Center For Cognition and Communication
Cognitive Therapy and Rehabilitation in Queens, New York
Something shifted after the injury, and you know it. Words come slower. You lose the thread of a conversation. You walk into a room and forget why you’re there. The scan looked okay, or mostly okay, and yet you are not the same person you were before. That gap between what the imaging shows and what you’re living is exactly where cognitive rehabilitation begins.
The Center for Cognition and Communication provides cognitive therapy and rehabilitation in Manhattan, New York for patients whose thinking, memory, attention, or language has been affected by a brain injury, stroke, concussion, or neurological condition. The clinical team includes licensed neuropsychologists, rehabilitation psychologists, and speech-language pathologists who have worked in hospital and clinical settings across New York. Workers’ compensation and no-fault insurance are accepted, and private pay options are available.
What happens to your thinking after a brain injury
Brain injuries do not always look dramatic from the outside. You may have passed a neurological exam. You may have been told the injury was mild. But you are finding it harder to follow a fast conversation, stay organized at work, or hold onto information long enough to use it.
Traumatic brain injury is one of the most common reasons patients are referred for cognitive rehabilitation, and those navigating that process often begin with the care pathways outlined for Brain Injury and Concussion Treatment. Cognitive difficulties that persist well after the initial injury, often called post-concussion syndrome, are among the conditions that post-concussion symptoms and recovery care addresses alongside cognitive rehabilitation.
These changes are not permanent by default. They are the starting point for treatment.
How cognitive therapy is structured at CCC
The approach to cognitive therapy at the Center for Cognition and Communication is built around each patient’s neuropsychological profile rather than a standardized protocol. Before any therapy begins, a full evaluation identifies which cognitive domains are affected and how severely.
Cognitive therapy at CCC begins only after a thorough evaluation, the same evaluation process described for Neuropsychological Testing and Evaluation, so that therapy targets the right cognitive domains from the start. Patients who have experienced a head injury often benefit from neuropsychological testing for head injury and cognitive decline before a therapy plan is designed, since results directly shape which cognitive domains are prioritized.
Your first session focuses on understanding your history, your daily challenges, and what recovery would actually mean for your life. From there, your clinician builds a plan around your specific deficits and goals.
What sessions actually involve
Sessions use structured exercises targeting the cognitive areas your evaluation identified. When patients present with difficulty holding information in working memory or sustaining focus through complex tasks, cognitive rehabilitation therapy for memory and attention deficits] addresses those domains directly through targeted, structured exercises.
For patients whose injuries have disrupted planning, organization, or decision-making, cognitive therapy for post-injury executive functioning challenges uses structured tasks and compensatory strategies to rebuild those capabilities in practical, real-world contexts. Work may include memory tasks, attention training, problem-solving activities, and decision-making simulations that mirror your actual daily responsibilities.
Cognitive behavioral techniques are incorporated when emotional regulation is part of the picture. Progress is tracked through standardized tools, clinical observation, and direct feedback, and your plan is adjusted as you advance.
Getting back to work and daily life
Recovery means different things to different people. For some, the goal is following a conversation without losing the thread. For others, it is returning to a demanding job, managing a household, or keeping up with school.
Patients whose treatment goals include returning to their job or professional responsibilities often benefit from return-to-work cognitive rehabilitation programs that align cognitive exercises with the specific demands of their role. The clinical team at the Center for Cognition and Communication includes licensed neuropsychologists, rehabilitation psychologists, and speech-language pathologists, specialists who bring distinct clinical perspectives to each patient’s cognitive therapy plan.
No clinician here will promise a fixed outcome. What you will get is a structured, evidence-based process that meets you where you are and moves with you as you progress.
Insurance, location, and getting started
The Center for Cognition and Communication accepts workers’ compensation and no-fault insurance for cognitive therapy, which is relevant for patients whose injuries occurred in motor vehicle accidents or workplace incidents. Lien-based cases are also accepted for patients whose care is tied to a personal injury claim. Private pay is available, and a fee schedule is provided upon request.
The Manhattan office is located at 418 E 71st Street, New York, NY 10021, and is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, and Saturday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Staff speak more than ten languages, including Spanish, French, Russian, Mandarin, Cantonese, and Hebrew. Patients who live or work closer to Rego Park or Elmhurst may find that Cognitive Therapy and Rehabilitation in Queens is a more practical option, with the same clinical approach available at the Queens office.
Questions people ask before starting cognitive rehabilitation
How do I know if I need cognitive therapy or just need more time to recover?
If cognitive difficulties are affecting your daily life weeks or months after an injury, you likely need more than time. A neuropsychological evaluation can identify what is happening and whether therapy would help. Patients who felt they were just slow to recover often find that targeted rehabilitation makes a meaningful difference where waiting did not.
What does a session actually look like?
Your first session focuses on your history, your symptoms, and what you want to recover. After that, sessions involve structured cognitive exercises, compensatory strategy training, and regular progress checks. The work is clinical, but it is also grounded in what your actual life requires.
Will my insurance cover this?
CCC accepts New York State workers’ compensation, no-fault insurance, lien-based cases, and private pay. If your injury happened in an accident or at work, coverage is often available through one of these pathways. Call 212-535-8932 or email info@centerforcognition.org with questions about your specific situation.
How long does cognitive rehabilitation take?
Duration depends on the type and severity of your injury, your goals, and how you respond to treatment. Some patients reach their goals in a few months. Others benefit from longer-term support. Your clinician will be direct with you about realistic expectations after reviewing your evaluation results.
Ready to find out what recovery looks like for you
Waiting to see whether things improve on their own is a reasonable instinct. It is also one of the most common reasons patients arrive at CCC months later than they could have.
Patients, families, and referring providers can contact the Center for Cognition and Communication to discuss evaluation and therapy options or to coordinate care at the Manhattan office.