a helping professional. As you read, you will be impressed and amazed to learn what the human brain can do. The author’s story is a testament to how the brain can rebound, given the right help. She is a true resource and help to others, and her life’s work is evidence of that. It’s painful to read the difficulties she had in navigating the healthcare system in order to find the help she needed, but so many people are in the same boat. Wilson’s book may help cut through the red tape, and offers concrete solutions for the physical, psychological, social, and spiritual aspects of brain injury (i.e., confusion, anxiety, etc.). You will be inspired to respect the functions of the brain and be more mindful of how to protect it, just as you would your heart or any other part of your body.
As a former social worker, I highly recommend this book to counselors, book clubs, and support groups—it could be a true lifesaver. Like me, you will value the author’s clear, comforting style, and the wealth of information she offers. Diane Grimard Wilson’s “Brain Dance” is a poignant beacon of light to those living with brain injury.
One minute, she was at the gym; the next, she was in a collision at a red light—a moment that changed her life forever. Readers will immediately be caught up in the author’s journey through the healthcare system and healing, and immediately see that none of it came easy, because she was also dealing with an invisible injury—the kind that affects you in profound ways. Her medical issues led to a new career calling, that of a neuroscientist. With honesty, pathos, and a little humor, Wilson recounts the events surrounding her brain injury and recovery process, which involved traditional approaches but alternative, too, such as acupuncture, singing, and neurofeedback.
Even if you don’t know of anyone who has experienced a brain injury or concussion, this book will inform and equip you with valuable information about the brain, which is still seen as being the most mysterious organ in the human body. If you know what a concussion is, then perhaps you can relate, because this is the first step in the process of starting over after head trauma.
I love how she has taken a traumatic event and her gradual process of healing, and turned it into a gift for others to use in book form, but also in her career as a helping professional. As you read, you will be impressed and amazed to learn what the human brain can do. The author’s story is a testament to how the brain can rebound, given the right help. She is a true resource and help to others, and her life’s work is evidence of that. It’s painful to read the difficulties she had in navigating the healthcare system in order to find the help she needed, but so many people are in the same boat. Wilson’s book may help cut through the red tape, and offers concrete solutions for the physical, psychological, social, and spiritual aspects of brain injury (i.e., confusion, anxiety, etc.). You will be inspired to respect the functions of the brain and be more mindful of how to protect it, just as you would your heart or any other part of your body.
As a former social worker, I highly recommend this book to counselors, book clubs, and support groups—it could be a true lifesaver. Like me, you will value the author’s clear, comforting style, and the wealth of information she offers. Diane Grimard Wilson’s “Brain Dance” is a poignant beacon of light to those living with brain injury.
November 2, 2021
Brain Dance by Diane G Wilson, a licensed counsellor, starts with Diane attending a medical conference for the first time. Diane has to stand in front of 350 people and do a presentation on her book. Being a brain injury survivor for whom traditional medicine offered little, it took many years for Diane to recover from the impact of her traumatic brain injury through non-traditional resources. It was an extremely long process starting with discovering the correct diagnosis to finding a therapy centre and a treatment regime that would actually help. Diane shares her entire journey from beginning to end, an open and honest account of her daily life and how she overcame insurmountable health problems.
This incredibly captivating story is an education for any person who reads it. Diane deals with concussion, physical brain trauma and everything that goes with it including anxiety, depression, brain-fog and cognitive challenges. The word concussion is derived from the Latin “concutere” – impact from an external blow to the head or internal movement of the brain causing bruising and swelling. Diane’s account of her trauma is compassionate, funny and relatable. Her story is well written and smooth flowing, making it easy to follow from beginning to end. Diane is such an inspiration in her quest to find answers and solutions. Any person who has read her story will change their perspective on people who are struggling with mental or physical health issues, becoming more understanding and empathetic. A fantastic book filled with answers to questions that I didn’t even know I needed answers to.
This incredibly captivating story is an education for any person who reads it. Diane deals with concussion, physical brain trauma and everything that goes with it including anxiety, depression, brain-fog and cognitive challenges. The word concussion is derived from the Latin “concutere” – impact from an external blow to the head or internal movement of the brain causing bruising and swelling. Diane’s account of her trauma is compassionate, funny and relatable. Her story is well written and smooth flowing, making it easy to follow from beginning to end. Diane is such an inspiration in her quest to find answers and solutions. Any person who has read her story will change their perspective on people who are struggling with mental or physical health issues, becoming more understanding and empathetic. A fantastic book filled with answers to questions that I didn’t even know I needed answers to.
February 1, 2026
Brain Dance is a highly informative, deeply human memoir of traumatic brain injury after a car accident. Drawing on a multidisciplinary approach and remarkable perseverance, Diane Grimard Wilson turns a life-altering crisis and the slow pace of recovery into an illuminating journey—one that offers insight, perspective, and hope.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews