Janet M. Cromer R.N., L.M.H.C.

Janet Cromer's career spans thirty-five years as a medical and psychiatric RN, twenty-three years as a licensed psychotherapist, and seven years as an award-winning healthcare writer, most recently from the American Medical Writers Association New England Chapter. Janet held clinical and administrative positions in hospitals and community mental health programs, and managed her successful private psychotherapy practice. As a Registered Art Therapist with a Master's Degree in Expressive Therapies from Lesley University, Janet incorporated art, writing, drama, and movement into her treatment with people dealing with medical illness, mental illness, and brain injury. She has long been interested in the medical humanities as a way to improve patient care and foster humane relationships among professionals, patients, and families. Janet presented at the Maine Humanities Council "After Shock: Humanities Perspectives on Trauma" national conference on narrative medicine.

Since 1998, Janet has contributed her professional expertise to the brain injury and family caregiver communities as a support group facilitator, speaker, advisory board member, and advocate for family caregivers and survivors. Her viewpoint encompasses a broad understanding of healthcare issues and personal experience as a family caregiver for her husband who faced the challenges of brain injury, dementia, and Parkinson's disease.

Her book, Professor Cromer Learns to Read: A Couple's New Life after Brain Injury, is the recipient of a 2010 Solimene Award for Excellence in Medical Communication and the Neal Duane Award for Distinction from the American Medical Writers Association-NE Chapter.

Janet speaks nationally at conferences, hospitals, and community events. Popular topics include brain injury, stress resilience for family caregivers and healthcare porfessionals, ethical issues, and creativity in everyday life.