SLP Coffee Talk

In this episode of SLP Coffee Talk, Hallie tackles the real reason your middle and high school students check out the moment you explain the session goal — and it’s not the goal itself. She walks through five signs your explanation isn’t clicking and how to flip each one so students actually get it. If your students would rather do anything but be in your session, this one’s for you.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Bullet Points to Discuss: 

• Sign #1: Your goal explanation is landing like broccoli — relevant to school, irrelevant to them
• Sign #2: Your worksheets disappear after session and connect to nothing real
• Sign #3: You’re drilling a skill your student thinks they already have
• Sign #4: Your reading passages feel like homework 2.0 with zero payoff
• Sign #5: You’re collecting data the whole session instead of actually teaching​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Here’s what we learned: 

• Don’t lead with school. Lead with what they already care about — gaming, streaming, social media.
• Relevance doesn’t require new materials. A 30-second framing conversation changes everything.
• Students aren’t resistant to learning. They’re resistant to pointless practice.
• Data without teaching is just numbers. Slow down, teach first, collect at the end.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Learn more about Hallie Sherman and SLP Elevate:  

📝 Website: https://speechtimefun.com/

🎲✨ Check out the Secondary Secret Podcast here! https://www.speechtimefunpd.com/secret-podcast-signup

📘✨ Grab your copy of The Secondary SLP Roadmap here! https://www.speechtimefunpd.com/stf-book

Subscribe today and get access to my secret podcast filled with my juicy secrets for planning with ease for secondary speech students. 6 quick episodes that you can quickly listen to and feel refreshed and inspired! https://speechtimefun.com/secondarysecrets

In this episode of SLP Coffee Talk, Hallie Sherman chats with Bradi O’Rourke, owner of Braxy Speech Therapy, all about the magic of play-based, child-led therapy.

Bradi breaks down how ditching rigid, drill-heavy sessions and leaning into connection, creativity, and a little bit of mess can lead to more meaningful communication. She shares how meeting kids where they are, following their lead, and making therapy feel natural (and actually fun!) can create real progress that carries over beyond the session.

If you’re ready to loosen up your sessions and make therapy feel more engaging for both you and your students, this episode is for you.

Bullet Points to Discuss:

-What play-based, child-led therapy actually looks like beyond just “playing games”
-Why connection over compliance leads to more meaningful communication
-How to naturally target speech and language goals within play
-The mindset shift from therapist-led sessions to following the child’s lead
-How to handle parents who expect more structured, drill-based therapy
-Why functional goals matter—and how to rethink them in real-life contexts
-How involving parents during sessions can boost carryover at home

Here’s what we learned:

• If it’s not functional in play, it’s probably not a functional goal.
• Kids learn best when they feel safe, engaged, and in control of their environment.
• You don’t need a perfect plan—your skills as an SLP will show up naturally in play.
• Connection and engagement will always beat rigid structure and drills.
• Educating parents is key—once they understand the “why,” they’re more likely to trust the process.
• Progress doesn’t always look structured—but it is happening.

Learn more about Bradi O’Rourke:

Instagram: @braxy_speech_therapy

Website: www.braxyspeechtherapy.com

Product downloads on my website: www.braxyspeechtherapy.com/category/all-products

Email Address

[email protected]

Learn more about Hallie Sherman and SLP Elevate:  

📝 Website: https://speechtimefun.com/

🎲✨ Check out the Secondary Secret Podcast here! https://www.speechtimefunpd.com/secret-podcast-signup

📘✨ Grab your copy of The Secondary SLP Roadmap here! https://www.speechtimefunpd.com/stf-book

Subscribe today and get access to my secret podcast filled with my juicy secrets for planning with ease for secondary speech students. 6 quick episodes that you can quickly listen to and feel refreshed and inspired! https://speechtimefun.com/secondarysecrets

In this episode of SLP Coffee Talk, Hallie chats with Cary—school SLP, private practice clinician, and creator of the SLP Grad Student Instagram page—about finding your why and holding onto it when things get hard. Cary gets honest about the rejection letters, Praxis failures, and imposter syndrome she pushed through on her way to the field, and shares what the CF year really feels like when you're suddenly on your own. This one's for any SLP questioning whether they belong here.

