EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW
Find quick and comprehensive answers to common questions about my speech therapy services.
If you’re the parent of a preschooler who stutters, there are telltale signs of when to seek therapy. These include obvious tension or struggle, visible fear, difficulty with speech airflow, and pitch or loudness rises while stuttering. However, if you are concerned, I think it is always beneficial to chat with a professional, whether you ultimately pursue services or not. I provide free consults and will happily connect you with other SLPs if we are not a good fit.
If you’re the parent of a school-aged child who stutters, I would recommend talking with your child about how they feel about their stutter. Sometimes parents are really concerned but their kids are not; other times, parents think their kids are doing just fine but they’re quietly struggling. Whether one or both parties are having a hard time with the stutter, therapy could be a viable option for investigating negative thoughts, feelings, or behaviors, so that the family can move forward supportively instead of fearfully.
If you’re a teenager or adult looking at this page, I would say you probably have a good idea of whether you’d benefit from therapy at this time. You may have gone years or decades without needing support, but it is totally normal to want a little extra help from time to time. Therapy is a good choice when you want to change how you respond to your stutter, such as if one stutter throws your whole day off, if you spend much of the day planning how to avoid a stutter, or if you are physically exhausted from the effort of combating your stutter day in and day out.
For some kids, teens, or adults, talking about their experience with a therapist doesn’t feel like the right approach. In these cases, I like to recommend trying in-person or online groups to meet other folks who stutter, usually around the same age, to destigmatize stuttering and combat any sense of isolation. While some find it more intimidating to join a group than chat with one person, others feel safer in the company of people who share their experience. There is no “right” way to take this journey. There’s more information about stuttering groups below!
For most clients, we start with a one-hour session, once a week. I may recommend half-hour sessions once or twice a week if we notice a child’s attention span is limited or if you have scheduling constraints. As clients make progress, we may discuss tapering sessions to every-other week, once a month, or simply checking in via email once a quarter. Some clients come and go based on work schedules or life events, and one of the greatest parts of having a private practice is the ability to accommodate such needs.
Whether or not you have already received an assessment, our first one or two sessions together will be devoted to developing a treatment plan that’s tailored to your personal goals. We can then more accurately discuss timelines. Some clients attend 6 weekly sessions and are satisfied with their progress on one or two goals, while others may appreciate the regularity of bimonthly sessions for years to work on multiple broader goals. It is common for parents of children who have "graduated" to schedule a few sessions when big transitions are on the horizon so they are not navigating those on their own. Because every client has different needs, it is hard to give an average duration of therapy, but every step of the decision making process is completed with your input.
I am happy to accommodate a hybrid schedule as best as I can. I currently see in-person clients on Tuesdays and Thursdays and teletherapy clients on Mondays and Wednesdays, with Fridays available for assessments and makeups, but my schedule shifts with my clients’ needs. If we regularly meet in-person and one of us is sick, I will usually advocate for a virtual session or a cancellation until we are feeling better, so I am flexible.
For in-person sessions, open communication has worked brilliantly to keep everyone safe. If you prefer that I wear a mask every session, I will do so. If you’d prefer to hold sessions outside, I can comply in any dry weather, no matter the temperature. Since I am going to your home, I will respect your rules. Please let me know if you are feeling unwell so we can discuss the best course of action for everyone’s health. As stated above, I will usually advocate for a virtual session or a cancellation if anyone is sick until all parties are feeling better. A basic rule of thumb is to cancel speech therapy if you’re staying home from school or work.
Because there is such a wide variety of available insurance policies in Washington and California, Speech Bubbles Stuttering Therapy doesn't currently work in-network with single insurance companies, but we're looking into changing this in 2024. In the meantime, we do provide Superbills for our services to be reimbursed by your insurance company in one of two formats, and one has yet to be rejected.
Based on available information, Speech Bubbles' rates are very probably the lowest on the market. I will do my best to keep them that way, although it often feels as if the market is running away from us. This is a business, but it’s also my life’s work, so please chat with me about rates if you’re feeling defeated by the cost.
I typically advocate for parents to be present during speech sessions, but realistically I know you may have other children running around or work to be done. Sometimes it may also be the case that your kid opens up more about their speech in a one-on-one environment. To accommodate all of the possibilities, I will communicate with you about when I’d like you present and when it is okay if you are getting other things done. Usually at the beginning of our time together, there will be more emphasis on whole-family activities where everyone is learning alongside each other and striving for the same goals. However, these activities can also be given as family homework assignments if not all parties are available during our sessions.
I am very cautious about teaching “strategies.” When you set a goal for fluency, you are telling the person who stutters that fluent speech is better than stuttered speech. Much advocacy is being done to destigmatize and even celebrate stuttered speech, and Speech Bubbles aligns itself with such goals. Stuttering has a way of growing around speech strategies or happening the exact times you try the hardest to be fluent, and all of that trying, disappointment, and self-doubt is the opposite of what we want our clients to feel.
That being said, I want my clients to have access to all the possible ways they can respond to their stutter. They can choose to openly stutter, choose to avoid stuttering, or choose to modify the way they speak at any time. It is important they know that one choice is not “better” than another, and I ensure that message is clear before we dive into the world of strategies. For most clients, we don’t even touch them; we focus on the thoughts and feelings surrounding their stutter, which often challenge their daily life more than the stutter itself.
I like the expanding nature of bubbles and the way the word “bubbles” feels in my mouth. Speech bubbles are fun to draw and they serve the important purpose of highlighting what characters have to say. I think some people might also call me “bubbly,” but I wouldn’t exactly use that word to describe myself -- I’ve got my east coast rep to protect. ;)
