Speech & Language Therapy vs. Communication Coaching: Which Service is Right for You?
If you're looking for our support with your communication, you may be wondering whether our Speech & Language Therapy or Communication Coaching services are the best fit for you.
Both services help you improve your communication, but they do so in different ways.
Some people come to us with a clear need for Speech and Language Therapy - for example, if you have a medical condition or diagnosis that affects communication.
Other people we work with might not have a medical condition, but still struggle with communication in ways that impact daily life. You may benefit from either Speech and Language Therapy or Coaching if…
✔ You talk too fast, struggle to find words when under pressure, or worry that you don’t come across how you want to.
✔ You feel tongue-tied, anxious, or held back in conversations—socially, at work, or in relationships.
✔ You have diagnosed or suspected ADHD or autism and want support with how this affects your communication.
If you’re unsure whether Speech and Language Therapy or Coaching is the right approach, this guide will help you understand the differences and choose the best fit for your needs.
Speech & Language Therapy (SLT)
Speech and Language Therapy can help with both practical communication skills and the cognitive and emotional aspects that influence communication. We help with communication challenges related to neurological or medical conditions as well as for people with no diagnosis who want to communicate more clearly, effectively and confidently.
Speech and Language Therapy may be the best fit for you if…
✔ You need strategies, techniques, practical exercises or advice to improve communication symptoms such as speech clarity, fluency, language processing, vocal technique or voice projection.
✔ You have communication or cognitive difficulties related to neurological, developmental, or acquired conditions (e.g., stroke, brain injury, ADHD, autism, stammering, developmental language disorder (DLD), voice disorders/dysphonia, Functional Neurological Disorder (FND), progressive neurological conditions).
✔ You have no medical diagnosis but want to learn how to speak more clearly, confidently and effectively.
✔ You need help with social communication, such as turn-taking, staying on topic and understanding social cues or sarcasm.
Our clients often come to us with concerns like…
“I’ve had a stroke or brain injury, and I need support rebuilding my communication skills.”
“I have difficulty structuring my thoughts in conversations or written communication.”
“I talk too fast or my speech isn’t clear enough for others to understand - especially when talking on the phone.”
“I struggle to get my words out fluently due to a stammer and avoid social situations as a result.”
“I want to improve my communication at work, especially in meetings and presentations when I often feel anxious and stumble over my words.”
What happens in Speech and Language Therapy sessions?
SLT sessions are tailored to your specific needs and goals.
We start with a conversation and case history to understand your communication challenges and your therapy goals.
We’ll often complete some assessments to gain a deeper understanding of your communication strengths and areas for improvement.
Based on this, we’ll create a therapy plan that may include:
Understanding more about your condition and how it impacts communication.
Exercises and strategies, for example, to enhance speech clarity, fluency, vocal technique, social communication skills or executive functioning/cognition.
Role play and real-world practice to build confidence in conversations.
Practical self-advocacy techniques to help express yourself clearly in personal and professional settings.
Tracking progress through clearly defined goals that are meaningful to your daily life.
We may also involve friends and family in your sessions, where appropriate, so they know how to support you.
Speech and Language Therapy with a Coaching Approach
At TalkCoach, SLT is not just about therapy exercises - the team are supported by Kezia (Coach and Lead SLT) to integrate a coaching approach where appropriate. We use coaching tools and psychological techniques (such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy - ACT, and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy - CBT) to explore your thoughts, emotions, and deeper patterns relating to communication. This allows for a more flexible, person-centred experience.
When and where do Speech and Language Therapy sessions take place?
Our Speech and Language Therapy services are offered by our team of Speech and Language Therapists with both online and in-person appointments available.
We offer appointments every weekday and some evenings and weekends - availability will depend on the team member that you work with.
Communication Coaching
Communication Coaching is a flexible, collaborative, conversational approach that helps you understand and reshape the way you communicate so that it feels natural and aligned with who you are.
Coaching is offered by Kezia, who integrates her expertise as an SLT and Life Coach with extensive additional training and learning in various psychological approaches.
