Diary of an SLT

Ruth is joined by Helen Guntrip, Founder of 'Talk and Move'. Helen talks to Ruth about her journey as an SLT. She fell into the profession after completing a language based degree and taking a job as an SLTA. As you listen you cannot miss the passion Helen has for early intervention, especially when her whole business is now based on working with Early Educators. Helen is open about the ch...

Sunita Shah, founder of Together Let's Communicate [TLC] chats with Ruth about her career journey to date. Having started in a very mixed NHS post post graduation Sunita now runs her independent practice specialising in supporting children and young people with speech, language, social, emotional and communication difficulties. Sunita opens up about why she loves working with teenagers in part...

I was honoured to be joined by Mary Heritage for episode 45 of the podcast. Mary is well known within the field of Speech and Language due to her vast career journey to date. Throughout this episode Mary's love of the profession shines. She talks about where she started post graduation and how this has mapped out her pathway to date. Now an author and coach to many, she has a carved out opport...

In episode 44 I get an opportunity to chat all things communication boards with the Inclusive Communication Solutions Team. Laura, Kelly and Suzanne explain how their joint business venture came about organically in 2024 through conversations in the years leading up. The ladies share their individual backgrounds, working weeks and how their business is going at the moment. They have big dreams for...

Nicky West joined Ruth for a chat. Nicky set up New Options Speech and Language Therapy in Hull 12 years ago and as you will here things are going from strength to strength for her. Nicky chats about her journey into SLT at the age of 25, and where the SLT journey has lead her to date. She is a huge advocate for supporting this profession, by sharing her passion with students at secondary level ed...

What a lovely episode as Ruth was joined by Ellie Brown, Independent SLT. Ellie is quite new to the world of IP but shares how much this has benefited her young family. Ellie is very passionate about delivering strength-focused, person-centred support, with all methods of communication considered as valid and equal. She is very proud to be a neuroaffirming practitioner, recognising that neurodiver...

Sarah Corey, Speech and Language Therapist in NI, joined Ruth for this latest episode of Diary of an SLT. Sarah has literally just left her NHS role to go into full time independent work within her business mid ulster speech therapy, so finds herself juggling this alongside being mummy to her two beautiful children. She talks so openly and honestly about this transition, her passion for early inte...

Ali Battye, SLT / Author / AAC Specialist and GLP advocate spoke with Ruth in this latest episode . Ali shares her love of this profession as it wasn't her initial career pathway, however she has had her full circle moment and is using her love of writing in the 4 books she has published. Ali is constantly finding joy in her work with the schools, families and professional colleagues throughout he...

Season 4 kicks off with a wholesome chat between Ruth and Elizabeth McBarnet. Elizabeth explains are choice of career as an SLT and how her love of working with adults grew once she set up her own independent practice. Elizabeth's openness throughout the chat show how every decision as her career progressed allowed her to be the mum her girl's needed as well as giving her the opportunity t...

Kate Reader joined me on this last episode of season 3. Kate oozes love of her career and chatted in detail about her love of all things AAC and as well as the new job she started at AT Therapy in September this year. Kate was also a recipient of an award through Communication Matter which she shares about, as well as her amazing scholarship opportunity coming up in 2026. Have a listen to Kate, yo...

Our first international guest! Wow and thank you to Claire Allen for joining Ruth to chat all things SLP in Vancouver. Claire discusses her journey as an SLP to date and how she went independent two years ago. Claire focuses her practice on "less burnout and more joy" both for herself and the families she works with. You can follow Claire via her instagram profile

Joined by Ruth Jones, Speech and Language, who talks all things career pathway post graduation to her present day working week. Ruth is heavily promoting neurodiversity affirming practice and as a result wrote her book "Neurodiversity- Affirming Practice for Speech and Language Therapists: Supporting Curiosity, Compassion and Conversation" which hit the shops in September this year. Ruth...

In this episode I am join by Vanessa Woodall, Speech and Language Therapist & business owner. Vanessa along with her husband Dave set up 'Symplify' to support SLTs when making resources. Vanessa talks me through the development of the business and how it all started out. This is an open conversation about another string to the SLT skillset and how a small area of interest can develop i...

