"My practice is completely different now. I spend a long-time building rapport and asking, 'What's that unmet need?'. How do I first meet that need before we even think about goals."
———
In today’s episode, we explore the intersection of mental health and speech therapy with Caitlyn Weber, a passionate speech pathologist who brings a trauma-informed and neuro-affirming lens to her work in both private practice and with the for-purpose organisation, ACT for Kids.
Caitlyn is a speech pathologist dedicated to helping children and young people find their voice and use it with confidence. She is passionate about supporting kids to express their thoughts, feelings, needs, and ideas, bringing compassion, creativity, and connection to her work. Grounded in a trauma-informed and neuro-affirming foundation, she ensures each child feels respected, understood, and safe to be their authentic self. Alongside her clinical practice, Caitlyn is a member of Speech Pathology Australia's trauma and mental health advisory group and provides clinical supervision for early career speech pathologists.
Caitlyn shares her journey from a traditional, goal-oriented clinician to a practitioner who prioritises relational safety, co-regulation, and meeting the child’s unmet needs above all else. We dive into the neurobiology of trauma, discussing how adverse experiences impact a child's sensory systems, brain development, and their ability to feel safe in the world.
This episode is packed with invaluable insights and practical strategies, from using narrative as a core therapeutic tool to empowering children to set their own goals. Caitlyn introduces powerful analogies like the "lizard brain" and the "Coke bottle" to help clinicians, families, and children understand and manage overwhelming sensory and emotional experiences.
———
Connect with Caitlyn:
Caitlyn runs her private practice, Speakeasy Therapy Services, and works as a speech pathologist in the Integrated Therapy Service team for the for-purpose organisation, ACT for Kids, in Adelaide.
———
Resources Mentioned:
———
The Mindful Speechies Podcast:
Connect with Your Hosts:
Andrew Watt
Kizzy Searle
“This is such an exciting time to talk about FND… researchers are finally acknowledging they’ve been too slow to listen to people with lived experience and use that to inform practice and future research.”
——-
Note: this episode contains sensitive information including experiences of restrictive practices. If this episode brings up feelings of distress, please reach out to your support network or call Lifeline on 13 11 14. If you or someone else is at immediate risk of harm, please dial 000. (These numbers apply within Australia; if you’re listening elsewhere, please contact your local crisis service.)
———
In today’s episode, we explore the intersection of mental health and speech therapy with Erica Tilley, a neurodivergent (Autism, FND, ABI) Quality Auditor with prior clinical experience as a Speech Pathologist.
Erica has worked in clinical practice, research, and compliance - contributing to allied health guidelines, publishing on atypical parkinsonism and delirium, and presenting at conferences, including the 2015 Speech Pathology Australia conference. After her own health challenges, including a brain tumour and developing Functional Neurological Disorder (FND), she brings a valuable perspective that combines professional expertise with lived experience.
This episode is an opportunity to hear directly from someone living with FND - an area where lived experience has too often been ignored or dismissed due to misinformed guidelines and misconceptions. Erica’s insight invites us to consider how listening more closely to lived experience of FND can broaden understanding, reduce stigma, and shift how care is thought about and delivered.
In this conversation, Erica shares:
This is not just a story about one person - it’s an invitation to reflect on how lived experience can guide more compassionate and effective care for people with FND.
Erica will be joining us again for a part 2 where she shares lived experience informed recommendations and principles of care for FND. This episode will be recorded on 5th November 2025. She welcomes questions beforehand, you can submit these to:
———
Connect with Erica Tilley:
Erica is available for paid Zoom/online meetings and presentations. Erica has created FND resources on lived experience informed and affirming support for FND, which will be shared as part of the second episode with her.
———
Resources & Links Mentioned:
———
Separate to this episode, there’s currently an open petition calling for FND to be formally recognised by the NDIS. The petition closes on 3 October 2025: https://www.aph.gov.au/e-petitions/petition/EN7833
———
The Mindful Speechies Podcast:Instagram: @mindfulspeechies
Andrew Watt
Kizzy Searle
———
Thank you for listening :)
“The more we understand ourselves as therapists, the more transformative our work becomes.”
— Andrew Watt
---
In today’s episode, we explore the intersection of mental health and speech therapy with Andrew Watt, a speech pathologist, trauma-informed psychotherapist, and passionate advocate for mental health.
Andrew shares his path from studying international relations and Japanese language to becoming a clinician, shaped by his own mental health journey and lived experience of neurodivergence. He discusses his commitment to integrating psychotherapy principles not only into client care, but also into how we support ourselves as therapists.
