Interprofessional Collaboration
Hello,
My name is Maggie Ritchie, and I am currently a second-year graduate student studying speech-language pathology. I have a question regarding interprofessional collaboration and counseling when treating people who stutter. At what point do you typically refer a client to a mental health professional, e.g. a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), for possible co-occuring concerns like anxiety or depression? Additionally, have you had the opportunity to work alongside a mental health professional as a speech-language pathologist? In graduate student, we learn a great deal about the collaboration with physical therapy and occupational therapy, but far less about navigating the boundary between SLP scope counseling and referring out for mental health care. Thank you for your time!
Best Regards,
Maggie Ritchie
Hi Maggie,
thank you for your question. I work in Germany and the problem there is that the counsellors, psychologists and mental health people do not have experience in working with people who stutter. If I think a client has problems that moght need those professions it does not have to do with stuttering but can support, it is okay to refer them or give them the advice. But if it comes to problems that result from their stuttering I am lucky to have had training to help the client myself (for a big part).
I hope this answers your question from my side. I hope some more professionals can share their experiences from other countries.
Manon
Hello Manon,
Thank you so much for your insight and I appreciate the information. It helps greatly to see the perceptive from an SLP in a different country. Have a great day!
Best,
Maggie
Hi Maggie!
Thank you so much for your question. It’s a really relevant and important one.
Working with professionals from other fields can be very helpful in some situations. Often, someone may also get more out of speech-language therapy if they’re receiving support from, for example, a psychologist at the same time. It can be a real plus if the psychologist has experience working with people who stutter, though that isn’t always essential. I think that good personal fit matters, too.
There are a few reasons why working across professions can be extra helpful. Sometimes, a person who stutters is already seeing a psychologist. Since conversation is the psychologist’s main tool, talking can feel especially difficult for some who may stutter severely and who has to put in a lot of physical effort to speak. In that situation, it can be helpful to have support from a psychologist alongside speech-language therapy.
It can also make sense to involve a psychologist when someone is experiencing significant anxiety and/or depression. I work with a few psychologists I know and trust, who I’ve seen relate to people who stutter in a respectful and genuine way. It can become a win-win for everyone involved, with all parties getting more out of working together. This is most often relevant for teenagers and adults.
Finally, I’d also like to point out that conversation is often one of the tools we speech-language therapists use when working with people who stutter. I agree with Manon’s reflections: those of us with many years of experience in this field can be an important ally for each person we are collaborating with.
These are just a few thoughts on the subject. There’s a lot more that could be said, but I’ll leave it here.
Best wishes,
Hilda
Hilda,
Thank you so much for your thoughtful reply! I appreciate getting the opportunity to see this aspect of speech-language pathology from your point of view. I know this information will be extremely beneficial to have during graduate school and my future career.
Best regards,
Maggie