Today we’d like to introduce you to Becca Grussgott.
Hi Becca, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’ve always been passionate about helping people, so it was a natural fit for me to study to become a speech and language pathologist. I received my undergraduate degree from the University of Colorado, Boulder. At CU is where I first became interested in stuttering. It was there that I had a professor who stuttered who taught one of my courses. I found the details he shared about his own experience growing up with a stutter to be extremely intriguing. Stuttering is a neurologic trait that can impact a person’s life in profound ways. Things are not always as they seem. I find its complex and multidimensional nature compelling.
I continued my education, and received my Master’s degree in Speech Language Pathology from Hofstra University. This is the time where I honed in on my desire to work with people who stutter. After receiving my Master’s degree, I completed an extensive fellowship year in New York with one of the top stuttering specialists in the country before joining his practice. While working closely together, I learned to integrate heart and mind while establishing meaningful relationships with people of all ages who stutter.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I worked in the New York City public school system for two years and the bureaucracy wasn’t a good fit for me. This led me to focus on private practice work and solely on stuttering.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My approach is collaborative, personalized and whole-person based. The top goal is to support and empower individuals to speak with greater ease and help them experience a sense of enhanced freedom and effectiveness, stutter or no stutter.
Including the client’s family is integral to my approach and sets me apart from the typical model. Most certainly with preschool, school-aged and teenage children, but also with my adult clients. I find that this way of working is most effective and efficient. Not only that, it can be a project that bonds and empowers.
Many speech therapists are weary of working with people who stutter. There can be uncomfortable and dark feelings to work through and there’s a real potential to hurt someone if therapy is mishandled. The very reason why most speech therapists run from stuttering is the reason why I run towards it; its compelling and complex nature suits me and my strengths. I am dedicated to facilitating a transformative journey for my clients, with professionalism, warmth, compassion and practical problem solving. This is my passion and I look forward to many more years of helping people achieve their speech dreams.
I’m also involved in the National Stuttering Association, which is a self- help support group that offers many different resources for people who stutter and their families. I am the chapter leader for the adult group that meets in Lenexa every other month. Many people who stutter spend their whole lives not knowing anyone else who shares their experience. Local NSA chapter meetings are often the first opportunity people have to meet others who stutter.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
As with so many other fields, the role of AI will increase greatly, but I’m such a strong believer in the importance of human connection in the therapy room. Successful treatment outcomes are not just about learning technicalities, it’s about creating a caring relationship of mutual respect and trust between therapist and client. It is this relationship that makes the project thrive.
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