SLP Coffee Talk

In this episode of SLP Coffee Talk, Hallie chats with Mary Woodward—speech-language therapist, justice and mental health specialist, and university lecturer based in Sydney—about why trauma-informed care belongs in every SLP’s toolkit, no matter where you practice. Mary shares what trauma actually means clinically, how it shows up in communication and behavior, and the core principles that can shift your sessions from unintentionally harmful to genuinely healing. This one’s for every SLP who’s ever wondered why a student shuts down, says “I don’t know,” or gets labeled non-compliant.

Bullet Points to Discuss: 

What trauma actually means clinically—and why it’s relevant to every SLP regardless of setting
How trauma affects communication and what it might look like in your sessions
Why labels like “non-compliant” and “unmotivated” are worth a second look
How SLPs can accidentally cause harm—and the simple shifts that help
What trauma-informed practice actually looks like inside a therapy room

Here’s what we learned: 

Trauma-informed practice is good practice—for every student, every session.
If a student doesn’t feel safe, learning isn’t happening.
“I don’t know,” shutting down, and avoidance are nervous system responses, not attitude problems.
Even small choices—where to sit, what order to do tasks—can restore a sense of control.
The therapeutic relationship accounts for more of your outcomes than the tools you use.

Resources:

Strategies for Working With Students Who've Experienced Trauma: https://leader.pubs.asha.org/do/10.1044/strategies-for-working-with-students-whove-experienced-trauma/full/ 
Insights Into Connecting With Students Experiencing Trauma: https://leader.pubs.asha.org/do/10.1044/leader.SCM.25112020.42/full/ 
A Pandemic's Pain: The Need for Trauma-Informed Services for Children: https://leader.pubs.asha.org/do/10.1044/leader.FTR1.26102021.38/full/ 
Bruce Perry: https://www.bdperry.com 
Trauma-Informed Speech-Language Pathology: Application of Universal Precaution: https://journals.lww.com/topicsinlanguagedisorders/abstract/2025/01000/trauma_informed_speech_language_pathology_.2.aspx 

Learn more about Mary Woodward: 

LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/in/woodwardmary 

Learn more about Hallie Sherman and SLP Elevate:  

📝 Website: https://speechtimefun.com/

🎲✨ Check out the Secondary Secret Podcast here! https://www.speechtimefunpd.com/secret-podcast-signup

📘✨ Grab your copy of The Secondary SLP Roadmap here! https://www.speechtimefunpd.com/stf-book

🎓✨ Grab your free spot at CF Bootcamp 2026 here! https://www.speechtimefun.com/cfbootcamp2026

🎤✨ The Speech Retreat is Back! Learn more and register here!
https://www.speechretreat.com ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ 
Subscribe today and get access to my secret podcast filled with my juicy secrets for planning with ease for secondary speech students. 6 quick episodes that you can quickly listen to and feel refreshed and inspired! https://speechtimefun.com/secondarysecrets

In this episode of SLP Coffee Talk, Hallie chats with Emily Byers Chaney—pediatric SLP, private practice owner, and neurodiversity affirming advocate—about why following directions goals might not be telling you what you think they are. Emily shares how working alongside Jessie Ginsburg shifted her entire clinical lens, what’s really happening when a child doesn’t follow a direction, and how to build therapy that’s meaningful, motivating, and actually carries over. This one’s for every SLP who’s ever wondered if there’s a better way to work on receptive language.

Bullet Points to Discuss: 
Why following directions tasks often measure compliance—not comprehension
What neurodiversity affirming therapy looks like compared to compliance-based approaches
How dysregulation, executive functioning, and sensory needs can all interfere with following a direction
What PDA profile is and how demands affect those students differently
Why adult-directed tasks are less effective—and what to do instead

Here’s what we learned: 
Comprehension ≠ compliance. A child can understand and still not follow through.
Connection first. Safety and relationship aren’t a detour—they’re the work.
Go beyond the assessment. Play-based observation reveals what standardized testing misses.
Watch for overcompliance. Too much compliance-focused therapy can erode autonomy and self-advocacy.
One small shift. You don’t have to overhaul everything—just start somewhere.

Learn more about Emily Byers Chaney: 
Website: https://www.ndaffirmingslp.com 
Website: https://www.boundlessspeech.com/ 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ndaffirming.slp/ 

Learn more about Hallie Sherman and SLP Elevate:  
📝 Website: https://speechtimefun.com/
🎲✨ Check out the Secondary Secret Podcast here! https://www.speechtimefunpd.com/secret-podcast-signup
📘✨ Grab your copy of The Secondary SLP Roadmap here! https://www.speechtimefunpd.com/stf-book
🎓✨ Grab your free spot at CF Bootcamp 2026 here! https://www.speechtimefun.com/cfbootcamp2026
🎤✨ The Speech Retreat is Back! Learn more and register here!
https://www.speechretreat.com ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ 

Subscribe today and get access to my secret podcast filled with my juicy secrets for planning with ease for secondary speech students. 6 quick episodes that you can quickly listen to and feel refreshed and inspired! https://speechtimefun.com/secondarysecrets

In this episode of SLP Coffee Talk, Hallie chats with Sarah Bishop—14-year school-based SLP, California Speech-Hearing Association president, and union rep—about why being a generalist is actually your biggest flex. Sarah shares her winding path to the field (spoiler: it starts with an art history degree and museum tours), why school-based SLPs need to stop apologizing for knowing a little of everything, and how to keep growing without losing your mind. This one’s for every SLP who’s ever felt like everyone else has a specialty except them.