As the founder of Unity Therapy Services in Canberra, Andrew offers trauma-informed speech pathology and psychotherapy. He also runs a psychotherapy focused practice via andrewwatt.com.au, where he draws on the Conversational Model and other relational frameworks to support deep, reflective healing.
In this episode, Andrew and Kizzy explore:
Career pivots, identity, and vulnerability as a therapist
Why personal therapy matters for both professional and personal growth
How psychotherapy principles can enhance rapport, presence, and attunement
The unconscious dynamics that shape therapeutic work
Culturally sensitive referrals and finding the right therapist
Practical steps for bringing mental health awareness into all forms of care
Resources mentioned:
Whether you’re a therapist, student, or curious listener, this episode offers an honest and grounded conversation about what it means to integrate mental health into the heart of your work and life.
---
The Mindful Speechies Podcast
Instagram: @mindfulspeechies
Connect with Your Hosts:
Andrew Watt
Kizzy Searle
Enjoy the episode!
---
We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which this podcast is produced, and pay our respects to their Elders past and present. We recognise their continuing connection to land, waters, and culture. Sovereignty has never been ceded. It always was and always will be, Aboriginal land.
“It was a huge leap of faith - I didn’t even have an online presence before that. When I finally started sharing, I was amazed by the incredible support I found online.”
---
In today’s episode, we explore the intersection of mental health and speech therapy with Kizzy Searle, a Speech Pathologist passionate about trauma-informed practice.
Kizzy Searle is a speech pathologist, mental health advocate, and lived experience advisor who’s passionate about the role of communication in healing, connection, and everyday life. She brings a unique blend of clinical insight and lived experience to her work, especially in the areas of trauma, mental health, and neurodivergence.
Through her platform Attuned Speech - on Instagram and her website - Kizzy shares reflections, resources, and education to support others in understanding trauma-informed practice, both within speech pathology and beyond. She regularly presents to health professionals, contributes to advisory panels, and uses her voice to advocate for care that is safe, inclusive, and grounded in real connection.
Whether she’s supporting clients, running a webinar, or joining a podcast chat, Kizzy creates space for honest conversations that centre dignity, safety, and the things that matter most.
Kizzy offers speech therapy services, professional training, supervision, and information on trauma-informed practice (accessible on her socials). If you'd like to get in touch, you can find contact details below.
---
The Mindful Speechies Podcast:
Instagram: @mindfulspeechies
Connect with Your Hosts:
Andrew Watt
Kizzy Searle
---
Enjoy the episode!
"Fear of the unknown was more significant than any fear I’d felt interacting with anyone, even when they were quite mentally unwell." - Jess Farrell
———
In today’s episode, we explore the intersection of mental health and speech therapy with Jess Farrell, a Speech Pathologist and passionate advocate.
Jess is a senior speech pathologist working in a public multidisciplinary mental health therapy team in Geelong, Victoria. She is also a loving mum of busy twin toddlers.
Jess began her speech pathology career in 2014 as a generalist supporting people across the lifespan with all communication and swallowing challenges. Since then, she has worked in both private and public settings, predominantly with neurodivergent children and adolescents. She is a self-described gap filler and is passionate about helping vulnerable people who haven't felt seen or heard.
In her current role, Jess is proud to be part of an outpatient neuro-affirming adult and youth autism assessment and support team, helping people with significant mental health challenges understand and celebrate their neurotypes. She provides speech pathology consultation to mental health professionals and is working hard to make mental health therapies more accessible for all people, regardless of neurotype and/or communication challenges. Jess has also been working with ANSA psychology and allied health in developing and delivering training programs on building neuroinclusive workplaces.
Some of the topics we discussed included:
———
Connect with Jess Farrell:
Jess works as a Senior Speech Pathologist in Barwon Health’s Adult and Youth Autism Teams within the Mental Health Therapy Services.
———
The Mindful Speechies Podcast:
Instagram: @mindfulspeechies
Connect with Your Hosts:
Andrew Watt
Kizzy Searle
———
Enjoy the episode!
In today’s episode, we explore the intersection of mental health and speech therapy with Rose Spiller, a Speech Pathologist and Headspace Youth Access Worker.
Rose Spiller is a certified practising speech pathologist who began her journey studying a bachelor of psychological science straight out of high school. With a passion for healthcare and language, she completed a master's in speech pathology. Rose practised as a speech pathologist in education and private practice. After experiencing some personal challenges, she re-evaluated her career trajectory and commenced working as a sole practitioner with a passion for supporting adolescents and young adults experiencing mental health challenges and now, in addition, works as a youth counsellor for headspace. Rose has completed her advanced graduate diploma in psychology and is commencing a master's in clinical psychology this year.
———
Connect with Rose Spiller:
Rose has a private practice called Aligned Care that provides mobile services across Illawarra or via Telehealth.