Sophie Whitehead, Highly Specialist SLT in Palliative Care within the SHSCT spoke to Ruth about her current role and how this lead to a move across the Irish Sea! Ruth also delved into finding out more about the Churchill Fellowship which funded Sophie to travel across the globe and keep a palliative care blog as she did. Sophie is very passionate about what she does and shares this freely as we c...

Laura Keeling is chatting with me in this episode. She has continued to work with both adults and paediatric clients within her independent practice .She talks about why she loves both clients groups so much. Laura also highlights the variety in her working week, and how she liaises with a wealthy of services to support the holistic needs of her caseload. This is an insightful discussion into a bu...

In this episode, Alison Ferris, Allied Health Professionals (AHP) Consultant at Public Health Agency (PHA) in Northern Ireland joined me for a chat. Alison is 25 years qualified as an SLT and she talks honestly about all the roles that led her to take up a position within the PHA. Alison shares about her working week and how two working weeks never look the same, but she loves that about her curre...

In this episode I meet Rachel Cohen, who now describes herself as a register intermediary and intuitive coach. Rachel qualified as an SLT and soon discovered a passion for criminal justice work. She set up a not for profit cooperative which is thriving - https://theintermediarycooperative.co.uk/conference/ Rachel is so open during our chat and provided top tips for any professionals interested in...

Ruth had a good chat with Jan Baerselman in this latest episode. Jan is a seasoned SLT who has specialised in supporting children with SLCN in education settings for most of her career – around 20 years in the NHS and 10 years in the independent sector.  She spends half her working week providing professional supervision & support to Independent SLTs and specialist school staff. The other half...

Marissa Webb from The Orchid Practice joined me on this episode to discuss her move from the USA to the UK many years ago. Marissa talks about the change from her original post school plan of going into musical theatre and how that lead to her career as an SLT. As you listen you will find out more about Marissa's passions throughout her working week, as she discusses her current campaign aroun...

Ruth chatted with Charmaine Tearle from April Cottage Therapies in this latest episode. Not only running her own therapy business, but Charmaine is also the current Treasurer in the ASLTIP Executive Board. Charmaine shares much about her journey as an SLT thus far, and also highlights some aspirations she has over the next five years. Such a lovely episode for anyone who is still curious about how...

We have reached a milestone! The podcast is a year old, and to celebrate the microphone was flipped. In this episode Ruth drafted in Ruth Sedgewick from RCSLTNI and episode 1 fame, to ask the questions and find out more about our usual host! Over the last two seasons many guests have asked Ruth C when she would be a guest on her own podcast, so we thought the start of season 3 was the perfect spot...

Emma Ahern, owner of Zebra Therapy, joined Ruth for this latest episode and what a great chat they had! Emma was very open about her journey into SLT and how it was her initial plan, after starting a degree in animal studies at Queen's University….however thanks to an opportune moment with a colleague in a care home she explore the SLT profession and finally completed her Masters at Essex Univ...

Well this was a fun one! Ruth chats to Emma Harrison, Clinical Director at Speech Buddies in the North East of England. Emma talks about her love of building her team over the last 5 years, and how she started working as an assistant on a speech therapy team before plunging into the speech therapy degree. Emma is also very much into mindfulness as she works, allowing time for herself, while buildi...

Kate Burgess joined Ruth this week, but who is Kate? Owner of "we can commikate" and founder of "Pippin Speech" App, Kate talks candidly to Ruth about why she set up her independent practice post lockdown, and then how this lead to the creation of her app to support parents and caregivers with key tools to develop communication at home. During this conversation Kate is open abo...

Kirsten Howells, SLT and Deputy CEO & Services Director at STAMMA joined Ruth this week. During this wholesome conversation between the pair, Kirsten opens about about her personal experience of stammering, and how this lead her to train as an SLT. Training as an SLT then opened a huge number of opportunities for her, and she talks about her work other part of the world one the years. Kirsten...