Bullet Points to Discuss: 

• How a career aptitude test and a sister's nudge pointed Cary toward speech pathology 
• What the transition from grad student to CF actually feels like 
• Why failure in the Praxis isn't talked about—and why it should be 
• How Cary survived grad school time management
• What imposter syndrome looks like five years in—and how she pushes through it 
• Why she chose her specific field and what community means to her

Here’s what we learned: 

• Rejection is redirection. Failing the Praxis shows you exactly where your gaps are—use it. 
• Overstudying isn't productive. Nine to three, then put it down.
• If you don't know something, say so. People appreciate honesty over an answer that doesn't make sense. 
• Imposter syndrome doesn't expire after your CF. Five years in, it still shows up. Push through anyway. 
• Give yourself grace. A kid walking into your session and smiling counts as a win.

Learn more about Cary Mercado: 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/slpgradstudent/ 

Learn more about Hallie Sherman and SLP Elevate:  

📝 Website: https://speechtimefun.com/

🎲✨ Check out the Secondary Secret Podcast here! https://www.speechtimefunpd.com/secret-podcast-signup

📘✨ Grab your copy of The Secondary SLP Roadmap here! https://www.speechtimefunpd.com/stf-book

Subscribe today and get access to my secret podcast filled with my juicy secrets for planning with ease for secondary speech students. 6 quick episodes that you can quickly listen to and feel refreshed and inspired! https://speechtimefun.com/secondarysecrets

In this episode of SLP Coffee Talk, Hallie gets real about one of the biggest challenges with older students—resistance. From crossed arms to "I'm only here because my mom made me," she breaks down why grades 4–12 students push back in the first place—it's not laziness—and walks through five practical steps for building genuine buy-in. This episode is full of compassion-first strategies, reframable language, and low-prep activity ideas that actually meet students where they are.

Bullet Points to Discuss: 

• Why resistance in older students is self-protection, not defiance 
• The three things a resistant student is almost always trying to communicate 
• How to start a buy-in conversation—even when you only have 25 minutes 
• Why "world" beats "school" when making goals feel relevant
•  The shift from fixing to coaching, and why it changes everything

Here’s what we learned: 

• Resistance is information. Before you plan the activity, ask what they think they're there for. 
• Students who've been in speech since early intervention are hyperaware of their difficulties—lead with compassion first. 
• Tie your goals to their world: dating, jobs, group chats, driver's ed. Skip the school pitch. 
• Let students have a say in how you work on a goal, even if they can't choose the goal itself. 
• One activity can cover a million goals. Done and engaged beats perfect and checked out. 
• Call yourself a language coach, not a speech teacher. The reframe matters more than you think. 
• Buy-in is like charging a phone—you plug in consistently and watch the battery move.

Learn more about Hallie Sherman and SLP Elevate:  

📝 Website: https://speechtimefun.com/

🎲✨ Check out the Secondary Secret Podcast here! https://www.speechtimefunpd.com/secret-podcast-signup

📘✨ Grab your copy of The Secondary SLP Roadmap here! https://www.speechtimefunpd.com/stf-book

Subscribe today and get access to my secret podcast filled with my juicy secrets for planning with ease for secondary speech students. 6 quick episodes that you can quickly listen to and feel refreshed and inspired! https://speechtimefun.com/secondarysecrets

In this episode of SLP Coffee Talk, Hallie chats with Allison Carpenter—elementary school SLP by day and telehealth provider by night—about what it actually looks like to work two jobs without running yourself into the ground. Allison traces her path from a private practice CF in small-town Texas to a school SLP in Dallas, and gets real about why burnout pushed her to make the switch. She breaks down exactly how she landed a part-time telehealth gig, how she structured her schedule to protect her energy, and why she keeps her private caseload at three kids and has zero interest in adding more. This episode is full of practical, permission-giving insight for any SLP curious about picking up extra income—on their own terms.

Bullet Points to Discuss: 

• Why Allison chose private practice for her CF—and why she doesn't regret it 
• What burnout in private practice actually looked like for her
• How a Facebook post led to a telehealth job she didn't even know she wanted 
• How she structured her schedule across two jobs without burning out again

Here’s what we learned: 

• Starting your CF in private practice puts you right next to experienced SLPs when you need them most. 
• You control your private schedule. Decide your availability first and protect it like a meeting. 
• A work from home day changes everything—and it's worth asking your district about. 
• Teletherapy offers something in-person private practice can't always guarantee: consistency. 
• Three kids, two days, done by 6:30. Know your number before your boss picks it for you.
• Shutting your brain off on weekends isn't a luxury—it's what makes the whole thing sustainable.