———
The Mindful Speechies Podcast:Instagram: @mindfulspeechies
Connect with Your Hosts:
Andrew Watt
Kizzy Searle
———
Enjoy the episode!
In today’s episode, we explore the intersection of mental health and speech therapy with Becca Henderson, a Speech Pathologist and Mental Health Clinician.
Becca is a speech pathologist and the founder of Real Talk Speech Pathology. Based in Geelong, she also provides services to surrounding areas, including the Bellarine Peninsula and the Colac Otway region. Becca’s focus is on supporting individuals aged 15+ who live with disabilities and co-occurring mental health challenges. She is a strong advocate for a collaborative and holistic approach to therapy, empowering her participants to build confidence, find their voice, and create meaningful connections. Authenticity is at the heart of Becca’s values, guiding her work and relationships to foster overall wellbeing, genuine connections and positive impact.
———
Connect with Becca Henderson:
Becca has a private practice called Real Talk Speech Pathology based in Geelong.
———
The Mindful Speechies Podcast:
Instagram: @mindfulspeechies
Connect with Your Hosts:
Andrew Watt
Kizzy Searle
———
Enjoy the episode!
In today’s episode, we explore the intersection of mental health and speech therapy with Margaret Jacobs, a Speech Pathologist and Jungian Analyst.
Margaret began her career as a Speech Pathologist 28 years ago and worked for many years as a Senior Speech Pathologist in Canberra in acute care of both adult and paediatric patients. Clinically her interest was sparked in working with patients with voice disorders and she helped establish a multi-disciplinary voice disorders clinic and concurrently ran a small private practice specialising in this area. She completed a research Masters degree looking at the singing voice. Fifteen years ago she took a slight detour completing a Masters in Psychotherapy followed by a long psychoanalytic training in Jungian Analysis. She now works mostly as a Jungian Analyst but continues to see some voice patients and provides supervision to Speech Pathologists interested in voice and/or mental health.
Connect with Margaret Jacobs:
Margaret has a private practice in Canberra and sees people both face to face and online.
Margaret’s Article:
Psychogenic Voice Disorder: A View Through the Lens of Self
Jacobs, M., & van Biene, L. (2015). European Journal for Person Centered Healthcare, 3(2), 206. https://doi.org/10.5750/ejpch.v3i2.920
If you have trouble accessing a copy, feel free to contact Margaret directly—she’s happy to share it.
The Mindful Speechies Podcast:
Instagram: @mindfulspeechies
Connect with Your Hosts:
Kizzy Searle
Andrew Watt
Enjoy the episode!
In today’s episode, we explore the intersection of mental health and speech therapy with Rachel Chapman, a Speech Pathologist originally from the UK.
Rachel graduated in 2013 and began her career working within the NHS (National Health Service), where she worked in community clinics and mainstream schools, supporting children on alternative education pathways. She then took a secondment with the education department, where she worked in specialist schools and units supporting autistic children and diverse learning needs.
From there she went on to work part-time in a SEMH (Social, Emotional, and mental health) school while also working with the Youth Justice service, collating data to secure funding for Speech Pathologists within the system.
After taking an extended gap year, Rachel moved to Australia, where over the past five years she has worked in various private practices around Sydney. Currently, she leads a team as a senior speech pathologist in a private practice.
In 2022, Rachel founded Let's Talk Communication and Training, a training company dedicated to educating and supporting professionals working with children who have speech and language needs. Through her company, she has provided training to foster care agencies and also serves as an Elklan Tutor alongside her clinic work.
Connect with Rachel Chapman:
Rachel runs a range of Elklan courses and creates training and education programs for schools, pre-schools, parents, and agencies supporting children with speech and language needs.
The Mindful Speechies Podcast:
Instagram: @mindfulspeechies
Connect with Your Hosts:
Kizzy Searle
Andrew Watt
Enjoy the episode!
In this pilot episode of The Mindful Speechies Podcast, co-hosts Andrew Watt and Kizzy Searle open up about how they each discovered the importance of mental health in speech therapy, why they decided to launch this show, and what they hope listeners will gain along the way. They touch on how personal experiences shaped their practice and lay out their vision for a supportive community of speech pathologists who want to integrate mental health insights into day-to-day therapy. Listen in for a real, conversational look at the intersection of mental health and communication—and a sense of what’s to come in future episodes.
Future episodes will contain candid, organic conversations on how mental health and speech therapy intersect—guided by our own stories, genuine reflections, and clinical experiences.
The Mindful Speechies Podcast:
Instagram: @mindfulspeechies
Connect with Your Hosts:
Kizzy Searle
Andrew Watt
Enjoy the episode!