(For those that are interested, this includes Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT); Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT); Transactional Analysis (TA); Non-Violent Communication (NVC); Attachment theory; Mindfulness; Polyvagal theory; and trauma-informed and neurodiversity-affirming practice).
Communication Coaching may be the best fit if you…
✔ Struggle with assertiveness and want to say what you mean without guilt, and without slipping into people-pleasing patterns that leave you feeling resentful and misunderstood.
✔ Experience social anxiety, ADHD rejection sensitivity or fear of judgement and want to feel more comfortable speaking up in different contexts.
✔ Find yourself stuck in communication breakdowns and want to understand the deeper patterns that keep playing out in your interpersonal relationships.
✔ Overthink conversations and want to be more present, engaged, and mindful in your interactions in order to connect better with others.
✔ Want to stop your critical inner voice from holding you back so you can speak up with confidence, develop your friendships and progress in your career.
✔ Struggle with communication-related anxiety that causes your mind to go blank when it’s your turn to speak, and want to develop emotional regulation tools and strategies to manage this.
Core principles of Communication Coaching include…
✔ Self-awareness before strategy – Understanding why communication feels difficult before jumping to techniques and strategies.
✔ Exploring patterns and relationships – Recognising how your past experiences, habits, and beliefs shape your communication.
✔ Values-driven communication – Aligning how you communicate with your personal identity and core values.
✔ Emotional regulation and self-trust – Building internal confidence rather than relying on external validation or getting stuck in self-doubt.
✔ Authenticity over performance – Moving away from striving for “perfect” communication and towards real, meaningful connection.
When and where do Communication Coaching sessions take place?
Coaching is currently offered only by Kezia. Appointments are online, mostly on Tuesday and Wednesday daytimes.
I have ADHD and/or Autism - do I need Speech and Language Therapy or Communication Coaching?
If you are neurodivergent - whether diagnosed or self-identifying as autistic or ADHD - both Speech and Language Therapy and Communication Coaching could be beneficial, depending on your goals.
✅ Speech and Language Therapy may be the best fit if you…
Need structured strategies for improving fluency, organising thoughts, processing language, understanding social cues
Want practical techniques to help you communicate more effectively in social and work settings.
Want to practice communication skills in sessions with clear exercises and tasks for real-world application.
Would benefit from speech, language or cognitive assessments to understand your communication and cognitive strengths and challenges in more depth.
✅ Communication Coaching may be the best fit if you…
Want to explore your communication beyond just techniques - including identity and masking, emotional-regulation and confidence.
Need support with the critical voice in your mind that contributes to rejection sensitive dysphoria (RSD), communication-related anxiety or social anxiety.
Are struggling with assertiveness, self-trust and setting boundaries.
Prefer a more conversational, exploratory approach that looks beyond techniques and into patterns, thoughts, and emotions affecting communication.
Do I need an Autism/ADHD diagnosis?
No - we work with many clients who suspect they may have ADHD or autism but have not sought a formal diagnosis, or who are awaiting an assessment. A diagnosis can provide clarity to support you in understanding your communication style, but a diagnosis is not necessary to benefit from coaching or therapy.
Whether through Speech and Language Therapy or Communication Coaching, we work in a neurodiversity-affirming way, focusing on helping you understand your strengths, challenges, and communication patterns - so you can express yourself in a way that feels natural and aligned with your identity.
Final Thoughts - Should you choose Speech and Language Therapy or Coaching?
We hope this guide has helped you decide which service is the best fit for you.
✔ If you need more structured support and external strategies for communication challenges → Speech and Language Therapy may be the best option.
✔ If you want to explore and reshape the deeper patterns behind how you communicate → Communication Coaching may be the better fit for you.
✔ If both services sound helpful, consider practical factors like availability and location - Speech and Language Therapy is currently offered with greater flexibility in timing, location, and availability.
Ready to work with us?
Download our Services and Pricing Guide for more information, including prices and how to book a session.
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