SLP Coffee Talk

In this episode of SLP Coffee Talk, Hallie chats with Cary—school SLP, private practice clinician, and creator of the SLP Grad Student Instagram page—about finding your why and holding onto it when things get hard. Cary gets honest about the rejection letters, Praxis failures, and imposter syndrome she pushed through on her way to the field, and shares what the CF year really feels like when you&a...

In this episode of SLP Coffee Talk, Hallie gets real about one of the biggest challenges with older students—resistance. From crossed arms to "I'm only here because my mom made me," she breaks down why grades 4–12 students push back in the first place—it's not laziness—and walks through five practical steps for building genuine buy-in. This episode is full of compassion-first s...

In this episode of SLP Coffee Talk , Hallie chats with Allison Carpenter—elementary school SLP by day and telehealth provider by night—about what it actually looks like to work two jobs without running yourself into the ground. Allison traces her path from a private practice CF in small-town Texas to a school SLP in Dallas, and gets real about why burnout pushed her to make the switch. She breaks...

In this episode of SLP Coffee Talk , Hallie chats with Ebony Green—speech-language pathologist, private practice owner, and founder of a thriving multidisciplinary clinic, The SPEAK Center for Language and Learning—about what it really takes to bet on yourself and build a business from scratch. Ebony shares her winding path from Teach for America teacher to SLP to CEO, gets real about the fears th...

Hallie chats with Lauren Catellier about how the 3:1 model supports school-based SLPs in managing burnout In this episode of SLP Coffee Talk, Hallie chats with Lauren Cattelier—school-based SLP, mom of two boys, and co-instructor and owner of Therapy Advanced Courses—about a model every overwhelmed SLP needs to know: The 3:1 Model. Lauren shares her experience using this workload approach in her f...

In this episode of SLP Coffee Talk , Hallie chats with Renee Brown—school-based SLP, mom of two teenagers, and the voice behind @TheBusySpeechMom on Instagram—about a topic every SLP needs to hear: how to advocate for yourself so you don't burn out. Renee shares her unexpected journey from elementary education teacher to medical SLP to school-based clinician, and gets real about what it actua...

In this episode of SLP Coffee Talk , Hallie is serving up some real talk about IEP goal writing—and it might just change the way you look at your entire caseload. If you’ve ever stared at a goal and thought, wait, why am I even working on this? This one’s for you. Hallie introduces the “so what?” test—the one question you should be asking before you write any goal—and breaks down what functional a...

In this episode of SLP Coffee Talk , Hallie chats with Karin Hartunian Koukeyan—a speech-language pathologist with 28 years of experience and founder of SpeechFit—about a topic that might surprise you: public speaking. Karin shares her winding SLP journey from bilingual child interpreter to telepractice pioneer to private practice owner, and dives into why SLPs are uniquely equipped to help client...

In this episode of SLP Coffee Talk , Hallie is serving up some real talk about data collection—and it might just change the way you run your sessions. If you've ever felt more like a clipboard than a clinician, or wondered why your students seem disengaged halfway through therapy, this one's your permission slip to breathe. Hallie breaks down why constant data collection can actually blo...

Hallie chats with Maddie Burrington about having fun in your work and remembering your “why”! In this episode of SLP Coffee Talk , Hallie chats with Maddie Burrington—an elementary school SLP in Dallas and social media creator—about making speech the coolest club in school, setting boundaries to avoid burnout, and remembering your why. Maddie shares her journey from private practice burnout to fal...

 Hallie chats with Tamara Anderson about language and literacy connection and more! In this episode of SLP Coffee Talk , Hallie chats with Tamara Anderson—a speech-language pathologist, education specialist, and passionate literacy advocate—about the powerful connection between language and literacy in our therapy rooms. Tamara shares her journey into literacy specialization, breaks down the diffe...

In this episode of SLP Coffee Talk, Hallie is tackling something we’ve ALL felt—the Sunday Scaries. You know that pit in your stomach when the weekend winds down and suddenly you’re spiraling about therapy plans, data collection, that one impossible group, and your inbox? Hallie shares the story of Jay, an SLP Elevate member who has every material she could ever need at her fingertips but still me...

Hallie chats about using videos for speech goals. In this episode of SLP Coffee Talk , Hallie is warming up the speech room with one of her favorite low-prep tools: winter-themed YouTube videos. If you’re looking for ways to engage older students with activities that are motivating, free, and take the reading piece out of the equation, this one’s for you. She’s sharing five specific video recommen...

