Laura Worthen

Play is at the center of the work I do here as a speech language pathologist. Humans are designed to find fulfillment and creative growth through play. For young humans, 90% of learning happens during play. Play is engaging, motivating, invigorating; it demands verbal and non-verbal communication and social engagement. Play is fun, makes you feel good and stimulates your body and your brain. Play allows us to be fully in the moment, in the zone, we have “flow”. And our attention is heightened. It is at this time that the brain is most accepting of new ideas, new communication, new social cues and greater flexibility.

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As a speech therapist, I enjoy working with children of all ages who have challenges with communication. I am especially interested in serving young children and their families. I am committed to encouraging families to advocate for their kids and engage actively in all aspects of therapy. My clinical interests include social communication and emotional regulation, mindfulness, feeding issues, language and articulation concerns, voice disorders, and stuttering.   While in Japan for 5 months in 2011, following the Sendai earthquake and tsunami, I worked with both children and adults who stutter. I collaborated with my Japanese colleagues on traditional and alternative therapies.  

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I am married to Mark Harrison, a university professor and I have 2 teen-age children. I am an avid gardener, ride my bike as often as I can, I love to knit and I often find myself in the kitchen cooking up new creations for my family.