Maryland's Kerrie Smith was feeling "down and depressed" after she had a stroke.
"I couldn't feel good about anything," said Ms Smith, 66.
She then attended a group program for stroke survivors called Esteem.
It involves activities for exercising, socialising and being creative.
"I just loved it. I haven't talked to anyone who doesn't like it," Ms Smith said.
The 10-week program is a partnership between Hunter Medical Research Institute, University of Newcastle and Hunter New England Health.
Ms Smith said the program helped take her mind off the experience of having a stroke.
"When you're moving your body or doing artwork, you're concentrating on that and not yourself. You don't think about the stroke," she said.
"We do the exercises and have little competitions between us. Then we sit down and have morning tea. People talk about their stroke."
She made friends at the program with about 25 people, who now go for lunch once a month.
Ms Smith had a stroke in March 2023.
"I still have issues with muscle tightness down my right side," she said.
"I had pins and needles for a long time in my hands. Now they've gone really tight. I get fatigued.
"I can't do the things I used to do, but after being at Esteem I do a lot more than I could."
Christine Myrtle, who has just completed the program, said "it's given me more confidence that I can actually get out and do things".
"It's given me a bit of fitness. I've really enjoyed it," said Ms Myrtle, of Medowie.
She said the program created "camaraderie" among stroke survivors.
"It's having people to talk to who are the same as me. Others don't know what it's like to have a stroke," she said.
Dr Heidi Janssen, of the university and HMRI, is the program's chief investigator.
Dr Janssen leads the research team that evaluates the 10-week program.
"We collaborate with NGOs (non-government organisations) to teach them how to deliver the program," she said.
"We have a new partner in Newcastle - Novacare Community Services. It's also running at Kurri through Maitland Community Care Services."
Dr Janssen said the program was "based on the science that a combination of exercise, socialisation and cognitive stimulation or creativity can help rewire or promote plasticity in the brain".
"After a stroke, you try to learn how to do things that the damaged brain can't do anymore," Dr Janssen said.
"If you lose speech or walking ability, you try to relearn that skill. It helps if your brain can rewire or remould."
She said neuroplasticity in the brain could occur "all our lives".
"It's most heightened when we're a baby growing and learning," Dr Janssen said.
"Our environment and experiences shape our brain. We're trying to tap back into that after a brain injury to learn how to do things again."
The program has been going for almost four years.
"It's part of a research trial. We built it with stroke survivors, carers, artists and people in the community," Dr Janssen said.
More information is available at esteemafterstroke.com.au.
