The Benefits

It is no secret that most of the public sectors within the UK are struggling due to limited resources. At this time, current NHS Speech and Language Therapy departments are no exception, and find themselves under increasing pressure due to budget cuts and staff shortages. This means that although you might be able to visit your GP and request a referral, you may be placed on a waiting list and have to wait a long time until you are offered an appointment. For a person with a communication disorder, this increased length of time waiting to be seen can pose a huge setback to achieving maximum therapy gains. This is particularly the case for stroke patients, whereby the first 3 months after a stroke are vital for maximum recovery and when patients will see the most improvements of their symptoms. The importance of time and recovery in the brain’s ability to rewire itself post-injury (neuroplasticity) is also well documented in the literature.

Longer-term therapy with regular reviews of your progress allows for more time to work on the speech and language impairments and achieve greater therapy gains. It also means the therapist has more time to spend with you, allowing you to learn new coping skills and techniques to better manage the symptoms associated with your diagnosis. Particularly as research has shown it is not the specific therapy approach used which results in successful therapy, but specifically the rapport that is built between the therapist and client.

After an initial assessment in the NHS, most patients are offered either 6 or 12 therapy sessions, during which time it is hoped that their symptoms will improve. Is this enough? It is difficult to determine how many sessions are needed to achieve maximum therapy gains, and this will vary amongst individuals. Even so, the research shows us that positive therapy outcomes are highly influenced by both the intensity of an intervention and the ingredients that make up that intervention. Simply put, it is more the quality of the intervention provided that produces the best results, not the overall volume of sessions.

Conversely, whilst long-term therapy may be a great option for some, others might feel they only require a short amount of intervention to help target a specific impairment. Despite which option you choose; private speech and language therapy can be life changing. You can discuss your requirements with the speech and language therapist who will ensure these open discussions take place as part of maintaining duty of care to you.

Some people choose to see a therapist privately because it provides them with greater separation from the rest of their life, offering greater privacy outside of organisations such as GP surgeries and NHS services. In this way, seeing a therapist who has no relationship to existing aspects of your life may give you the 'right separation' that you need to experience and understand clearly, the concerns that you wish to address in therapy, which you may not want to share with other individuals or services. For example, we have treated high-profile clients who are currently active in the media, and have chosen not to be seen by NHS services and share records. 

Lastly, organisations such as the Health and Care Professionals Council (HCPC) set standards for therapeutic practice. By checking that your therapist is accredited by them, you’ll have assurance that you’ll receive a service that meets their standards (respecting client confidentiality for example). 

In sum, the above reasons are just some of many which highlight why you may wish to choose a private therapist. To make it worthwhile for you, it is important to make a careful investment, so take some time searching online and speaking to therapists before making your decision. 

If you’re ready to start your private speech therapy journey, contact Walk the Talk using our contact form.
 

We look forward to hearing from you!
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