Bullet Points to Discuss: 

Why the generalist label gets a bad rap—and why it shouldn’t
How to figure out what continuing education you actually need
What a PLC is and how to start one even if your district doesn’t have one
The mindset shift that makes it easier to grow without burning out
How school-based SLPs define their expertise differently than private practice

Here’s what we learned: 

Own the generalist title. Any kid walks through your door, you know where to start. That’s not nothing—that’s everything.
You will get things wrong. So will every SLP who’s been in the field for 14 years. Let it go and keep moving.
Connection is the intervention. Showing up, caring, and actually paying attention to a kid? That’s already therapeutic.
Find your people. You don’t need a huge community. Start with one SLP buddy or one district PLC meeting.
Know your role. Private practice treats the disability. You remove barriers to education. That’s a different—and equally valid—job.

Learn more about Sarah Bishop: 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sawahfwend 

Learn more about Hallie Sherman and SLP Elevate:  

📝 Website: https://speechtimefun.com/

🎲✨ Check out the Secondary Secret Podcast here! https://www.speechtimefunpd.com/secret-podcast-signup

📘✨ Grab your copy of The Secondary SLP Roadmap here! https://www.speechtimefunpd.com/stf-book

🎓✨ Grab your free spot at CF Bootcamp 2026 here! https://www.speechtimefun.com/cfbootcamp2026

🎤✨ The Speech Retreat is Back! Learn more and register here!
https://www.speechretreat.com ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ 

Subscribe today and get access to my secret podcast filled with my juicy secrets for planning with ease for secondary speech students. 6 quick episodes that you can quickly listen to and feel refreshed and inspired! https://speechtimefun.com/secondarysecrets

In this episode of SLP Coffee Talk, Hallie gets honest with new grads and CFs who are quietly wondering if they’re already behind. She talks through what imposter syndrome actually looks and feels like in those early weeks — the brain-blank first session, the late-night Google spiral — and why all of it is completely normal. If you’re a new SLP asking “what if I can’t do this?”, this one was made for you.

Bullet Points to Discuss: 

Why imposter syndrome hits hardest when no one’s watching
Four things that will actually get you through those early sessionsShrink the moment — just pick one thing to target
One activity, stretched across every group and goal you’ve got
Narrate your thinking out loud — that’s the therapy
Expect the clunky sessions — even the veterans have them

Hallie’s recipe for a speech lesson that works no matter what

Here’s what we learned: 

Feeling clueless doesn’t mean you’re underprepared. It means you’re new.
Language is hard because it overlaps with everything — slow progress is still progress.
Adaptability is the skill that will carry you further than any material or lesson plan ever will.
The confident SLP you’re trying to be right now is built through exactly these messy, uncertain moments.
You don’t have to do this alone — and there’s no rule that says you have to.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Learn more about Hallie Sherman and SLP Elevate:  

📝 Website: https://speechtimefun.com/

🎲✨ Check out the Secondary Secret Podcast here! https://www.speechtimefunpd.com/secret-podcast-signup

📘✨ Grab your copy of The Secondary SLP Roadmap here! https://www.speechtimefunpd.com/stf-book

🎓✨ Grab your free spot at CF Bootcamp 2026 here! https://www.speechtimefun.com/cfbootcamp2026​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ 
Subscribe today and get access to my secret podcast filled with my juicy secrets for planning with ease for secondary speech students. 6 quick episodes that you can quickly listen to and feel refreshed and inspired! https://speechtimefun.com/secondarysecrets

In this episode of SLP Coffee Talk, Hallie breaks down the realistic SLP toolkit that no grad program actually prepares you for. She walks through what new grads really need before stepping into their CF year — from skipping the summer shopping spree to treating week one like a recon mission. If you’re a brand new SLP wondering where to even begin, this one’s for you.

Bullet Points to Discuss: 
Don’t buy everything this summer — wait until you know your caseload
Treat your first week like a detective mission, not a performance
Ask your colleagues everything — they are your lifeline
Keep therapy simple — one activity can serve multiple groups and goals
Build systems over perfection — predictable routines beat elaborate lesson plans
Give yourself permission to be new

Here’s what we learned: 
Done is better than perfect — especially when you don’t even know what perfect looks like yet.
Your colleagues have been where you are and most of them are happy to help.
Adaptability is the one skill that will save your sanity more than any material ever will.
Simple routines protect your students just as much as they protect you.
Being new doesn’t make you an imposter. It makes you human.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Learn more about Hallie Sherman and SLP Elevate:  

📝 Website: https://speechtimefun.com/

🎲✨ Check out the Secondary Secret Podcast here! https://www.speechtimefunpd.com/secret-podcast-signup

📘✨ Grab your copy of The Secondary SLP Roadmap here! https://www.speechtimefunpd.com/stf-book

🎓✨ Grab your free spot at CF Bootcamp 2026 here! https://www.speechtimefun.com/cfbootcamp2026

🎤✨ The Speech Retreat is Back! Learn more and register here!
https://www.speechretreat.com ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ 

Subscribe today and get access to my secret podcast filled with my juicy secrets for planning with ease for secondary speech students. 6 quick episodes that you can quickly listen to and feel refreshed and inspired! https://speechtimefun.com/secondarysecrets