Now accepting new clients in West Los Angeles, CA! Contact us at (424) 330-8402 or emily@nurturespeechandlanguage.com to get started!
Nurture Speech and Language
Welcome
Nurture Speech and Language is a private practice based in Los Angeles, California, that provides individualized speech therapy to children ages 0-10. Our mission is to help children gain the developmental skills they need to communicate, learn, and thrive in their own unique way. At NSL, we value trust, integrity, and open-mindedness, which we strive to uphold in everything we do, from the first phone call to the completion of services.
NSL uses the latest research and evidence-based treatment approaches to help children learn to express themselves through play, mindfulness, and connection. We seek to enrich your child's language while nurturing their unique strengths, personality, and interests. NSL looks at each child as a whole person, and seeks to promote success in every area of their life-- whether it's making friends, asking for help at school, or enjoying family mealtime. We work closely with each family to form a strong relationship and involve you in the process every step of the way to ensure carryover of skills and create opportunities to have meaningful connections with your child.
We are certified In Talk Yoga™, which incorporates breathwork, movement, and play into speech therapy. We know from research that children learn and apply skills more effectively when body and mind are working together. Feel free to inquire more about Talk Yoga™ and our one-of-a-kind techniques!
Services
Free Consultations
A free 15-minute phone consultation to determine if speech therapy is right for your child. We also offer free screenings for preschools and daycares.
Evaluations
If needed, a full speech and language evaluation can be conducted to evaluate your child's unique strengths and needs and determine a treatment plan.
Speech Therapy
1-hour private speech and language services, delivered in your home, online (teletherapy), or at a community location such as a local park or daycare.
Yoga Classes
Coming soon! Please contact us to inquire further about Talk Yoga ™ individual and group classes.
Speech therapy includes...
Articulation
Articulation refers to the way we pronounce individual sounds. Sometimes, children have trouble producing one or more sounds which may impact how well they are understood by others. Articulation therapy helps to reduce sound errors in a child's speech while learning and practicing the correct production of sounds to improve overall intelligibility.
Fluency
Fluency refers to the smoothness and general flow of speech. Fluency therapy helps children who stutter or clutter gain control of their speech by teaching techniques to increase fluency, as well as address feelings and attitudes about stuttering. NSL practices a "total acceptance" approach to stuttering, where the goal is not necessarily to speak fluently, but to gain confidence and acceptance of one's speech through understanding and learning about stuttering.
Speech Delay
Every child is different, and sometimes children meet milestones at different times than what is considered the "norm." If you are concerned that your toddler is not yet talking, early intervention can help them meet their developmental milestones. NSL helps build the foundations for language through structured play and caregiver coaching.
Expressive/Receptive Language
Expressive language is what your child can say, and receptive language is what your child can understand. If your child is having difficulty with either of these areas, expressive and receptive language therapy can help to strengthen current skills and achieve new ones. Expressive and receptive language skills can include reading comprehension, grammar, sentence structure, planning/organizing, language processing, attention, following directions, and more.
Social Skills
Social skills are the way we communicate with others, both verbally and nonverbally. Eye contact, body language, tone of voice, staying on topic, asking questions, and making comments are all important elements of social skills. At NSL we help to foster social skills that allow your child's personality and strengths to shine through, while helping to build self esteem and confidence needed to form meaningful connections.
Parent Coaching
As a parent, you know your child better than anyone. Family involvement is an important part of speech therapy. Parent and family coaching can help you to learn more about speech and language development, as well as provide you with strategies to implement at home to supplement regular speech therapy sessions.
Location
In your home
Don't want to add another commute to your busy schedule? NSL offers in-home services at a time and day that is most convenient for you. We serve families in all of West LA -- Santa Monica, Westwood, Brentwood, Culver City, Century City, Venice, and Marina Del Rey.
Online
Research shows that teletherapy yields just as effective treatment outcomes as face-to-face therapy. Teletherapy is a convenient and preferable option for many families. We serve the entire state of California via online therapy using a HIPAA-compliant platform.
In your community
NSL provides the option for families in West LA to meet for therapy at a convenient, neutral community location. This can include your child's daycare or school, park, or library.
Meet Emily
Emily Coursen, M.S., CCC-SLP
Owner
Emily Coursen is the founder and owner of Nurture Speech and Language. Emily completed her undergraduate education at James Madison University and graduated with a bachelor's degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders. She then earned her masters degree at William Paterson University of New Jersey in Communication Disorders. She has been practicing for 3 years. She completed her Clinical Fellowship Year in the high school and adult transition setting. She then stayed in the school system for another year, working in an elementary school with students Pre-K-5, before she switched to working in private practice in 2020.
Emily started her private practice when she realized she could help children more effectively in an individualized, one-on-one setting. After incorporating Talk Yoga ™ techniques into her services with her current clients, she saw firsthand how effective movement and breathwork were at fostering engagement and connection with her clients. She decided to grow her practice to make yoga and speech therapy accessible to children of all ages and with all abilities.
Emily is passionate about holistic therapy that looks closely at the whole child-- involving your family in the speech therapy journey, tailoring therapy to your child's unique needs and personality, and using evidence-based practices to build your child's developmental skills. Keeping her practice intentionally small helps her to focus adequate time and energy on your child's progress.
Outside of speech therapy, Emily enjoys hiking, camping, yoga, reading, and spending time with her friends and family. She loves to travel and explore new places in California.
Certifications
How to get started
1.
Give us a call
Schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation to determine if services are needed.
2.
Develop a plan
Develop goals and a treatment plan based on your family's wants and needs.
3.
Start treatment
Speech therapy sessions begin at an agreed location, 1 or 2 times per week for at least three months.
Payment
Nurture Speech and Language Is currently private pay only, with the option to request a Super Bill for reimbursement from your insurance company (however, reimbursement is not guaranteed, depending on your family's private insurance). Payment is due at the time of services rendered unless otherwise stated in a written agreement. We accept cash, check, or credit card.