Learn more about Allison Carpenter: 

TPT: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/miss-speech-alli 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alli.misspeech/ 

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@alli.misspeech 

Learn more about Hallie Sherman and SLP Elevate:  

📝 Website: https://speechtimefun.com/

🎲✨ Check out the Secondary Secret Podcast here! https://www.speechtimefunpd.com/secret-podcast-signup

📘✨ Grab your copy of The Secondary SLP Roadmap here! https://www.speechtimefunpd.com/stf-book

Subscribe today and get access to my secret podcast filled with my juicy secrets for planning with ease for secondary speech students. 6 quick episodes that you can quickly listen to and feel refreshed and inspired! https://speechtimefun.com/secondarysecrets

In this episode of SLP Coffee Talk, Hallie chats with Ebony Green—speech-language pathologist, private practice owner, and founder of a thriving multidisciplinary clinic, The SPEAK Center for Language and Learning—about what it really takes to bet on yourself and build a business from scratch. Ebony shares her winding path from Teach for America teacher to SLP to CEO, gets real about the fears that almost kept her playing small, and breaks down how she diversified her income, built her team, and eventually stepped out of the day-to-day to pursue her passion for coaching and courses. This episode is full of practical strategy, hard-won honesty, and a much-needed reminder that you don't have to feel ready to start.

Bullet Points to Discuss: 

• What pushed Ebony out of the schools and into private practice 
• How she built multiple income streams from day one 
• When she knew it was time to stop doing everything herself 
• What seven years of monthly hiring taught her about people and culture 
• How COVID became the catalyst for her courses and coaching community 

Here’s what we learned: 

• Private practice doesn't require a perfect plan — it requires a first step. 
• Diversify your income early so no single stream can sink the whole business. 
• Build your brand online before you ever post a job listing — candidates are watching. 
• Every failed hire teaches you what alignment actually looks like for your team. 
• You don't have to start big — Ebony started solo with a trunk full of therapy materials. 
• Delegation is what makes growth sustainable, not just possible. 
• Working on your business instead of in it is the shift that separates operators from CEOs.

Learn more about Ebony Green: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ebony-green-slp/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/slpbizqueen/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thespeakcenter/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/The-SPEAK-Center-for-Language-and-Learning-100063620978634/ 

Podcast: https://theslpbusinesspodcast.com/ 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theslpbusinesspodcast 

Learn more about Hallie Sherman and SLP Elevate:  

📝 Website: https://speechtimefun.com/

🎲✨ Check out the Secondary Secret Podcast here! https://www.speechtimefunpd.com/secret-podcast-signup

📘✨ Grab your copy of The Secondary SLP Roadmap here! https://www.speechtimefunpd.com/stf-book

Subscribe today and get access to my secret podcast filled with my juicy secrets for planning with ease for secondary speech students. 6 quick episodes that you can quickly listen to and feel refreshed and inspired! https://speechtimefun.com/secondarysecrets

Hallie chats with Lauren Catellier about how the 3:1 model supports school-based SLPs in managing burnout

In this episode of SLP Coffee Talk, Hallie chats with Lauren Cattelier—school-based SLP, mom of two boys, and co-instructor and owner of Therapy Advanced Courses—about a model every overwhelmed SLP needs to know: The 3:1 Model. Lauren shares her experience using this workload approach in her former district, gets real about the difference she felt when she stopped using it, and breaks down exactly how to implement it, document it, and sell it to the admins and teachers who will inevitably push back. From wording it on an IEP to using that flex week for AAC training, parent coaching, and classroom push-ins, this episode is full of practical strategies, refreshing honesty, and a much-needed reminder that advocating for a better schedule is the same thing as advocating for your students.

