Neurorehabilitation & Adult Speech Therapy
We provide comprehensive speech-language therapy services tailored to the unique needs of adults across the lifespan. Whether you are recovering from a stroke or brain injury, managing a progressive neurological condition, returning to work after an accident, refining professional communication skills, or experiencing age-related changes in communication or swallowing, our goal is to help you regain independence, confidence, and quality of life.
Therapy is individualized and may focus on speech clarity, voice, language, cognitive-communication, memory, attention, problem-solving, social communication, professional communication, or safe swallowing strategies. Services also include accent modification and pragmatic/social communication therapy to support effective daily interactions and workplace success.
We provide education and guidance to families, caregivers, and staff to ensure strategies are carried over into daily life. Services are delivered in a variety of settings, including private homes, assisted living and long-term care facilities, and through virtual sessions when appropriate. Our collaborative approach ensures you and your support network are fully involved in achieving your communication goals.
Dysphagia
Understanding Swallowing Difficulties
Dysphagia refers to difficulty swallowing and can affect the ability to safely eat or drink. It may involve challenges with liquids, solids, or both, and can result from a range of conditions — including stroke, brain injury, neurodegenerative diseases, dementia, cancer treatments, respiratory illnesses like COPD, or age-related changes.
Swallowing therapy is often effective in improving safety and comfort. Strategies may include modifying food textures, practicing targeted exercises, adjusting posture during meals, and working collaboratively with your healthcare team.
You may benefit from a swallowing assessment if you experience:
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Coughing, choking, or throat clearing while eating or drinking
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Difficulty chewing or moving food around in your mouth
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The feeling of food getting stuck or discomfort when swallowing
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A gurgly, wet-sounding voice
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Unexplained weight loss or food avoidance
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Recurrent chest infections or pneumonia
If any of these symptoms sound familiar, speech therapy can help support safer swallowing and improve quality of life.
Parkinson’s Disease
Speech and Swallowing in Parkinson’s Disease
Parkinson’s disease can gradually impact both speech and swallowing, making everyday communication more challenging. Common changes include a soft or monotone voice, slurred or mumbled speech, altered speaking rate, and reduced facial expression. Over time, swallowing difficulties may also emerge.
The encouraging news is that evidence-based therapy programs, such as SPEAK OUT!® and LSVT LOUD®, are designed to address these symptoms and support clearer communication, stronger vocal output, and safer swallowing.
Speech therapy can be helpful at any stage of Parkinson’s — even early on — to maintain independence, preserve function, and enhance day-to-day interactions.
Voice
Understanding Voice Changes
Voice disorders can affect how your voice sounds, how it feels to speak, or how much effort speaking requires. Changes in vocal quality, pitch, or loudness may be caused by inefficient voice use, acid reflux, neurological conditions, or structural concerns such as nodules, polyps, or cysts.
Voice therapy can be helpful if you notice:
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Vocal fatigue, tightness, or discomfort while speaking
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Frequent throat clearing or coughing
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Hoarseness, breathiness, or strained vocal quality
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A partial or complete loss of voice
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Interest in gender-affirming voice care
Before starting therapy, an evaluation by an Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) physician is typically recommended to help rule out any medical concerns and support a tailored treatment approach.
Aphasia
Understanding Communication Changes After Stroke Brain Injury
Aphasia is a language disorder that affects a person’s ability to understand or use words. It may cause challenges with speaking, understanding, reading, or writing — often after a stroke, brain injury, or in the context of neurological conditions such as dementia.
It’s important to know that aphasia does not affect intelligence. Rather, it affects the brain’s language pathways.
You may benefit from therapy if you experience:
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Difficulty finding or organizing your words
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Effortful, hesitant, or incomplete speech
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Saying incorrect or “nonsense” words by mistake
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Trouble understanding spoken or written language
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Challenges writing sentences or naming objects
Speech-language therapy focuses on rebuilding communication skills and supporting meaningful conversations in daily life.
Dysarthria
Understanding Slurred or Weak Speech
Dysarthria is a motor speech disorder caused by weakness or reduced coordination of the muscles used for speaking. It can result in slurred, mumbled, or unclear speech and may be associated with stroke, brain injury, neurological conditions, or structural changes to the mouth or vocal mechanism.
Speech therapy can help improve speech clarity and boost confidence by addressing:
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Difficulty being understood by others
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Slurred or uneven speech
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Speaking too fast or too slowly
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Voice sounding overly nasal or lacking resonance
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Vocal weakness, hoarseness, or strain
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Difficulty breathing while speaking
If any of these symptoms apply to you, speech therapy can offer targeted strategies to improve your communication.
Cognitive-Communication Therapy
Understanding Thinking and Communication After Neurological Injury
Cognitive-communication therapy targets attention, memory, reasoning, problem-solving, planning, and social communication skills that may be affected by stroke, brain injury, or other neurological conditions.
You may benefit if you notice:
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Trouble following conversations or remembering information
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Difficulty organizing thoughts or expressing ideas clearly
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Challenges with problem-solving or decision-making
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Struggling with social communication cues
Therapy focuses on strategies to improve daily functioning, independence, and meaningful communication. Exercises may also include language-based tasks to strengthen word retrieval, sentence formulation, and comprehension.
Return-to-Work Support
Understanding Communication Recovery After Injury
Returning to work after an accident or injury can be challenging. This service supports adults with accepted claims through ICBC or WorkSafe BC in rebuilding speech, language, cognitive-communication, and/or voice skills necessary for work.
You may benefit if you notice:
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Difficulty with clear or effective communication at work
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Challenges organizing thoughts or completing work-related tasks
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Cognitive changes affecting attention, memory, or problem-solving
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Voice or speech changes impacting professional interactions
Therapy focuses on individualized strategies to support recovery, confidence, and successful reintegration into the workplace.
Accent Modification
Understanding Pronunciation, Intelligibility, and Confidence
Accent modification therapy helps adults improve clarity and confidence in professional or social settings. Therapy is personalized to your goals and focuses on pronunciation, stress, intonation, and rhythm.
You may benefit if you:
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Have difficulty being understood in daily conversations
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Want to refine pronunciation for work or public speaking
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Desire to enhance overall speech intelligibility
Therapy focuses on practical exercises, listening skills, and speech strategies to improve communication effectiveness and confidence.
Social Communication
Understanding Everyday Interaction and Relationship Skills
Social communication therapy targets challenges with conversation, interpreting cues, and maintaining relationships. These difficulties may arise after brain injury, stroke, or neurological conditions.
You may benefit if you notice:
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Difficulty staying on topic or taking turns in conversation
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Trouble understanding humor, sarcasm, or non-verbal cues
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Challenges maintaining relationships or participating socially
Therapy focuses on guided practice, real-life scenarios, and strategies to enhance social interactions.
Professional Communication
Understanding Communication in the Workplace
Gain the skills and confidence you need for day-to-day conversations, meetings, interviews, and presentations. Professional communication is key to success, and therapy is tailored to your individual goals.
You may benefit if you want to:
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Improve clarity and confidence in meetings or presentations
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Organize and express your thoughts effectively
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Practice professional conversations and interactions
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Strengthen overall workplace communication
Therapy focuses on practical strategies, role-play, and exercises to help you communicate with confidence and effectiveness in any professional setting.