Episode 128: From Participant to Leader: Community Building in Aphasia Recovery – A Conversation with Sherry Lovellette
Release Date: 06/17/2025
Episode 141: Taking Charge After Stroke: Self-Determination and Recovery with Vivian Fu
Aphasia Access Conversations
Episode: 140 Taking Charge After Stroke: Self-Determination and Recovery with Vivian Fu In this episode you will discover: ● The Conversation Is the Intervention — A structured, facilitated conversation that centers a person's identity, hopes, and vision for their best day produces measurable improvements in quality of life and independence a year after stroke. Connection isn't soft — it's evidence-based. ● Reframe the Expert in the Room — Take Charge asks clinicians to resist offering advice, validation, or direction — and to trust that the person with...
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Episode 140: RAISING PPA assessment and treatment from the ground up: In conversation with Dr. Jeanne Gallée
Aphasia Access Conversations
Episode: 140 RAISING PPA assessment and treatment from the Ground Up: In Conversation with Jeanne Gallée In this episode you will discover: · Assessment and Intervention Aren't Separate — Conversation itself can double as both. By listening closely and responding to what a client offers, in a "more art than science" way, clinicians gather meaningful data and provide support at the same time, rather than treating these as two distinct phases of care. · Rigid Testing Can Erase the Person Behind the Diagnosis — Traditional standardized assessments...
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Episode 139: Behavioral Activation with Deena Schwen Blackett
Aphasia Access Conversations
In this episode, Lyssa Rome speaks with Deena Schwen Blackett, an assistant professor at the University of Central Florida and director of the Communication, Aphasia Recovery, and Emotion (CARE) Lab, about behavioral activation as a psychosocial intervention for people with aphasia. Deena describes what the intervention looks like in practice — from daily activity tracking to values-based goal setting across five life areas — and shares early findings on reductions in depression symptoms. The conversation also explores how behavioral activation aligns with the Life Participation Approach...
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Episode 138: When One Plus One Equals Three: A Conversation with National Aphasia Synergy
Aphasia Access Conversations
Episode 138 When One Plus One Equals Three: A Conversation with National Aphasia Synergy In this episode you will discover: 1. People with aphasia hold the map. At NAS, people with aphasia don't just have a seat at the table — they built the table. Real peer leadership changes everything about how an organization thinks and acts. 2. Recovery is about more than speech. The isolation and psychological distress that follow aphasia are just as real as the communication challenges — and just as deserving of attention and...
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Episode 137: Who Am I Now? Narrative Identity with Rianne Brinkman
Aphasia Access Conversations
In this episode you will discover: Identity Is Shaped in Interaction — Narrative identity forms and reforms through relationships and stories shared with others — making connection a core ingredient of recovery, not a bonus Visual Methods Unlock What Words Cannot — Collage-making, photos, and art give people with aphasia a pathway into identity work that talk alone can't always reach. Identity Reconstruction Is a Long Game — People continue navigating complex, shifting identities for years after stroke. Our systems need to follow them farther into that journey, not stop...
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Episode 136: Treating Discourse with Jessica Obermeyer
Aphasia Access Conversations
Interviewer info Lyssa Rome is a speech-language pathologist in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is on staff at the Aphasia Center of California, where she facilitates groups for people with aphasia and their care partners. She owns an LPAA-focused private practice and specializes in working with people with neurogenic communication disorders. She has worked in acute hospital, skilled nursing, and continuum of care settings. Prior to becoming an SLP, Lyssa was a public radio journalist, editor, and podcast producer. In this episode, Lyssa Rome interviews Jessica Obermeyer about group treatment...
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Episode 135: From Technical Manuals to Poetry: In Conversation with Mark Harder
Aphasia Access Conversations
This episode features Mark Harder, an individual with aphasia who has developed numerous programs to engage individuals with aphasia in returning to meaningful life activities. Mark shared his personal experience with aphasia following a stroke and heart attack, discussing his recovery journey and the role of poetry in his healing process. He described his involvement in various aphasia support initiatives, including poetry groups, conferences, and advocacy work. Mark's efforts to raise awareness and support others with aphasia have led to the creation of multiple programs and events,...
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Episode 134: Inner Speech and Aphasia with Mackenzie Fama
Aphasia Access Conversations
Lyssa Rome talks with Dr. Mackenzie Fama about the experience of inner speech for people with aphasia.
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Episode 133: Diversity Beyond Race with Jose Centeno
Aphasia Access Conversations
In this episode you will discover: Diversity Means Everyone - Race is just one piece. Consider how age, language, immigration status, religion, sexual orientation, and geography intersect to shape each person's experience with aphasia. Go Into the Community to Build Trust - Sustainable partnerships require leaving your institution and showing up consistently. Visit centers, share meals, and invest time where people gather. Trust develops gradually through authentic presence. Listen to Real-Life Struggles First - Before starting therapy protocols, hear what families actually face: shifted...
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Episode 132: Group Treatment with Dr. Liz Hoover
Aphasia Access Conversations
Lyssa Rome is a speech-language pathologist in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is on staff at the Aphasia Center of California, where she facilitates groups for people with aphasia and their care partners. She owns an LPAA-focused private practice and specializes in working with people with neurogenic communication disorders. She has worked in acute hospital, skilled nursing, and continuum of care settings. Prior to becoming an SLP, Lyssa was a public radio journalist, editor, and podcast producer. In this episode, Lyssa Rome interviews Liz Hoover about group treatment for aphasia. ...
info_outlineDr. Katie Strong of Central Michigan University has a vibrant conversation with Sherry Lovellette about how transitioning from participant to facilitator can accelerate personal recovery while creating meaningful support for others living with aphasia. They explore practical strategies for building and sustaining aphasia support communities both online and in-person, including how to adapt materials for different communication abilities and grow through authentic word-of-mouth connections. Sherry also shares how creative activities like quilting and sewing have served as powerful therapy tools for her cognitive rehabilitation and fine motor skills, while providing opportunities to teach others and build additional community connections. This inspiring conversation demonstrates that helping others is often one of the most powerful ways to continue your own recovery journey, embodying the Life Participation Approach to Aphasia by showing how meaningful roles as a leader, teacher, and community builder can flourish alongside ongoing recovery.