Hallie and Tricia Detig chat about high school speech therapy. In this episode of SLP Coffee Talk, Hallie sits down with Tricia Detig — creator of Thoughtful Talk and a high school SLP working with resource and life skills students. Tricia shares her journey from middle school to high school, getting real about the differences. She talks about building rapport with older students, ditching lecture...

Hallie chats with Malka Arnstein about making AAC more accessible for communication partners. In this episode of SLP Coffee Talk, Hallie sits down with Malka Arnstein — SLP, private practice owner, and AAC specialist on a mission to make AAC less intimidating and way more accessible. Malka gets real about the judgment that can creep into AAC work, why reframing it as just another communication too...

Get ready for an inspiring conversation with Hylan Noble Landthorn and Nikki Rosner Jacobs, the powerhouse duo behind The Mentorship Collective! With over 24 years of combined experience as speech and language pathologists, they’re on a mission to support and empower the next generation of SLPs. As the founders of WordsMyWay, a play-based, child-led speech therapy practice, Hylan and Nikki believe...

In this episode of SLP Coffee Talk, Hallie tackles the chaos of returning to work in January. If you're feeling like you need a vacation from your vacation, this one's for you. She's dishing out practical strategies for easing back into therapy mode, getting your students re-engaged (even when they'd rather be literally anywhere else), and turning that New Year energy into actu...

In this episode of SLP Coffee Talk, Hallie wraps up 2025 by reflecting on an incredible year — from presenting at conferences across the country to becoming a New York City approved vendor, publishing the Secondary SLP Roadmap, and meeting thousands of SLPs along the way. She celebrates the impact of SLP Elevate, the success of three Speech Retreat conferences, the launch of a merch store, and all...

In this episode of SLP Coffee Talk, Hallie sits down with Kylie Helm — school SLP, private practice owner, and PhD student who’s doing the research we all desperately need. Kylie shares how growing up low-SES herself and then working in a Title I school opened her eyes to the massive disconnect between what grad school teaches us and what these kids actually need. She gets real about the dangerous...

Hallie chats with Colleen Ashford of Ashford Speech and Advocacy P.C. about navigating transition process from an IFSP to IEP. In this episode of SLP Coffee Talk , Hallie sits down with Colleen Ashford — bilingual SLP, private practice owner, and the special education advocate we all need. Colleen shares how she went from planning to be a school SLP forever to accidentally falling in love with adv...

Hallie chats with Luba about how to help parents navigate IEP meetings. In this episode of SLP Coffee Talk, Hallie sits down with Luba — SLP, bilingual private practice founder, and the brain behind Kidology and The Confident IEP Parent. They dive into the real challenges parents face when navigating IEPs, why so many feel lost (and sometimes overwhelmed), and how Luba helps families show up to me...

Hallie and Bria Gibson chat about running a private practice and YouTube channel. In this episode of SLP Coffee Talk, Hallie sits down with Bria — SLP, private practice owner, and the creative mind behind Speech Up TV. Bria shares how she stumbled into the profession, rediscovered her passion while working with high schoolers, and eventually made the leap to a fully virtual practice after becoming...

In this episode of SLP Coffee Talk, Hallie chats with Libby Hill, a consultant speech-language pathologist with over 40 years of experience, about the fascinating connection between pathological demand avoidance (PDA) and selective mutism. Libby shares why students with PDA aren’t just being “naughty,” how their brilliant yet challenging language profiles can fool us into expecting too much, and w...

Hallie chats about the Secondary SLP Movement! If you’ve ever felt like you’re drowning in baby clipart while trying to make speech therapy work for middle and high schoolers, this episode is your life raft. Hallie is here to spark The Secondary SLP Movement — empowering SLPs to take back their time, make therapy functional, and show the world that speech therapy doesn’t stop after elementary scho...

Hallie's book The Secondary SLP Roadmap is finally here! Listen as Hallie chats about her new book! In this bonus episode of SLP Coffee Talk , Hallie celebrates the launch of her brand new book, The Secondary SLP Roadmap, a guide designed to help SLPs working with grades 4–12 feel confident, equipped, and inspired. She shares the story behind why she wrote it, what makes it different from any...