Talks and Workshops

TreesI value conversation and dialogue as a means of mutually opening minds and changing attitudes.

I have given talks and co-facilitated workshops in a wide variety of contexts nationally and internationally, ranging from Clinical Excellence Networks (CENS) for speech and language therapists to British Stammering Association/STAMMA Open Days and Conferences and ASHA Convention short courses. These have either been individually, or in collaboration with stammering activists, such as Katy Bailey, St John Harris, Iain Wilkie, Patrick Campbell and Chris Constantino. Many of these talks and workshops explore disability theory and the neurodiversity paradigm and how these frames of reference can extend our understanding of stammering, inform the language we use to talk about stammering and enhance the theoretical basis, role and scope of stammering-affirming, anti-ableist therapy.

I enjoy working with Patrick Campbell to organise collaborative forums for both people who stammer as well as therapists and researchers. In recent years we have co-facilitated a series of 1-day workshops at City Lit: ‘Difference not Defect: Stammering Activism, Empowerment and Pride‘ and ‘Stammering: Activist Conversations Continued’. We also co-facilitate collaborative online discussion groups where people who stammer come together with speech and language therapists to explore and debate recent blogs, podcasts and articles extending the way we think and talk about stammering. You can read more about participants’ experience of this here and here.

I regularly collaborate with Iain Wilkie, with whom I have co-developed and delivered the innovative Redefining Stammering at Work workshop programme as well as Stambition mentoring programmes for people who stammer under the age of 25 in conjunction with Action for Stammering Children. I actively support 50 Million Voices, an ambitious global initiative raising awareness, reducing barriers and fostering stammering allyship to transform the world of work for people who stammer.  I appreciate these opportunity to broaden the scope of stammering therapy by taking it out of the therapy room and directly into the work place and public domain.

In an independent capacity, I also work closely with a number of NHS Trusts and independent organisations to offer emotional support and counselling skills training courses as part of a wider multi-professional CPD programme. I am always keen to widen my network, so if you would like to talk more about a possible talk or workshop, do please get in touch.