Welcome Brittney – the latest addition to our Speech Language Therapist team!

Brittney is a born and bred Invercargill girl who studied Speech and Language Pathology at the University of Canterbury, graduating in 2012. She worked for the Ministry of Education in Invercargill and Wellington, before heading to the UK to work as a locum speech language therapist.

She has now returned to Aotearoa and we were delighted to have her join the START team in October.  As an experienced speech language therapist, Brittney has worked with children and young people with a range of speech, language and communication needs.  Over time, she has developed a special interest in working with people who stutter. She has now been with us for almost two months and we’ve already seen the passion she brings to her practice. Over this time, Brittney has dedicated many hours to developing the specialist skills required to be an SLT for people who stutter.

On her experience with us so far, Brittney says “I’ve really enjoyed my first two months here at START. I’ve learnt more about the amazing work that START does, met many people who stutter and their families, and have felt very welcomed. Deepening my knowledge about stuttering, and the varied treatment options available has been stimulating and I look forward to continuing this journey.”

Brittney’s warmth, skills, experience and commitment to people who stutter stood out when she was interviewed for the position.  Janelle Irvine, our Executive Director said that when she first met Brittney she was struck by what a special person she was and how fortunate we were to have her join our team.

Brittney particularly enjoys working with people to help them build their confidence and abilities.  She is also aware that for many people, but particularly younger ones, family support is so important on their journey.  Brittney also has a broader interest in working with education professionals and others to make sure that people who stutter can be supported in the best possible ways.

As our SLT team grows, our organisation continues to flourish through fresh perspectives, new ideas, and the sharing of knowledge, so we are delighted to introduce Brittney to you as the latest addition to the team.

If you’re coming into START soon, make sure you say hi!