When the brain changes, so does everything else
I’ve lived it. Now I help others navigate it.
130k views on YouTube
Neuroscience certificates (Duke University and Berklee College of Music)
Vulnerable Sector Check available
Larissa Marks
Hello, I'm Larissa
I’m a speaker, educator, and brain injury survivor. I spent years teaching, mentoring, and speaking to audiences of all ages before a serious car accident changed the direction of my life. My own concussion recovery showed me how much information gets lost between diagnosis and figuring out how to live your life again, so I created the talks I wish I’d had.
I combine six years of lived experience with ongoing study in brain health, including neuroscience certificates from Duke University and Berklee College of Music. My sessions are clear, relatable, and grounded in real life, and I’m always happy to tailor them to your group. Vulnerable Sector Check available upon request.
Who are you booking for?
I speak to schools, senior’s organizations, sports teams, libraries, healthcare teams, and community groups across Ontario. Every session is tailored to the audience in front of me.
Older Adults & Community
Plain-language sessions on concussions after a fall or bump, what to watch for, and how to talk to your doctor.
Concussion After 50: What Every Older Adult Should Know
Practical, engaging information about concussion after 50. Participants learn how a concussion can happen without a direct blow to the head, what symptoms to watch for, when to seek help, and how to talk to their healthcare provider.
Music and the Brain: Sing Your Brain Happy
Why can one song bring back a whole memory? Research on neuroplasticity suggests music may support mood, memory, and mental flexibility, which matters for anyone rebuilding brain health, whether after a concussion, a fall, or just with age. Try it yourself in simple, low-pressure activities. No musical experience needed.
After the Fall: Accessing Supports & Rebuilding Your Routines
A fall can change more than your confidence. This practical session explores what rehabilitation and community supports may be available. We’ll also look at ways to stay engaged during recovery including low-energy ways to keep your brain active.
Schools & Students
Real tools for students to support a friend, manage their energy, and bounce back when their brain isn’t cooperating.
Supporting Your Friend Through a Concussion
When a friend gets a concussion, it’s hard to know what to say or do. This talk gives students real, practical tools to show up with understanding and without making things worse.
Managing Energy When Your Brain Says No
Focus is harder after a brain injury. This talk gives students concrete strategies for managing fatigue, staying on track, and getting through the day without burning out.
The Brain That Won’t Quit
Setbacks are hard. Brain setbacks are harder. This session helps teens build genuine resilience strategies for the moments when their brain isn’t cooperating with their life.
Parents & Caregivers
Clear guidance on what’s normal, what’s concerning, and how to support recovery for your teen or your whole family.
The Parent’s Guide to Teen Concussions
You want to help, but you’re not sure what’s normal, what’s concerning, or how long this is supposed to last. This talk cuts through the confusion with clear, practical guidance for supporting your teen’s recovery.
Life After Concussion: From Surviving to Thriving
Recovery isn’t linear — and it affects the whole family. This session covers the emotional and cognitive side of concussion recovery that doctors often don’t have time to explain.
Athletes & Coaches
Sessions that cover your Rowan’s Law concussion awareness review in a way that actually sticks.
Rowan’s Law: Not Just a Checkbox
Ontario’s Rowan’s Law requires schools and sports organizations to review concussion awareness resources annually. Let’s cover the required awareness material, your concussion code of conduct, and return-to-sport protocols in a way that actually sticks.
Concussions 101: What Every Athlete Needs to Know
Concussions are common, misunderstood, and often undertreated. This talk gives athletes the awareness and language to recognize symptoms, speak up, and protect their long-term health.
Don’t see a topic that fits your audience?
Let’s customize a session for your group!
Healthcare Teams
A lived-experience look at what patients struggle to explain in a 15-minute appointment, and what happens in between.
Your Concussion Patients: What They Aren’t Telling You
Your patients may have only 15 minutes with you—but they may have spent the rest of the week trying to figure out how to explain what’s happening to them. They may not know what to tell you, what questions to ask, or what support exists beyond the appointment. This session explores the practical barriers that can make recovery harder than it looks from the exam room.
The Practical Side of Concussion Recovery
A lived-experience perspective on what happens between appointments: fatigue, cognitive overload, sensory symptoms, identity changes, pacing, communication, and the practical challenges patients may struggle to explain in a clinical setting.
Custom & Interactive
Hands-on workshops and tailored programs built around your group’s needs.
Mindfulness for the Brain in Recovery
Stress and anxiety are common companions to brain injury. This session introduces simple, science-backed mindfulness tools that work even on the hardest days.
Interactive Brain Recovery Workshop
Hands-on, engaging, and practical. This workshop guides participants through memory, energy, and problem-solving exercises they can actually use — not just think about.
Turning Low-Energy Days Into Wins
Some days the brain just won’t cooperate. This session reframes what productivity looks like after a brain injury and sends everyone home with a toolkit for their toughest days.
Each time, Larissa spoke with great confidence and ease, allowing for audience participation during her presentations. She is an articulate and effective public speaker. I would highly recommend her as a speaker to other groups or organizations.
Your videos really do help. Thank you for reminding me that little wins are still wins — I tend to want to jump in and get a bunch of stuff done all at once, but then I get overwhelmed. Keep up the great work.
Community Presentation
30–60 minutes
Perfect for clubs, senior centres, schools, sports teams, and patient education. High-energy and engaging — ideal when you need to reach a large group in a single session.
Lunch & Learn
45–60 minutes
Designed for medical offices, healthcare teams, clinics, and workplace groups. I fit into your lunch hour — you handle the food, I handle everything else.
Extended Workshop
90 minutes
For groups that want discussion, exercises and practical takeaways. Ideal for deeper skill-building and highly interactive groups. More time means more tools, more practice, and more takeaways.
Custom Programming
Half day or multi-session.
Best for staff training days, multi-group events, or organizations wanting comprehensive coverage built specifically for their audience. Includes multiple segments and a full handout package.
How Booking Works
1. Reach out,
2. We pick a talk,
3. I handle the rest!
Every talk includes a free takeaway handout so attendees can put strategies into practice immediately.
Ready to bring a talk to your group?
I’d love to work with you!
Click the button and I’ll get back to you promptly with options and availability.
I'm Here to Help
How We Can Work Together
I know what it’s like to have your life suddenly change because of a brain injury or concussion. I also know how confusing, isolating, and overwhelming recovery can feel — especially for teens, parents, and caregivers trying to do the right thing.
I offer talks and workshops that are clear, engaging, and tailored to the audience in front of me — and are always designed to meet people where they are.
Larissa Marks
If you’re looking for a speaker who combines real-life experience with actionable tools and a warm, relatable delivery, I’d love to connect and see how we can create something meaningful for your group. (Vulnerable Sector Check available upon request.)
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Location
I’m based in Southern Ontario and available for in-person talks across the region — from Ottawa to Niagara and up to Barrie. If you’re outside this area, travel options and virtual sessions are also available.