Study examines whether virtual coaching to aid stroke recovery

Feature Stories | 25 Nov 2025 | Read time: 4 min | Written by: Jonna Semple-Kloke

This story was originally published on the Providence Care website.

Providence Care Scientist in Rehabilitation, Dr. Dorothy Kessler is leading research aimed at improving life after stroke.

As a 2025-26 Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada Grant-in-Aid (GIA) recipient, School of Rehabilitation Therapy faculty member Dr. Dorothy Kessler will receive $281,000 over three years to advance her work and examine how occupational performance coaching can help stroke survivors re-engage in daily activities and improve their quality of life.

“Following a stroke, most people are left with some sort of disability or challenge, and once therapy stops, a lot of people may feel like they’ve fallen into a black hole, that they’re on their own,” explains Dr. Kessler. “I hope this intervention helps people feel less alone, confident to carry on within their own supports and live a meaningful life, doing what matters most to them and shaping their sense of identity.”

Dr. Kessler is recruiting individuals newly discharged from publicly funded stroke therapy. Individuals will be randomized to one of two interventions that include computerized cognitive stimulation or occupational performance coaching through virtual coaching sessions. Participants will receive 10 one-hour sessions over 15 weeks.

“Occupational performance coaching is a conversation-based approach with individuals. The idea with the coaching is to try and get people to dream a bit and really think what is important to them in their day-to-day, what they want to be able to do, what’s important to their quality of life,” she says.

Dr. Kessler has trained three therapists who will work with her over the next three years to coach individuals. She explains that this study puts the individual at the center of care, empowering them to take action, build knowledge, and develop problem-solving skills around whatever personal goal or desire they have, such as using a snowblower, walking a dog, volunteering, or cooking a meal.

“This coaching is drawing on the individual's knowledge and their expertise because people living with stroke have a lot of expertise. They know themselves best, their strengths best, and the resources around them. We want people to be able to move forward on their own afterward and say, ‘Oh, I did this, this way before, I can figure out a way to do it again.’”

Recruitment has begun and will take place in partnership with Providence Care and Bruyère Health in Ottawa. Therapies will be delivered digitally, which provides a cost-effective and convenient option for people living in rural areas and those who can’t drive because of stroke symptoms.

“We’re hoping that people will see improvements in the areas of their lives that they’ve identified as posing challenges to them,” explains Dr. Kessler. “We hope to increase problem-solving skills, and we will also look at emotional well-being. Do these individuals have less depression or anxiety because they are doing things that are important to them with greater ease? We will also measure cognition to see whether it changed in both groups or differs between them and ask participants to wear an activity monitor to look at changes in time spent in passive and active activity.”

Dr. Kessler’s career in stroke rehabilitation spans 30 years, and in that time, she says, what has been discovered about the brain, how it works, and the potential for recovery following stroke has expanded.

“It’s a fascinating area of care. Everyone is so different. There’s no cookie-cutter approach to care because a stroke affects individuals so differently. There is so much potential for each individual in recovery, and it’s so rewarding to watch someone improve and regain ability to do what is important to them. This study is going to help us know how we can best support people across the spectrum of ability.”

The study could also shape how stroke care is delivered in the future. Dr. Kessler and her team will look at whether virtual coaching could become part of standard care after hospital discharge. This work raises big questions about costs, access, and how health systems can support patients long-term without adding extra pressure. If proven effective, this approach could offer a more affordable, flexible way to help stroke survivors stay independent and connected.

To learn more about how to join the study, reach out to Research Coordinator Esther Chang at keslab@queensu.ca or by phone: 613-533-3170.

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4 min

Written by

Jonna Semple-Kloke

Study examines whether virtual coaching to aid stroke recovery

Providence Care Scientist in Rehabilitation, Dr. Dorothy Kessler is leading research aimed at improving life after stroke.

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