Aphasia counseling is very important for people who have trouble speaking or understanding language because of a stroke or brain injury. It helps them deal with the feelings of frustration, sadness, or loneliness they might feel because of their communication difficulties.

Speech therapists use specialized counseling to support the person and their family to better understand the impact of aphasia, teaching them strategies to handle communication breakdowns in everyday life, build stronger relationships, and feel better overall. Counseling also helps boost confidence and helps people stay connected with others.

When counseling is combined with speech therapy, it creates a strong support system. This helps people with aphasia feel more confident and stay connected with others.

Counseling also helps care partners (also called “caregivers”) understand how to better support their loved one. It gives them tools to cope with challenges and helps improve communication between everyone. This way, both the person with aphasia and their family can work together to create a positive and caring environment.

Care partners are also welcome to participate in counseling sessions along with their loved one or in separate 1:1 sessions with the speech therapist.

Counseling is within the scope of practice for speech therapy. Appropriate referrals will be made for mental health and medical support as needed.