This episode explores practical communication techniques that help SLPs build strong, trusting rapport with students and clients. Jessica discusses why harsh, punishment-based communication often backfires, and offers evidence-informed strategies that foster connection, collaboration, and emotional safety. Listeners will leave with clear, actionable tools to strengthen therapeutic relationships and improve session outcomes.

The episode explores what SLPs need to know about childhood cancer. Its goal is to function as a broad introduction to this topic, primarily for SLPs who work in educational settings. The episode begins with some childhood cancer basics, including the most common types of pediatric cancers, as well as an overview of childhood cancer symptoms. The episode then examines the different ways in which childhood cancer can impact different facets of communication, including articulation, cognition, language, voice, hearing, and swallowing. The episode emphasizes the importance of collaboration when working with this population, and closes with a reminder that SLPs from educational settings have valuable support to offer children and families who have been impacted by cancer.

This episode focuses on top sleep tips for SLPs. The topic of sleep has a strong connection to the work that SLPs do, because being well-rested can support us in navigating complex clinical issues and managing stressful situations. The episode includes research-based tips from sleep scientists and experts, but it is not medical advice. The first part of the episode explores the importance of having a consistent sleep schedule and going to bed and getting up at the same time each day. Next, the episode covers sleep tips that are applicable for both children and adults, with a focus on developing a nightly wind-down routine. The episode then moves into a discussion about maximizing light exposure in the morning, and minimizing light exposure in the evening. Next, the episode talks about the importance of getting out of bed if you’re struggling to sleep. This tip comes from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia, which is an effective insomnia treatment. The final section of the episode addresses the connection between anxiety and insomnia. One strategy in this area is to spend some time before bed writing down sources of stress and anxiety. 

This episode is about what SLPs need to know about reading comprehension. It begins by acknowledging that SLPs have a large scope of practice, and that they are not typically seen as the primary professionals who work on reading comprehension, especially in the school setting. It invites SLPs to make slight adjustments to their practice to ensure that students get the best support possible. The episode then emphasizes the idea that reading is an umbrella term composed of many sub-skills. It then moves into an overview of widely accepted reading models, including the Simple View of Reading, Scarborough’s Reading Rope, and the Active View of Reading. Strategies and suggestions are woven through the discussion of each model. The final segment of the episode highlights important considerations related to reading comprehension for student populations that may be particularly relevant to SLPs. The episode closes with a reminder of the role that reading comprehension plays in many aspects of our lives.  

This episode is about sensory strategies for speech therapy sessions. It opens with an acknowledgement that OTs are the primary sensory experts, and offers resources for reviewing sensory basics. The episode then discusses the difference between being “sensory-defensive” and “sensory-seeking,” reviews the sensory system, and then moves into a discussion of strategies to support students with sensory differences or a diagnosis of sensory processing disorder. These strategies come from SLP and researcher Celeste Roseberry-McKibbin. The first strategy is addressing students’ physical comfort, the second strategy is including movement in speech therapy sessions, and the third strategy is supporting students during transition times. The episode then discusses the connections between interoception and emotions, and offers three strategies to help students begin to notice and understand these connections in their own bodies. These strategies come from occupational therapist Kelly Mahler, and they are objective labeling, “I wonder” statements, and descriptive language.

This episode is about essential counseling skills for SLPs. It begins by acknowledging that even though counseling is a daily component of our work as SLPs, it’s not necessarily something that we focus on. Research also indicates that counseling is an area where many SLPs lack confidence. The episode goes on to assert that counseling is simultaneously a bigger and a smaller part of speech-language pathology than we might think. It’s bigger because it’s part of everything we do, and it’s smaller because it’s not an additional task—it’s embedded in our interactions. The episode then cautions that not every type of counseling is within the SLP scope of practice, and sometimes referrals to mental health professionals are necessary. According to ASHA, the two types of counseling within the SLP scope of practice are informational counseling and personal adjustment counseling. Research done by Dr. David Luterman indicates that most SLPs are less confident with personal adjustment counseling. The remainder of the episode focuses on personal adjustment counseling tips from Dr. Luterman’s work. They include recognizing the role of grief, listening actively, and tending to our own personal growth.

This episode is about how to thrive as a preschool SLP. The episode opens with an acknowledgement that working as an SLP will probably never be easy, but it asserts that thriving is possible. It then moves into a brief recognition of the uniquely challenging and exhausting work that preschool SLPs do each day. The episode then goes on to offer three strategies to thrive as a preschool SLP. The first strategy is embracing authenticity. There’s a common idea that preschool SLPs are bubbly all the time, but students value authenticity more than a specific personality type. The episode also notes the importance of encouraging our students to be authentic as well, and this may mean adjusting some of our behavioral expectations. The second strategy involves being willing to seek out preschool experts, especially because preschool intervention can be a niche area. It’s difficult to thrive when we believe that we have to figure everything out on our own! The third strategy is about simplifying our therapy and focusing on activities that are backed by research and can target multiple skills at once.

This episode is about SLPs and conflict management. It opens with a discussion of Nonviolent Communication, an approach that focuses on using empathy during challenging interactions. There are four main components in Nonviolent Communication: observation, feelings, needs and requests. A core understanding within Nonviolent Communication is that everything we do is in service of our needs. This idea can help us understand why others do what they do—and why we do what we do! Nonviolent Communication also uses animal metaphors to describe different communication styles. Jackal communication is aggressive and judgmental, and operates with a limited perspective. Giraffe communication comes from the heart, and it uses a more expansive perspective. After exploring Nonviolent Communication, I talk about strategies from Harvard’s Program on Negotiation. These strategies focus on finding common ground during a conflict. I close the episode with a reminder that listening can be one of our most powerful actions in a conflict. In his book Never Split the Difference, well-known hostage negotiator Chris Voss emphasizes that the listener is the participant who controls a conversation.

This episode shares communication tips to use during situations that tend to involve complex and nuanced conversations; e.g., at family gatherings over the holidays, and during meetings with parents or caregivers. The strategies that are included in the episode come from three recently released books about communication. The first book I discuss is Permission to Speak, by Samara Bay. The tips from this book include deep belly breathing and an intentional approach to glottal fry and upspeak. The second book I discuss is Supercommunicators, by Charles Duhigg. The tips from this book include knowing what type of conversation you are having, looping for understanding, and preparing for conversations ahead of time. The third book I discuss is How to Know a Person, by David Brooks. The tip from this book is all about working towards using communication to see the best in others. 

This episode discusses the reasons why it’s important to support increased diversity in the SLP profession. I provide demographic information related to the SLP field, and then share results from two studies that indicate improved outcomes for patients and students when they have a shared racial or ethnic identity with their medical providers and/or teachers. I explain that in school settings, approximately 80% of students who receive SLP services are not white, and because 90% of SLPs are white, this mismatch could negatively impact student outcomes. Throughout the episode, I propose simple actions that SLPs can take to help make increased diversity a reality in our profession.