From Brain Injury to Brain Innovation – An Interview with Founder and CEO Shawnee Harkins

Shawnee Harkins is a neuroscience-driven performance expert, Neuro Fitness Trainer, and Founder of The Harkins Project VRx™, a medical extended reality company pioneering immersive therapies for brain health prevention and neurorehabilitation. A survivor of multiple traumatic brain injuries, Shawnee rebuilt her life from the inside out by leveraging neurogenesis and neuroplasticity – long before she had the scientific language to describe what she was doing.

Today, she is the creator of The Harkins Method™: Neural Network of Change, a proprietary, neuroplasticity-driven method and system designed to train the mind, rewire the brain, and restore the body through integrated cognitive, physical, and behavioral conditioning. Her work bridges neuroscience and real-world application, helping individuals from high performers to those recovering from traumatic brain injury, concussion, stroke, and neurological conditions achieve measurable, lasting transformation.

In this interview, Shawnee shares the personal story behind The Harkins Method™: Neural Network of Change, how her work bridges neuroscience with real-world brain-body training, and how AI, AR, and VR technologies are helping reshape recovery, performance, and long-term brain health.

Shawnee Harkins, Neuroperformance & Brain Health Strategist

What core principles of neuro fitness training do you use to help clients rewire limiting patterns and achieve sustainable peak performance?

Neuro fitness training is built on a foundational principle that most people overlook: the body does not lead performance or recovery – the mind does.

In my work, I train three systems simultaneously: the mind, the brain, and the body. But before we ever ask the brain to perform or the body to execute, we begin by creating the right internal state.

Because neuroplasticity does not respond to force. It responds to state.

Many individuals – whether they are high performers or neuro patients – are operating from a dysregulated nervous system. When the nervous system is dysregulated, the brain is in a protective mode. It is not in a state that supports learning, adaptation, or change.

So the first step in my methodology is nervous system regulation through intentional mental training.

We use breathwork, visualization, mental imagery, and the neurochemistry of words to shift the individual into a state of focus, safety, and readiness. Breathwork plays a critical role here, as it directly influences the autonomic nervous system, helping transition the body out of stress-based responses and into a regulated state where the brain can receive, process, and respond effectively.

This is no different than how an elite athlete prepares for performance.

Before an athlete steps onto the field, they enter a mental zone – one marked by clarity, focus, and control. I take that same approach with my clients. I prepare neuro patients for performance by training their minds first, so the brain and body can follow.

Once that state is established, we layer in cognitive engagement and physical activation. Through mental rehearsal, we activate neural circuits before movement occurs. Neuroscience shows that the brain responds to vividly imagined actions in ways that mirror physical execution, which allows us to begin building neural pathways even before the body fully regains function.

From there, we reinforce those pathways through structured, repetitive training. This is neurological conditioning before the cognitive and physical work begins.

When you train the mind with intention, regulate the nervous system, and align thought, emotion, and action, you create the conditions for neurogenesis and neuroplasticity to occur consistently.

That is where sustainable transformation begins.

What differentiates your neuro fitness methodology from traditional fitness and mindset coaching approaches in delivering lasting transformation?

The primary difference is that I do not train the mind, brain, and body as separate systems. Traditional fitness focuses on the body. Mindset coaching focuses on thought patterns. Clinical rehabilitation often isolates physical or cognitive function. The limitation in that approach is that real and long-term transformation does not happen in isolation – it happens through integration. The Harkins Method™ is a neuroplasticity-driven method and system that unifies cognitive training, physical activation, and behavioral conditioning into one cohesive framework. We train the mind to create direction, the brain to build and strengthen neural pathways, and the body to restore function and performance.

Another key differentiator is that this method was not built in theory. It was built through lived experience and then refined through neuroscience.

I did not study neuroplasticity first. I lived it.

After multiple traumatic brain injuries, I had to rebuild my own brain, my body, and my identity from the inside out. Through that process, I identified patterns – what accelerated recovery, what created setbacks, and what allowed function to return. I then structured those patterns into a repeatable and scalable framework and system.

Today, we apply that framework and system across both performance and recovery.

Whether I am working with a high-performing executive, an athlete, or an individual recovering from traumatic brain injury or stroke, the principle remains the same: train the mind first so the brain can follow, and the body can respond.

What we are doing goes beyond symptom management.

We are restructuring internal systems – neurologically, cognitively, and behaviorally – so that change is not temporary, but built into how the individual thinks, functions, and lives.

That is why the results are not surface-level. They are structural, repeatable, and sustainable.

How do you help clients optimize brain function, resilience, and energy to perform consistently at a high level in demanding environments?

Optimizing brain function and performance is not about pushing harder. It is about training smarter, with precision and intention.

Most individuals are operating in cycles of cognitive fatigue, inconsistent energy, and nervous system overload. They attempt to compensate for this by increasing output, which only reinforces the problem.

