An Exploration of Mindfulness in Speech-Language Pathology

Abstract

For decades, mindfulness practices have been studied and applied across professions such as health care, business, education, law, and counseling as a means to reduce workforce stress and improve patient/client outcomes. Literature describing applications and outcomes of mindfulness has been growing in the field of speech-language pathology. While there is an abundance of work on treating fluency disorders as well as adult cognitive and language deficits, reports of the successful application of mindfulness techniques in the service area domain of voice are expanding. The purpose of this article is to describe mindfulness and how mindfulness techniques are currently being applied in the practice of speech-language pathology with clients as well as parents and caregivers of clients. Suggested mindfulness activities and means for measuring change in the context of speech therapy are described.