I was the clinical lead in acute stroke care in Dudley and have many years of experience in the NHS and private practice working with people who have had a Stroke or an acquired brain injury to help maximise their communication skills.

I am trained in the Lee Silverman Voice Technique (LSVT), a highly effective treatment programme to help improve the loudness and clarity of speech for people with Parkinson’s disease and other neurological conditions. For more information on LSVT visit www.lsvt.org.

Phoebe Dawkins is an engaging and persuasive therapist who put me at my ease and provided a really flexible, personal service. She is really pragmatic in her approach to therapy which made me feel much more confident about achieving results – which I am glad to say we did. I was delighted to have found such a likeable and professional therapist and I recommend her strongly.

Sir Peter Luff

Adults and Children with Learning Disabilities

I have worked and currently support children in special needs schools with profound and complex communication and swallowing needs. I work closely with other members of the MDT, family and teaching staff. I am trained in Eye Gaze technology, Tassels On-body Signing, Talking Mats, Objects of Reference, switches, PECS and other low-tech communication methods.

I run social skills groups for young people with learning difficulties to help them improve their identity, self-esteem and social interaction skills. I use Social Stories to help young people gain a greater understanding of their world and their place within it.

Amongst others, I have worked with children with Autism, cerebral palsy and Down’s syndrome.

I support adults with Learning Disabilities in a group home setting with communication and swallowing needs.

Transgender Voice Therapy

I have worked within the NHS with transgender clients helping them achieve a female sounding voice that they are comfortable with.

‘Phoebe’s enthusiasm and confidence in me has helped me achieve the female voice I have been searching for’  Jenny

Adults and Adolescents who stammer

I have had a mild stammer still early childhood and have worked hard to overcome my own communication difficulties to become a confident and fluent communicator. I have worked with teenagers and adults who stammer for many years and draw upon a wide range of skills and techniques to help people who stammer achieve greater freedom of speech and confidence in themselves as a communicator. I would say that I have a quite unique approach to stammering therapy, using traditional therapy techniques such an avoidance reduction and block modification therapy whilst also using therapy methods such as Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) to help people explore their emotions and beliefs about stammering in more detail and free themselves of negative thoughts and feelings about themselves.

Speech Therapy with Phoebe really benefited my confidence and the way in which I dealt with my stammer, and the speech techniques she taught me will stay with me forever. Sarah aged 19

Children with delayed or disordered speech and language difficulties

I have experience of working with children with articulation and speech difficulties and general language delay and disorders

Medico Legal Work

I undertake medico legal work for adults and children with communication and swallowing difficulties for court reports and tribunals.

How I work

I take referrals directly from clients, GP’s, solicitors, case managers and other health care professionals. I can see you in your own home or venue of choice, you can come to my home in Ashburton, Devon or we can work via Skype.

Payment
Fees for consultation, assessment and treatment should be paid on receipt of the relevant report and invoice.

Please contact me for a free initial phone consultation and to help you decide if I am the right person to work with you.