Practical Counseling Skills for Speech Language Pathologists

This program is offered for .5 CEUs or 5 hours of continuing professional development (Intermediate Level: Professional area). Price: $110.00

Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are trained to help people with speech or language disorders learn to improve their communication abilities and increase their ability to function in their daily lives. Many times, however, people with communication disorders also experience negative affective or cognitive reactions to their speaking difficulties. These reactions can not only have a significant impact on a speaker's emotional well-being; they can also impede a client's progress in therapy. Therefore, if SLPs wish to help their clients achieve their greatest possible success in therapy, they may need to help them address these negative reactions. The purpose of this presentation is to provide clinicians of an overview of specific counseling techniques they can use in therapy with a variety of clients to help them overcome the broader challenges associated with their communication difficulties. Following this presentation, participants will be able to:

1. Discuss the importance of using counseling strategies for helping people with communication disorders

2. Describe the process of coping that people with communication disorders may experience as they learn to live with their speaking difficulties

3. Apply a model of the counseling process focused on helping clients identify their current situation, evaluate their preferred situation, select appropriate options for change, and develop an action plan to help their achieve their goals.

4. Utilize 3 key counseling strategies designed to help people with communication disorders come to terms with their speaking difficulties and improve the outcome of treatment

J. Scott Yaruss, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, ASHA Fellow, BRS-FD, is an associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh and Co-director of the Stuttering Center of Western Pennsylvania. Yaruss conducts research on the onset and development of stuttering in preschool children, including analysis of linguistic and motoric source factors that contribute to children's production of speech disruptions. Read more

The Source® for Stuttering: Ages 7-18
By Nina Reardon-Reeves, J. Scott Yaruss