• I have been finding it hard to understand and keep up with conversations, especially in larger groups. 

• I have noticed that I am not ‘getting’ jokes in the way I always have.

• I hold back from talking or from social interaction and relationships with others because of the way I speak.

• I am neurodiverse and I would like support to make myself understood, advocate for my needs and navigate social situations in a way that’s true to myself.

• My facial muscles feel weak and my speech sounds slurred or slushy.

• I find myself speaking very fast and frequently re-starting my sentences and people find me hard to follow. 

• I can’t find the words I am looking for to express what I’m thinking or feeling and am left feeling frustrated and isolated.

• I have stopped being able to understand what I am reading in the way I used to.

• I have been using the wrong sounds in a word, choosing the wrong word, or putting words together in an unusual way.

• I repeat sounds or words or they get stuck and won’t come out, especially in pressured situations.

• I have recently noticed myself speaking more slowly than I used to.

• I am finding it hard to control the volume of my voice, meaning I talk too loudly or quietly.

• My voice has changed recently in a way that does not sound like me, e.g. it sounds nasal, strained or monotone. 

• My voice does not sound ‘like me’, or match the person I know myself to be inside. 

• I have been losing my voice frequently and my vocal cord or throat area often feels tight and sore. 

• When I need to speak a lot socially my voice gets tired, hoarse or painful and I have even been losing my voice. 

• I need to speak a lot for work and I’m losing my voice often or feeling pain in my vocal cord or throat area.

• I have lost my voice completely after severe stress, anxiety or trauma.

After the initial assessment your therapist will recommend a treatment plan, including the approaches to be used and the frequency of sessions that would be appropriate. These recommendations are made according to their clinical knowledge and expertise and in line with up to date clinical evidence. We will typically recommend either weekly or fortnightly therapy sessions and will always recommend you start with a minimum of 8 sessions because the evidence clearly shows that a minimum of 8 sessions of any therapy approach are needed to be able to achieve change.

We are committed to being able to offer appointments within a week or two of referral. We don’t want to keep anybody waiting. Early intervention has been clinically proven to significantly improve outcomes when treating speech, language and communication difficulties.

We do at times become inundated with new referrals and are forced to start a waiting list. If this does happen we do everything we can and pull out all the stops to get appointments booked as soon as possible. We make sure that anyone who is on a waiting list gets regular, clear, honest communication as to where they are on the list and when they will be seen.

We do not provide intervention into client’s homes but we can visit our client’s workplaces, care settings or other public locations to provide intervention. In rare circumstances we will provide home visits, at our discretion.

When we talk about ‘speech’ we mean how clearly and easily a person uses speech sounds in their talking. Adults who have had strokes, have Parkinson’s or who have had a brain injury caused by an accident often have slurred speech. This is known as ‘dysarthria’ and can be treated be a speech and language therapist.

When anyone has speech difficulties, whatever their age or the reason why, they are often hard for the people around them to understand. This can become incredibly frustrating, upsetting and isolating for the person with speech difficulties, as they are unable to clearly convey their needs, wants and ideas.

 When we talk about ‘language’ we mean the words that a person is able to use and understand, as opposed to individual sounds.

Both children and adults can have trouble understanding and using language for countless different reasons including specific language difficulties, specific and general learning difficulties, brain injury, Autistic Spectrum Condition (ASC) & Stroke. Language difficulties can act as a huge barrier to lots of things most people take for granted such as communication with others, the quality of friendships and family relationships, the ability to make friendships and relationships in the first place, the ability to access learning and enjoyable activities like reading and watching films and for adults it can really affect their ability to do well in a career.

Yes, many of our therapists are registered with multiple private healthcare insurance providers. Just ask our referral team about whether we can work under the insurance cover you have. If you have a provider that we are not registered with, we will endeavour to register with them so that we can work provide you with the help you need.

We completely understand that unforeseen things can crop up that might prevent a client from being able to attend their appointment. However, we also need to function as a business so we can continue to run and pay our therapists to carry on providing such a vital and life-changing service for thousands of clients and their families. For this reason, we have a strict 72-hour cancellation policy, except in exceptional circumstances. If cancellations are made within 72 hours of the appointment the session will still be charged for in full.

Yes, all our therapists have either an undergraduate or postgraduate degree from a fully recognised university in speech and language therapy. We are also all fully registered with the HCPC (Health Care Professionals Council) and the RCSLT (Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists). In order to practice as a speech and language therapist in the UK these registrations are an essential requirement. Many of our therapists are also members of ASLTIP (Association of Speech and Language Therapists in Independent Practice). As an organisation we take our memberships with our professional bodies very seriously. To continue to be eligible for membership there are certain fulfillments that are required of us as healthcare professionals. For example, we have to complete a set amount of hours of CPD (Continuous Professional Development) each year. This means we have to continue to learn and develop our clinical and professional skills and knowledge year on year.

As long as you have given your full permission for us to contact other professionals, then yes. In order to provide the most comprehensive, holistic and appropriate treatment for each client, we need as full a picture as possible from all the different professionals who may be involved with the client’s care. This can include GPs, psychologists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists or any other professionals involved.