Bullet Points to Discuss: 

• What the 3:1 Model is and why it's a workload approach, not a day off 
• How Lauren's district got it off the ground and what made it stick 
• How to explain the flex week to parents, teachers, and administrators without getting pushback 
• All the ways you can use that indirect week to actually serve your kids better 
• Why this model makes it easier to dismiss students when they're ready 
• How to advocate for the model even when you're new and non-tenured

Here’s what we learned: 

• The 3:1 Model is a workload approach — it accounts for everything you do beyond face-to-face therapy. 
• Plan how you'll use the flex week for each student before it arrives, not during it. 
• Teachers need the most convincing — come prepared with specifics about how their students will still be served. 
• Document every flex week so you can always show exactly how each child was serviced. 
• If it's not written into the IEP, it doesn't exist — get it in there explicitly. 
• Pushing into classrooms gives you context you simply can't get from a pull-out model. 
• Spring is the best time to pitch this to admin — everyone's already thinking about next year.

Learn more about Lauren Catellier: 

Website: https://www.therapyadvancecourses.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therapyadvancecourses

Courses: https://www.therapyadvancecourses.com/courses 

3:1 Model Toolkit

Learn more about Hallie Sherman and SLP Elevate:  

📝 Website: https://speechtimefun.com/

🎲✨ Check out the Secondary Secret Podcast here! https://www.speechtimefunpd.com/secret-podcast-signup

📘✨ Grab your copy of The Secondary SLP Roadmap here! https://www.speechtimefunpd.com/stf-book

Subscribe today and get access to my secret podcast filled with my juicy secrets for planning with ease for secondary speech students. 6 quick episodes that you can quickly listen to and feel refreshed and inspired! https://speechtimefun.com/secondarysecrets

In this episode of SLP Coffee Talk, Hallie chats with Renee Brown—school-based SLP, mom of two teenagers, and the voice behind @TheBusySpeechMom on Instagram—about a topic every SLP needs to hear: how to advocate for yourself so you don't burn out. Renee shares her unexpected journey from elementary education teacher to medical SLP to school-based clinician, and gets real about what it actually takes to push back on impossible caseloads, have hard conversations with admin, and still show up for your kids every single day. From framing service delivery in terms admin actually care about to building a session routine so smooth your kindergartners run it themselves, this episode is full of practical wisdom, refreshing honesty, and a much-needed reminder that advocating for yourself is the same thing as advocating for your students.

Bullet Points to Discuss: 

• How Renee's background in elementary education and medical SLP shaped the way she approaches school-based practice 
• Why the interview is your first—and most important—opportunity to advocate for yourself 
• How to talk to admin about caseload size in a way that actually lands 
• The real connection between early intensive intervention and long-term district savings 
• Setting boundaries around contracted hours without guilt 
• Simple group session strategies that keep kids engaged and sessions running like clockwork

Here’s what we learned: 

• There's a shortage—they need us more than we need them. Walk into every interview owning that.
• Admin isn't the enemy. They don't know what they don't know, and it's on us to fill in the gaps. 
• Lead with dollars. Early intensive intervention now means fewer students needing services in middle and high school.
• Don't bring a problem without a solution. Admin loves when you've already done the thinking for them. 
• When contract time is up, your time is up.
• Revising an IEP isn't a big deal—it's just good clinical practice. 
• A consistent session format means your students eventually run the whole thing themselves.

Learn more about Renee Brown: 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebusyspeechmom/ 

Teachers Pay Teachers: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/the-busy-speech-mom 

Learn more about Hallie Sherman and SLP Elevate:  

📝 Website: https://speechtimefun.com/

🎲✨ Check out the Secondary Secret Podcast here! https://www.speechtimefunpd.com/secret-podcast-signup

📘✨ Grab your copy of The Secondary SLP Roadmap here! https://www.speechtimefunpd.com/stf-book

Subscribe today and get access to my secret podcast filled with my juicy secrets for planning with ease for secondary speech students. 6 quick episodes that you can quickly listen to and feel refreshed and inspired! https://speechtimefun.com/secondarysecrets

In this episode of SLP Coffee Talk, Hallie is serving up some real talk about IEP goal writing—and it might just change the way you look at your entire caseload. If you’ve ever stared at a goal and thought, wait, why am I even working on this? This one’s for you. Hallie introduces the “so what?” test—the one question you should be asking before you write any goal—and breaks down what functional actually means for different students. She’s covering how to write curriculum-linked goals without crossing into ELA territory, how to squeeze more mileage out of every session, and why our role as SLPs is way more powerful than we sometimes give ourselves credit for.

