When Words Don't Come Easy

What happens when a psychologist suddenly becomes the patient? In Episode 24 of When Words Don't Come Easy , Justin and Roger sit down with Matthew Liebman to discuss his stroke recovery, living with aphasia, and how his professional background gave him a unique perspective on healing. Matthew shares what it was like going through a full psychological evaluation after his stroke, the frustrati...

Most people have never heard of amusia . After his stroke, Matthew lost the ability to feel rhythm, find a beat, or sing along to music, even though his body works perfectly. Hear his incredible story this Sunday on When Words Don't Come Easy . You won't want to miss it.

🎙️ NEW EPISODE THIS SUNDAY Psychologist and stroke survivor Dr. Matthew Liebman joins When Words Don’t Come Easy for a powerful conversation about the experience of aphasia beyond “difficulty with word finding.” “Aphasia isn’t just struggling to find words. It’s worrying that everyone around you is seeing what you’ve lost instead of who you still are.” Available Sunday on YouTube, Spotify, Apple P...

In this episode of When Words Don’t Come Easy, we sit down with Robert, the creator of LarrySpeakeasy, a new communication app inspired by his family’s experience with aphasia and stroke recovery. Robert shares how a simple idea grew into a tool that is already helping people reconnect through conversation, with users in more than 18 countries in less than 60 days. We talk about the inspiration be...

When Words Don't Come Easy welcomes Nicholas Kelly , a registered dietitian and cystic fibrosis advocate, for a conversation about the role nutrition plays in stroke and aphasia recovery. Nick shares practical tips for making mealtimes easier, managing dietary challenges after a stroke, and reducing frustration around eating and communication. Together, Justin and Roger discuss how food is about m...

Registered dietitian Nicholas Kelly shares an easy nutrition tip: smoothies and meal replacement drinks can be a simple way to get healthy calories and nutrients when meals feel challenging. What simple nutrition tips have helped you or a loved one? #Aphasia #StrokeRecovery #StrokeSurvivor #NutritionTips #Dysphagia #AphasiaAwareness #BrainInjuryRecovery #SpeechTherapy #CaregiverSupport #WhenWordsD...

Our guest this week, Nicholas Kelly, Registered Dietitian and Cystic Fibrosis Advocate, shares stroke and aphasia diet tips, including why small meals, patience, and adapting to your new normal can play an important role in recovery. #Aphasia #StrokeRecovery #StrokeSurvivor #AphasiaAwareness #Dietitian #Nutrition #BrainInjuryRecovery #SpeechTherapy #WhenWordsDontComeEasy #StrokeAwareness

Don't miss this thoughtful discussion on the important role food and mealtimes can play in recovery and quality of life.

In this inspiring episode of When Words Don't Come Easy, Justin and Roger sit down with Kent and Leah, the founders of Aphasia ReLearned, a nonprofit dedicated to helping stroke survivors and people with aphasia access life changing intensive therapy programs. Kent shares his remarkable recovery journey, from struggling to say his children's names after his stroke to continuing to improve...

Leah from Aphasia Relearned is passionate about making intensive aphasia therapy accessible to everyone. She wants more programs built across the country and hope to eventually bring the conversation to Congress. Because recovery shouldn't depend on your zip code. #Aphasia #StrokeRecovery #AphasiaAwareness #AphasiaReLearned #Neuroplasticity #SpeechTherapy #StrokeSurvivor #RecoveryJourney

Kent has attended the Michigan Intensive Aphasia Program 7 times and continues to improve. At first, he just wanted to say his kids’ names again. Now he’s relearning reading, writing, and math. Please check out Aphasia ReLearned to find resources on intensive, comprehensive aphasia programs. #Aphasia #StrokeRecovery #AphasiaRecovery #Neuroplasticity #SpeechTherapy #BrainInjuryRecovery #StrokeSurvi...

Meet Kent & Leah, founders of Aphasia Relearned. They created the program to help people with aphasia access intensive, specialized therapy that is often too expensive and rarely covered by insurance. Because everyone deserves a chance at recovery. #Aphasia #StrokeRecovery #AphasiaAwareness #BrainHealth #Neuroplasticity #SpeechTherapy #WhenWordsDontComeEasy

This week on When Words Don’t Come Easy, we’re honored to welcome — one of the world’s leading researchers in aphasia and stroke recovery. Professor Julius Fridriksson serves as Vice President for Research at the University Of South Carolina and is the founder of the Aphasia Lab and the Center for the Study of Aphasia Recovery (C-STAR), one of the largest collaborative aphasia research initiatives...