In my work, we take a different approach.

We begin by stabilizing the internal system – specifically the central nervous system – because consistency in performance is not driven by willpower, it is driven by regulation.

Through breathwork, mental conditioning, and structured routines, we create a baseline where the brain is no longer operating in survival mode. From there, we begin training for clarity, focus, and sustained attention.

We also integrate cognitive patterning and physical movement to strengthen neural efficiency. When the brain and body are trained together, energy becomes more sustainable because the system is working in alignment rather than in conflict.

Resilience is built through repetition under the right conditions.

When individuals learn how to regulate their internal state, direct their focus, and execute with intention, they no longer rely on motivation or temporary peaks in energy.

They develop a system that allows them to perform consistently, whether in high-demand environments or while managing pain.

That is what optimization truly looks like.

What role does nervous system regulation play in your client results, and how do you integrate it into your coaching process?

Nervous system regulation is foundational to everything I do. Without regulation, there is no consistent access to neuroplasticity.

If the nervous system is dysregulated, the brain prioritizes protection over performance. It limits learning, reduces adaptability, and creates inconsistency in both cognitive and physical function. That is why we do not begin with output. We begin with the internal state.

Through breathwork, mental imagery, the neurochemistry of words said aloud or written, and intentional focus, we shift the individual into a regulated state before any cognitive or physical demand is introduced.

This allows the brain to move out of defensive patterns and into a state that supports learning, connection, and execution.

From a neuroscience perspective, this is critical. A regulated nervous system enhances communication between brain regions, improves motor control, and increases the brain’s ability to form and reinforce new neural pathways.

From a practical standpoint, it changes everything. Client's experience:

• Improved focus

• Increased emotional stability

• Greater control over their body

• More consistent performance

Most importantly, they begin to feel safe in their own body again.

That is where we implant hope for change and where real progress begins.

What measurable transformations have your clients experienced through your neuro fitness training programs, and how do you ensure those results are maintained long term?

The transformations I see in my clients are both measurable and meaningful. From a neurological and physical standpoint, we see improvements in:

• Cognitive function and processing speed

• Memory and attention

• Motor control, coordination, and balance

• Speech and communication

• Emotional regulation

• Reduction of auras and seizures

For individuals recovering from traumatic brain injury, stroke, or neurological conditions, these changes translate into increased independence and restored function.

For high performers, it translates into clarity, focus, and sustainable energy. But the most important transformation is not just functional. It is identity-based.

When someone begins to experience progress – when they feel their brain responding, their body moving differently, their thoughts becoming clearer – their belief shifts.

When belief shifts, behavior follows.

To maintain results, we do not rely on short-term interventions. We build systems.

Through structured routines, continued mind-brain-body training, and consistent reinforcement of neural pathways, the individual learns how to sustain their own progress.

This is not about creating dependence.

It is about teaching someone how to take ownership of their brain, their performance, and their recovery long-term.

How is neuroplasticity being transformed through immersive technologies like AI, AR, and VR in modern healthcare?

We are entering a new era in healthcare where neuroplasticity is no longer limited by environment, access, or traditional delivery methods.

Through immersive technologies like AI, AR, and VR, we now have the ability to create controlled, repeatable, and highly engaging environments that accelerate brain training and recovery.

The Harkins Project VRx™ is built on this principle.

We take the methodology of The Harkins Method™, which trains the mind, brain, and body, and deliver it through immersive experiences that activate neural pathways in real time. In a VR environment, we can:

• Simulate movement before it is physically possible

• Reinforce cognitive and motor patterns through repetition

• Engage the brain in ways that feel real, immersive, and motivating

This enhances neuroplasticity because the brain responds strongly to immersive and meaningful experiences.

AI allows us to personalize that experience – adapting training in real time based on the individual’s responses, progress, and needs.

This is where healthcare begins to shift.

From generalized protocols to personalized, data-driven brain-body training systems. From limited sessions to scalable, daily engagement.

From reactive care to proactive neurological development. This is not replacing human care. It is extending it.

What is your long-term vision for The Harkins Method™ and The Harkins Project VRx™ in shaping the future of brain health and neurorehabilitation?

My long-term vision is to make neuroplasticity accessible, scalable, and integrated into daily life. The Harkins Method™ is the foundation – a structured method and system designed to produce neurogenesis and neuroplasticity through intentional training of the mind, brain, and body.

The Harkins Project VRx™ is the scale.

Through immersive AI, AR, and VR environments, we are building a platform that delivers this training globally – removing barriers of geography, access, and traditional care limitations.

This system serves two critical areas:

Brain health prevention – supporting cognitive longevity, strengthening the aging brain, and addressing conditions like Alzheimer’s and dementia before they fully develop.