Bullet Points to Discuss: 

• Why not every language skill on an assessment is worth targeting in therapy.
• The “so what?” test: the one question that should guide every goal you write.
• How to define “functional” based on the individual student in front of you.
• Writing curriculum-linked goals the SLP way—without becoming the ELA teacher.
• How to use one resource across a mixed group and hit every student’s goal at once.

Here’s what we learned: 

• If you can’t answer “so what?” clearly and confidently, that goal might be more fluff than function.
• Functional isn’t one-size-fits-all—a college-bound student needs self-advocacy; a life-skills student needs to know how to tell the bus driver where they’re going.
• Overlapping with academics is fine—just do it through a language lens, not a reteaching one.
• One good goal can target syntax, vocabulary, comprehension, and organization all at once. Therapy charcuterie board—one activity, all the skills, everyone eats.
• We’re not tutors and we’re not ELA teachers—we’re the language experts. Writing functional goals is how we step into that power.

Learn more about Hallie Sherman and SLP Elevate:  

📝 Website: https://speechtimefun.com/

🎲✨ Check out the Secondary Secret Podcast here! https://www.speechtimefunpd.com/secret-podcast-signup

📘✨ Grab your copy of The Secondary SLP Roadmap here! https://www.speechtimefunpd.com/stf-book

Subscribe today and get access to my secret podcast filled with my juicy secrets for planning with ease for secondary speech students. 6 quick episodes that you can quickly listen to and feel refreshed and inspired! https://speechtimefun.com/secondarysecrets

In this episode of SLP Coffee Talk, Hallie chats with Karin Hartunian Koukeyan—a speech-language pathologist with 28 years of experience and founder of SpeechFit—about a topic that might surprise you: public speaking. Karin shares her winding SLP journey from bilingual child interpreter to telepractice pioneer to private practice owner, and dives into why SLPs are uniquely equipped to help clients (and colleagues!) overcome public speaking anxiety. From IEP meetings to parent nights to real estate presentations, this conversation is packed with practical strategies, an eye-opening look at communication coaching as a service offering, and a reminder that it's never too late to color outside the lines in your career.

Bullet Points to Discuss: 

• How Karin's multilingual upbringing led her to SLP and eventually public speaking coaching 
• Why SLPs are uniquely qualified to address public speaking anxiety 
• Practical strategies for managing nerves and communicating more effectively 
• How public speaking coaching translates to working with middle and high schoolers 
• Building a communication coaching side hustle or private practice offering

Here’s what we learned: 

• Public speaking anxiety affects up to 90% of people—and SLPs are uniquely equipped to help. 
• The pause is your most powerful tool. Say something, let it land, and resist the urge to fill the silence. 
• Frameworks and scripting train the brain to communicate more confidently—whether it's an IEP meeting or a big presentation. 
• Breath work, visualization, and role-playing are go-to strategies for taming nerves before and during a talk. 
• Adding dialogue to a story instantly makes it more engaging—try it with your middle and high schoolers too. 
• Communication coaching is a real and viable private practice offering for clients who need support but don't qualify for traditional services.

Learn more about Karin Hartunian Koukeyan: 

Website: https://www.speechfitslp.com/ 

Website: https://karin-hartunian-koukeyan.mykajabi.com/sign-up-for-speechfit-slp-courses-8884c4d7-381e-49b9-8f2c-0d41b49592dc 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speechfitslp/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karin-hartunian-koukeyan/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karin-hartunian-koukeyan/

Teachers Pay Teachers: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/speechfit-slp 

Learn more about Hallie Sherman and SLP Elevate:  

📝 Website: https://speechtimefun.com/

🎲✨ Check out the Secondary Secret Podcast here! https://www.speechtimefunpd.com/secret-podcast-signup

📘✨ Grab your copy of The Secondary SLP Roadmap here! https://www.speechtimefunpd.com/stf-book

Subscribe today and get access to my secret podcast filled with my juicy secrets for planning with ease for secondary speech students. 6 quick episodes that you can quickly listen to and feel refreshed and inspired! https://speechtimefun.com/secondarysecrets