Meet Bailey V. Levis, M.S., CCC-SLP
I focus on the unique strengths of each individual and family I work with.
I will support you in making the changes you want to make.
I am here to support you in empowering yourself.
I am a Bay Area native who grew up in Berkeley, California. I developed a strong interest in stuttering in my early 20s when I began to ask questions about why I stutter. I was fascinated (and frustrated) by the disorder and the impact it had on my life. I came to the field of Speech-Language Pathology by way of Neuroscience and Cognitive Science and genetic research into the causes of stuttering. I became interested in working with people who stutter in 2007 and graduated from San Francisco State University with a Master of Science in Communicative Disorders in 2011. I started West Coast Stuttering Center, the Bay Area’s first and only specialty practice for stuttering, in order to create a support hub for people who stutter in the Bay Area. In addition to my private practice, I also value my role as an educator and have taught fluency courses to undergraduate and graduate students at San Francisco State University and California State University East Bay.
My Approach to Stuttering Therapy
I believe in an integrated approach to working with clients who stutter. I recognize that therapy is not a one-size-fits-all approach and use a relational and naturalistic approach when providing speech and stuttering therapy. This means that I highly value the relationship that I develop with each client and that I aim to incorporate our work together into everyday life. I have extensive training working with individuals who stutter of all ages and backgrounds. We work together to tailor your sessions to meet your needs.
I believe in supporting clients and their families in every aspect of stuttering, including fears, anxieties, negative thoughts, and emotions as well as teaching fluency strategies. Whatever stops you or your child from being able to communicate with confidence, I am here to support you in overcoming those hurdles. Some challenges can be intimidating, but together, we can vanquish fears and achieve great heights.
Evidence-Based Approaches Applied to Stuttering Therapy
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Palin Parent-Child Interaction – An evidence-based intervention for pre-school children who stutter that focuses on teaching you, the parent, to provide intervention at home in easy-to-follow 5-minute playtime activities.
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Lidcombe Program – Evidence-based stuttering treatment for preschool-age children.
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PROMPT – A highly effective, evidence-based approach to children with a wide range of speech sound disorders.
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Avoidance Reduction Therapy for Stuttering (ARTS) – A fantastic approach to stuttering therapy that helps you do more of what you want to do and reduce the struggle and tension that is often associated with stuttering. Ultimately my goal is for you to communicate without fear of stuttering in any and all situations you desire.
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Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT Tapping) – A therapeutic approach aimed at reducing the fears and anxieties of stuttering and communicating. EFT Tapping incorporates components of counseling with acupressure to help the brain change it's stress response to feared situations. Click here to learn more about it how I incorporate EFT in my stuttering therapy.
I also incorporate aspects of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).
In The Media
48Hills.org
“Proud people who stutter hold event to mark first awareness week in SF”
Check out this great article about our press conference to honor Stuttering Awareness Week in San Francisco, the first CA city to do so.
Proud Stutter Podcast
Bailey talks with Maya Chupkov and Cynthia Chin on their podcast, Proud Stutter. Check out Season 1, Episode 6 which aired on 12/31/2021. Here’s a link to the episode. You can also find it wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.
KPFA, Berkeley – Pushing Limits
Bailey talks with Adrienne Lauby and Josh Elwood at KPFA, shares personal stories, and answers questions about stuttering. The episode aired on 11/6/2020.
"Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much."
~ Hellen Keller