Her teaching and writing has been recognized in North America and Northern Europe, where, in Sweden, she introduced a master of science degree designed for adult learners.
The assault that is at the heart of her first book, Headstrong: Surviving traumatic brain injury, reshaped her life. Her passion for justice was, if anything, emboldened as she immersed herself in understanding traumatic brain injury, post -traumatic stress syndrome, the consequence of being the victim of stranger violence, the cultural contexts of trauma and assault and the ways in which trauma pervades daily life.