Neurorehabilitation – supporting individuals recovering from traumatic brain injury, concussion, stroke, anoxic brain injury, and neurological conditions.

But beyond that, this is about a shift in how we view the brain.

From something that is treated after decline to something that is trained daily for performance, resilience, and longevity.

My vision is to help redefine the standard. Where individuals are not waiting for recovery. They are actively participating in building it.

You have lived through multiple traumatic brain injuries and fully rebuilt your life. How has your personal journey shaped the way you lead, serve, and innovate in the field of neuroplasticity today?

My personal journey is not separate from my work. It is the foundation of it.

I have lived through multiple traumatic brain injuries where I was told that my recovery had limits. I have experienced what it feels like to lose function, identity, and direction, and to be faced with the question of whether life would ever look the same again.

What shaped me most was not just the adversity. It was the decision I made in response to it. I chose to go inward. I chose to understand how the mind, brain, and body actually work together. And through that process, I discovered that recovery was not fixed. It was trainable.

That realization changed everything.

It taught me that leadership is not about speaking from theory. It is about leading from lived truth. It taught me that service is not about telling someone what is possible. It is about walking them through it.

It shaped how I innovate.

Every system I build, every program I design, and every technology I develop is rooted in one question:

How do we give someone a real pathway forward when they have been told there is not one? That is why The Harkins Method™ is structured the way it is. That is why The Harkins Project VRx™ exists.

Because I am not building on assumptions.

I am building from experience, refined through neuroscience, and designed for others to access.

As your work continues to expand globally through your programs and The Harkins Project VRx™, how are you scaling your impact and empowering others to take ownership of their recovery and performance?

Scaling impact begins with creating systems that are both effective and accessible.

For years, my work was delivered in real time – one-on-one, in person, online, hospital acute care, and in non-profits, guiding individuals through the process of training their mind, rewiring their brain, and restoring their body.

What I recognized was that while the results were powerful, access was limited. So the next phase of my work became about scale.

Through Neuro State of Mind™ and NeuroFit Training Club™, I have been able to bring structured neuroplasticity training to individuals both in person and online, giving them tools, guidance, and a clear pathway forward.

The Harkins Project VRx™ takes that even further.

Through immersive AI, AR, and VR environments, we are building a system where individuals can engage in neuroplasticity-driven training in a way that is consistent, measurable, and personalized to them.

But beyond technology, the real focus is empowerment.

I do not position individuals as passive participants in their recovery. I teach them how to actively engage with it.

They learn how to regulate their nervous system, direct their thoughts, and reinforce the behaviors that create change.

That is how we scale impact.

Not just by reaching more people, but by giving each individual the tools to take ownership of their own transformation.

Now that you are on the other side of healing and building, how are you using your story to influence others globally, and what does your contribution to the book How to Survive and Thrive represent in that mission?

My story is no longer just about what I overcame. It is about what I am building because of it.

There was a time in my life where survival was the focus. Learning how to function again, how to think clearly, how to rebuild my identity from the inside out.

But thriving is a different level of responsibility.

Thriving means taking what you have learned and using it to create impact for others. Today, I share my story through my work, through my programs, through my speaking, and through the systems I am building to reach people globally.

Because there are individuals right now who have been told that this is as good as it gets. And I want them to know that there is another path.

My contribution to How to Survive and Thrive (publishing this summer 2026), in collaboration with Joe Foster, founder of Reebok, represents that exact message.

This book is centered on legacy, resilience, and the mindset required to build something that lasts. My chapter reflects the transition from surviving traumatic brain injuries to building a life and a body of work that serves others at scale.

It is about understanding that adversity does not define you. It refines you if you choose to engage with it.

It is about showing others that what they are going through may be the very thing that positions them to rise, rebuild, and lead.

That is the mission.

To turn personal adversity into global impact.

Closing:

If you are reading this and something resonated with you, there is a reason for that.

Whether you are navigating recovery from a traumatic brain injury, concussion, or stroke, supporting a loved one as a caregiver, or you are a high performer seeking greater clarity, resilience, and control over your mind and body, there is a path forward.

The work I do is centered on helping individuals train their brains with intention, regulate their nervous systems, and rebuild from the inside out through neuroplasticity-driven methods and systems.

If you are ready for structure, guidance, and a personalized approach to your recovery or performance – or you are a caregiver seeking support and direction for someone you love—I invite you to take the next step.

You can learn more about my work through Neuro State of Mind™, my 1:1 neuroplasticity training programs, or join the NeuroFit Training Club™, an online community designed to support brain health, performance, and long-term transformation.

To connect directly, you can visit my website or reach out to me personally by messaging “NEURO” on social media, and I will guide you to the next step.

You are not limited by where you are today.

With the right system, the brain can adapt, rebuild, and perform at a level you may not yet realize is possible.

Visit my website for more info!

Read more from Shawnee Harkins