Leigh Carrico Mann, MS, CCC-SLP, is the founder of Sound Effects Speech Therapy. Bringing more than 10 years’ experience in the field of speech-language pathology, Leigh made the leap to private practice in 2014. Her background includes work with more cosmetic speech issues (such as helping an Austrian singer sound like a native English speaker on a recording) as well as the medical arena of practice: swallowing disorders, tracheostomies, and problems with speech, language and cognition related to brain injuries or other medical complications.
Leigh incorporates a natural gift with languages into her SLP practice. She speaks fluent German and French, and basic conversational Spanish. This ability came in handy while working in Queens, where her hospital patients represented all continents except Antarctica. She is a natural mimic, and translates this ability into helping clients bridge the gap between the way they speak now and their speech goals. Prior to entering the field of speech-language pathology, Leigh spent 2 years working in Austria (as a nanny, English teacher… and bartender), where adventures included performing voice-overs on the afore-mentioned recording. After returning to her native Kentucky, she completed a market research internship at the World Trade Center’s Louisville branch and then worked in publishing and for an international medical supplies distributor as a buyer. This business background also informs her approach to coaching corporate communication clients.
Because the act of speaking involves the “heart and soul” of a person as much as the physical body, Leigh also incorporates principles of mind-body medicine into her approach to speech therapy and coaching. This may include things like encouragement to try yoga outside of our sessions (for biofeedback about breathing and to improve posture), meditation techniques or stress management. Leigh has also trained in complementary modalities such as the John Barnes method of myofascial release and Reiki, or energy healing.
Most of all, the goal is always to empower the client to discover what uniquely works best for them on the journey to become a confident, polished speaker or to regain speech and swallowing function, to maximize a person’s independence and quality of life. This is a dynamic, ever-changing process, different every single time.