Services
Adult speech-language pathology services including cognitive rehabilitation are offered in-person and via telehealth in the state of Montana. In-person services are offered in the convenience of your own home (I travel to you) or workplace - an advantage for those with mobility challenges or driving limitations; also allowing for therapy tasks situated during real-life situations instead of simulated in a clinic. In-home services also allow for environmental modifications - for example, setting up your workspace to support your cognitive function.
Executive function coaching services are offered across the United States via videoconferencing as well as in-person in Gallatin County, Montana.
My work and experience focuses on the adult population, however I do see older teens (16+) who are motivated to partner together in the therapeutic or coaching relationship. I also love working with college students, both on the EF coaching side as well as medical/rehabilitation needs.
It would be my pleasure to discuss any questions or concerns about service delivery; I am open to discussing special arrangements!
Adult Cognitive Rehabilitation
Cognition is the active thought processes in the brain that span memory, different types of attention, executive functions (planning, prioritizing, task initiation, self-monitoring, strategic behavior, goal-directed persistence, etc.), as well as thought-related aspects of language and visuospatial functions.
Adults may acquire a cognitive disorder from brain-based injury or disease. It may be subtle or spanning all the way to significantly impacting functioning .Cognitive rehabilitation holistically addresses cognitive disorders; sometimes with an aim to improve underlying cognition; sometimes to develop a toolbox and adaptive strategies, or a combination.. Palliative interventions are also available to people with chronic or degenerative conditions to provide troubleshooting and optimize quality of life.
Executive Function Coaching
Executive functions (EF) are a set of brain-based skills that support goal-directed behavior for just about everything in the world that we do on purpose. Examples of EFs are task initiation, freedom from distraction, productivity, organization, short-term memory, self-monitoring, organization, prioritization, and cognitive flexibility. EFs are heavily involved in daily life (“adulting”), work, academics, and personal relationships.
EF coaching is often recommended for adults with ADHD, but is available to anyone interested in improving EF skills. Everyone has EF strengths and weaknesses! Coaching involves uncovering your unique EF skill profile, goal-setting, development of a customized “toolbox”, mindset and psychological factors that maximize tool use, and the most important outcomes of incorporating tools into busy lives.
Adult Speech-Language Therapy
Adults may experience changes in speech or language from a variety of neurological conditions. Neurological diseases such as ALS, Parkinson’s disease, Multiple Sclerosis, and others may affect one’s speech clarity, volume, breath support, or vocal quality. Sudden onset conditions such as stroke, brain injury, or brain surgery may similarly affect one or more speech subsystems. Beyond the act of speech, neurological conditions may impact one’s ability to communicate in terms of word finding, formulating sentences, conveying ideas across conversation, as well as to comprehend what others say. Rehabilitation and adaptive services aim to improve communication skills, whether the onset was recent or chronic.
Therapeutic and Coaching Philosophies
My primary therapy and coaching philosophy involves person-centered care which is highly individualized. I seek for all interventions to have practical application in your life and provide a customized “toolbox” of skills and resources to enhance your functioning. I believe in having strong clinical reasoning for decisions I make about each client’s care and strive to have shared problem-solving, understanding and consensus about each treatment or coaching plan.
Within this, some of the modalities that I have specific training and expertise incorporating into care include:
Motivational Interviewing
Acceptance & Commitment Therapy
Neurodivergent affirming care
Values exploration
Psycholinguistic approaches to aphasia
Discourse analysis and treatment
Life Participation Approach to Aphasia
Acquired apraxia of speech treatment
Lee Silverman Voice Treatment
Compensatory technique training
Metacognitive strategy training
Systematic Instruction for cognitive skills
Attention Process Training
Memory strategy instruction