Workshops/Presentations

Kristin Chmela is an experienced and extraordinary speaker. She offers workshops and presentations to a wide range of audiences on a variety of topics related to fluency, stuttering, and general communication. She has been an invited speaker at engagements throughout North America and abroad as well. For a list of the currently scheduled presentations for the year, please see our news / events.

If one of the workshops or presentations listed below does not meet the needs of your group at this time, Kristin Chmela can create one based on your specific requests. She will carefully identify concerns, questions, and desired outcomes of the target audience in order to ensure a successful and meaningful learning opportunity for all participants.

Every workshop includes a practical handout, guided role play and partner practice, videotaped therapy examples, and time for questions. Workshops can be tailored to specific time frames.

For Speech-Language Pathologists
For Parents
For Organizations / Professionals
Keynote Presentations

For Speech - Language Pathologists back to top

Kristin Chmela has provided hundreds of workshops for speech-language pathologists working in all settings seeking to improve their ability to diagnose and treat individuals who stutter. Her rich clinical experience assists her in developing training opportunities in the area of stuttering that serve to meet the unique specifications of requesting groups. If you would like to talk about scheduling one of the following workshops or your idea for a presentation, please contact Kristin at 847-821-1237 x4 or .

1. Best Practice in Preschool Stuttering Therapy: Understanding & Utilizing Traditional Approaches and the Lidcombe Program

   This workshop focuses on doing what is best for the preschool child who stutters. Questions including stuttering verses normal disfluency, necessity of treatment, and types of treatment warranted are discussed. Myths and realities regarding both traditional and Lidcombe approaches to therapy are discussed. A problem solving strategy is utilized to make decisions regarding treatment.

2. Problem Solving Challenges in School-Age Stuttering Therapy

   This workshop goes beyond discussing fluency shaping and stuttering modification approaches to therapy. Participants actively engage in solving real clinical problems regarding school-age stuttering therapy. Understanding and utilizing a problem solving process provides the clinician with improved ability to help school-age children who stutter. Participants are asked to bring problems involving their own cases.

3. Counseling & Stuttering Therapy; Becoming the Best Clinician You Can Be

   This workshop provides an overview of important aspects of counseling in the area of stuttering. Clinicians are able to identify their own strengths as counselors in stuttering therapy and practice skills such as listening, validating, and encouraging both clients and parents. Strategies utilized in therapy to help children deal with negative feelings are reviewed and practiced. The focus of this workshop also provides an opportunity for clinicians to become better clinicians with all of their clients.

4. Successful Stuttering Therapy for Teens

   Stuttering therapy for teens can be challenging and frustrating. This workshop helps clinicians understand the nature of being a teen and relates aspects of development to challenges faced with stuttering. Successful therapy strategies are highlighted and practiced, leaving clinicians with renewed optimism when servicing this population of clients.

For Parents back to top

Kristin Chmela is dedicated to educating parents in order to make the most meaningful changes in the life of a child or adolescent who stutters. As such, she is available for workshops such as the one below or on a topic of your choice. She also directs a parent group, which meets monthly to learn about specific topics related to fluency, as well as speak with other parents of children who stutter. If you would like to talk about scheduling the following workshop or your idea for a presentation, please contact Kristin at 847-821-1237 x4 or .

Building Relationships with Children: Sharpening Your Communication Skills

This presentation helps parents of children focus on their own communication strengths and utilizes interactive practice to assist parents in developing better ways to talk and listen to their children. This workshop gives parents an opportunity to learn to "see" their children for who they really are and encourage them to become who they are capable of becoming by focusing on their personal communication skills.

For Organizations / Professionals back to top

Kristin Chmela provides public speaking / general communication counseling services to adults who would like to improve their communication skills in various settings, including the work-place. She is happy to discuss future options and develop a workshop that will meet the needs of your organization. If you would like to talk about scheduling the following workshop or your idea for a presentation, please contact Kristin at 847-821-1237 x4 or .

Communication is Everything

This presentation focuses on the importance of learning about ourselves as communicators, seeking to better understand what others are expressing, and speaking in a way that helps others understand our messages. Kristin’s sharing of personal experiences related to growing up with a communicative disorder highlight the important messages in this meaningful workshop, and participants have the opportunity to practice highlighted skills.

Keynote Presentations back to top

Kristin Chmela has been asked to give many keynote presentations at various functions. She will create a meaningful, energetic, passionate learning opportunity for participants of your group. Examples of selected keynote addresses for groups related to stuttering and general audiences are provided below. If you would like to talk about scheduling on of the following presentations or a new idea, please contact Kristin at 847-821-1237 x4 or kristin@cslclinic.com.

1. Sailing with Stuttering: The Dock, The Rope, and The Boat

   Target Audience: Teens and adults who stutter; parents of teens who stutter; clinicians

   This presentation focuses on the many stages a person may experience when coping with stuttering. Using an analogy of a dock, a rope, and a boat, Kristin shares personal experiences of being in denial of stuttering, the process of acceptance, and getting in the "boat of accountability". This meaningful presentation reaches individuals coping with any problem in life, not just stuttering.

2. Top Ten Thoughts on Growing Up Successfully with Stuttering

   Target Audience: School-age children who stutter; teens who stutter; parents of children who stutter; clinicians

   This highly interactive presentation stresses the Top Ten things a parent or school-age/teenage child can learn in order to grow up successfully with stuttering. The presentation involves team building activities and audience participation in order to highlight the Top Ten in an energetic and meaningful way. Personal stories of Kristin’s life growing up with stuttering are shared.