Professor Julius Fridriksson explains aphasia recovery in a way that instantly makes sense. Sometimes the main highway is gone. Recovery means finding new roads. It may take longer. It may look different. But progress is still possible. One of our favorite moments from this conversation on “When Words Don’t Come Easy.” Episode Out Sunday 5.24.26 #Aphasia #StrokeRecovery #BrainHealth #Neuroplastici...

Julius Fridriksson explains why brain health may be one of the most important factors in stroke and aphasia recovery. New research is changing how we understand recovery and challenging the idea that the brain and body should be treated separately. New Episode Sunday 5.24.26 #Aphasia #StrokeRecovery #BrainHealth #Neuroplasticity #StrokeAwareness #AphasiaAwareness #BrainRecovery #SpeechTherapy #Neu...

This week’s guest is Professor Julius Fridriksson, Vice President for Research at the University of South Carolina. For years, people believed aphasia therapy stopped working. But the issue wasn’t the therapy. It was how recovery was being measured. Aphasia recovery is rehabilitation. Long term. And new studies show people can continue improving years after stroke.https://x.com/USCResearchlinkedin...

In this episode of When Words Don’t Come Easy , Justin and Roger sit down with Jonathan Hirons to talk about his life-changing stroke, the long road through aphasia recovery, and how he turned one of the hardest experiences of his life into a mission to help others feel understood. Jonathan shares the emotional reality of losing confidence, struggling to find the right words, and learning how to c...

In this episode of When Words Don’t Come Easy, Julie shares her honest and emotional journey through stroke recovery and living with aphasia. Joined by her husband, she opens up about the day everything changed, the challenges of communication, and the reality of rebuilding confidence after stroke. Julie reflects on the good days and bad days, the frustration of phone conversations, and how humor...

In Episode 17, we sit down with Nicole Salzano, a young stroke survivor and passionate advocate for aphasia awareness. Her story is especially powerful because her stroke happened while she was in college, completely changing the course of her life at a time when everything was just getting started. Nicole shares how her stroke was caused by an undiagnosed blood clotting condition combined with bi...

Here’s a clean, strong synopsis that actually sounds like a real episode, not a resume dump: We’re joined by Anna Swindle, a speech-language pathologist, board-certified swallowing specialist, and expert in neuroplasticity and aphasia recovery. Anna breaks down what aphasia really is, what it isn’t, and why it has nothing to do with intelligence. She explains how the brain heals, why repetition an...

Genevieve Richardson of Life Beyond Aphasia joins us to share a powerful, honest look at what life is really like for caregivers navigating aphasia. Drawing from her experience as a speech-language pathologist, she breaks down the emotional weight, identity shifts, and day-to-day challenges that often go unseen. Genevieve introduces her “ACE Filter,” a practical tool that helps caregivers better u...

Rich and Lizzie’s story is still very recent. Just five months ago, in October 2025, Rich had a stroke and was diagnosed with aphasia, instantly turning their world upside down. Even in that short time, he’s already made real progress through hard work and consistency. Lizzie has been all-in on his recovery from the start, and their 8-year-old son Richie has been a huge source of motivation. It’s...

Tristan Gibson, also known as “Captain Orangutan,” is a stroke survivor, mindset leader, and coach who has completely redefined what recovery can look like. After experiencing a life-altering stroke at a young age, Tristan refused to accept limits. Instead of staying stuck in the question of “why me,” he shifted his perspective to “why not me” — choosing to become the person who could take this ch...

In this episode, Justin and Roger are joined by Susan Hakimi , the head speech pathologist at Northridge Hospital Medical Center and the speech therapist who first worked with Roger during the earliest days of his recovery in the hospital. Susan shares how she got into speech pathology and explains the critical role speech therapists play in the immediate aftermath of a stroke. Together, they disc...

In this episode we introduce Tina Orkin and learn about the life she built both before and after her stroke. Tina shares her journey into healthcare, becoming a nurse and working in OB-GYN, and talks about the work she was passionate about and the patients she cared for. She also opens up about her stroke and the recovery that followed. By exploring both her career and her stroke journey, we get a...