Hello, I’m Rachael

I studied Speech and Language Therapy at Leeds Beckett University and graduated in 2021. I was a mature student and mum to a little toddler. It was hard work but I loved it and, after a long career history of working in the health and social care sector, I knew I’d found the right job for me!

I have worked in primary schools and nurseries since 2021 supporting a range of children’s speech, language, and communication needs. I learn a lot, every day, from the amazing children I work with, although my special interest and passion lies in stammering and the benefits of outdoors therapeutic support. Stammer in the Woods was created in 2024 with a view to providing an outdoors wellbeing group for 7-11s who stammer. It is important to me that Stammer in the Woods is an accessible, good value, and long term form of support for children and families. Something you can come along to whenever needed, without any hefty commitment or price tag. Sometimes children and families may prefer some 1-1 time so I can also provide 1-1 family sessions in the woods.

The main message I share with children and families is that stammering is a natural difference in the way some people talk and that we can live happy, successful and full lives with a stammer. Stammering is a journey, we may change how we feel, understand, and think about stammering throughout our lives. I aim to provide a safe, friendly and non-judgemental space for everybody to explore the things we think and feel about stammering and build some tools and strategies for taking good care of ourselves along the journey. I do not teach strategies which aim to change speech by suppressing or hiding a stammer. The important thing for children to learn and understand is that their voices are important and powerful and we can achieve anything, with or without a stammer.