Talk
Rehab
Effective, affordable, enjoyable speech and language therapy for adults with brain injury
Communicating well with others is an essential part of everyday life. If you have difficulty talking, understanding, reading or writing then relationships, roles and activities can be challenging and frustrating.
Talk Rehab is a speech and language therapy service, working in the Bristol, Bath and South Wales area, dedicated to improving communication and specialising in working with adults with aphasia. Aphasia is a communication problem, which occurs when parts of the brain that support language are damaged, usually after a stroke. We also work with people who have difficulties with thinking (cognition), unclear speech, non-fluent speech, reading and writing difficulties, hearing impairment. Research shows that aphasia rehabilitation needs to be timely, intensive and tailored to make the best recovery.
At Talk Rehab, we are committed to providing this level of care. We will work on relearning communication skills and finding life strategies to improve speech and language difficulties. We offer education and support to you and your family to have better conversations, suggest computer-based options to improve communication and if needed, help you connect with other people with aphasia, through conversation groups and support organisations.
Talk Rehab can provide therapy in your home, at my clinic room in Clifton or remotely.
I will chat to you or your family to see if I am the right therapist for you. I work with adults (18 +) only.
If you are already seeing an NHS therapist, that's fine. We can work together.
We decide what is most important for you (your goals) and work on these areas together. We will try to re-learn these skills. We may look at ways to get around the problem and also include your family and friends if that is what you want. We will always practise what you have learnt in real situations.
Passionate about speech and language recovery for people with neurological injury
Claire graduated from the University of Reading UK in 1989 with BA (Hons) in Linguistics and Language Pathology. She has worked as a Speech and Language Therapist for over 30 years, supporting a wide range of clients, including deaf children, adults with cochlear implants and adults with intellectual disability. She began working with adults with traumatic brain injury in Hamilton, New Zealand, in 2006 and decided immediately to specialise in neurological recovery and rehabilitation. She has extensive experience and training in client-centred rehabilitation and is passionate about maximising speech and language recovery for people with neurological injury.
She has also worked intensively with adults with mental health diagnoses impacting communication, including functional neurological disorder (FND). She has had a research paper accepted by the Cygnet Journal to be published in 2024.
“I wanted to thank Claire so much for everything you have done for me. You have helped me with my aphasia and working with my speech, reading and writing every day. You seemed to know exactly what I needed and what to work on. You were outstanding in pushing me in each session. It was tough but at the same time, it was fun and we had some good laughs. Last Thursday, I finally remembered the word emerald that was somewhere in my unorganized brain, I also had tears in my eyes as we finished the session.” David, August 2023
"Claire's impact on Lynn's aphasia has been nothing short of phenomenal. Every visit brings something new and exciting for Lynn to work on because she uses photos, current events, and daily activities to provide stimulation and motivation. She has a friendly and easy-going manner and every visit is dominated by laughter. Lynn loves working with her and looks forward to every visit with great enthusiasm." Lynn and Joe, May 2023
"Claire is a very professional, knowledgeable, and experienced speech therapist who does this with patience, excellent talking, and good listening. For me, Claire has an amazing ability to know what I need and what works well. As a result, my speaking, reading, and writing have improved tremendously during the four months I have been with her. It gives me determination. Everyone should know that Claire helps make a big difference in each person's life who has aphasia." Mark, May 2023
"I sustained a head injury, a 'Bleed-On-The-Brain'. My wife was so worried, it could well have been fatal but, as luck would have, it wasn't! After a few weeks of recuperation, Claire was 'recruited' and worked an absolute miracle on my state of disconnected thought processes. Claire is a true Wonder!" Hugh, August 2022
"Claire has loads of experience dealing with speech-language issues, and it shows! She is professional and friendly. She sorted my hesitation and 'erm' filler gaps in my speech. Also, my family noticed a difference in my speech afterwards. I highly recommend Claire!" Andy, who had a stroke, October 2021
“You’ve definitely represented something/someone wonderful for Dad - consistent, expert, enthusiastic, kind, focused, with lovely energy. Your presence in Dad’s life is a very positive thing. My Aunt emailed me to say ‘I continue to be so impressed with Claire’. So you/your work gets one massive fat thumbs up from our family!” Louise, whose Dad had a stroke, January 2021
"In 2018 my daughter Jess contracted a virus that led to encephalitis. She has made a great recovery but isn't quite yet back up to speed. The cerebral atrophy that she has been left with affects her ability to speak. Jess finds her time with Claire is not just helping her to improve her speech, but also increasing her confidence. Claire has gone the extra mile with Jess's treatment and has come up with some excellent thoughtful suggestions. She has been a "breath of fresh air" for Jess. The ability to conduct therapy sessions via the internet is an added bonus for a busy young Mum. Thank you Claire for helping us in our quest to get Jess back to her old self." Tom, Jess's Dad, November 2019
"Working with you has been an essential part of my rehabilitation. Your positivity and curiosity has meant a lot, without ever being precious. If it didn't work, an exercise would be quickly swapped out to coax me away from any unhelpful rabbit-holes. Thank you, Claire!" Bruno, October 2019
"Earlier this year I suffered a stroke which mainly affected my speech. Since then Claire has been visiting my home to address this serious problem. It has undoubtedly helped me make great improvements, both to my ability to talk and indeed read and write again. She does it with great patience and understanding and it is always a pleasure to welcome her into my home. Highly recommended." Mimi, September 2018
£130 (1-1½ hours)
Includes case history, formal/informal assessments and brief summary report.
£95 (1 hour)
£95 (1 hour)
Full reports are charged from £130 (1-1½ hours)
If home visits are required outside the local area, there is an extra charge for mileage and time. For sessions at my clinic room in Clifton there is no extra charge.
Preferred payment is by online bank transfer. You will be provided with an invoice and/or receipt.