Our Team
Dr Michelle Swift, PhD
(she/her)
Senior Speech Pathologist & Clinical Director
Dr Michelle Swift has been providing speech pathology services for stutterers / people who stutter, clutter or have speech sound disorders since 2004. For the last 10 years she has taught speech pathology students in Australia and Canada and conducted research into treatments for stuttering. She completed her PhD in early childhood stuttering through the Australian Stuttering Research Centre, The University of Sydney in 2012, and undertook postdoctoral research with the Institute of Stuttering Treatment and Research, The University of Alberta in 2014/15.
Michelle works with stutterers/people who stutter or have speech sound disorders across all age groups. She is a strong believer in providing individualised treatment based on a client’s goals. For preschool children, Michelle has training in the Lidcombe Program, RESTART-DCM and Palin Parent-Child Interaction Therapy, as well as experience using the Westmead Program for stuttering, and experience with a range of approaches for treating phonological disorders and articulation errors for those children with unclear speech sounds.
Michelle has experience treating school-aged children with residual speech sound errors, stuttering and cluttering. For teenagers and adults who stutter, Michelle has training in The Camperdown Program, Smooth Speech and the ISTAR Comprehensive Stuttering Program and experience using stutter modification treatments. The treatments Michelle offers for school-aged children and adults include minimising the cognitive and social impacts of stuttering or the speech disorder on the individual as well as reducing the severity of the stutter or speech disorder if that is desired by the client. She has undertaken short-course training in CBT, ACT and Solution-focused Brief Therapy for children and adults who stutter.
Michelle works from the Glen Osmond office and via telehealth on Saturday mornings.
Eleanor Brasted
(she/her)
Speech Pathologist & Voice Coach
Eleanor has worked at Swift Speech since 2020. She is a graduate of the Flinders University Masters of speech pathology program and developed a passion for working with stutterers / people with stutter while on student placement at Flinders University Fluency Clinic. Eleanor is experienced in delivering Stutter Modification therapy and the Westmead and Camperdown therapy programs.
Eleanor has undertaken training in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Voice-craft, Lidcombe Program, RESTART-DCM and Palin Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (for preschool stuttering). She is constantly working to develop her professional learning and ways of creating positive learning opportunities for people with voice and communication difficulties.
Eleanor graduated with distinction in Musical Theatre from the Royal Academy of Music in London and has an interest in voice therapy, with a particular interest in psychogenic and functional voice disorders. Eleanor has shared her passion for voice through teaching singing for over 15 years as well as spending several years touring the world with musical theatre. Eleanor continues to work as a professional opera singer.
Her wealth of experience in the creative arts, including almost 15 years as a singing teacher, has informed her empathic and creative clinical style, which she combines with a strong evidence based approach. Eleanor is passionate about the collaborative nature of fluency and voice therapy involving the best available evidence, the clinician, and the goals of the client and their families.
Eleanor currently works from the Glen Osmond office on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. She additionally offers telehealth services on Tuesdays. Eleanor sees clients with stuttering, cluttering and voice disorders.
Anna Bouras
(she/her)
Speech Pathologist & Voice Coach
Anna has a Master of Speech Pathology from Flinders University and a Bachelor of Education (Middle & Primary with arts as specialist area) from the University of South Australia. She takes a holistic approach when planning voice and fluency therapy, making sure that the therapy has an impact on the client’s everyday life and social participation. She has a fun and creative clinical style which she combines with the best evidence-based practice to work with clients towards their goals.
Anna has completed training in School-aged Stuttering treatment through the Stuttering Treatment and Research Trust, New Zealand, and Lidcombe Program and RESTART-DCM training for preschoolers who stutter.
Anna is a singer who has been in original bands that have toured nationally and has a keen interest in vocal health and voice rehabilitation. She has clinical experience in private practice, schools and aged care conducting assessments and therapy for fluency, speech, language and social communication.
Anna works with clients who stutter, clutter or have voice disorders across all age groups. She also works with school-aged children and teenagers with speech sound and language difficulties. She has a particular interest in voice therapy including paediatric (kids) and gender diverse voices.
Anna currently works from the Glen Osmond office and via telehealth on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Bianca Wagnitz
(she/her)
Senior Speech Pathologist
Bianca has extensive experience working with stuttering and cluttering. She has been a Placement Educator for speech pathology students in a Fluency Disorders clinic and lectured in stuttering and cluttering to both Bachelor and Master of Speech Pathology students. Alongside Michelle, Bianca has published research into treatment outcomes from student-led stuttering clinics.
Bianca uses a range of stuttering therapies depending on the client’s needs. For preschoolers, she has completed training in the Lidcombe Program through the Lidcombe Program Trainers Consortium, RESTART-DCM and Early Childhood Stuttering Therapy: A Practical Approach with Dr Scott Yaruss. For older age groups she has attended Speech Pathology Australia workshops on Stuttering Management for Adolescent and Adult Populations, and Paediatric Fluency.
Bianca has a passion for working with stutterers / people who stutter and cluttering. She also sees school-aged children and teenagers with speech sound and language difficulties. Bianca works from the Glen Osmond office and via telehealth on Mondays, Fridays and Saturday mornings.
Julia Whittaker
(she/her)
Senior Speech Pathologist
Julia is passionate about providing holistic, client centred speech pathology services to people who stutter and clutter. Since graduating from the Masters of Speech Pathology Program at Flinders University in 2009, Julia has worked as a clinical educator and lecturer in fluency disorders for speech pathology students across both the Bachelors and Masters programs. She has also managed her own private practice working with people of all ages who stutter and clutter, and children with non-complex voice disorders. Alongside Michelle and Bianca, Julia has published research into clinical outcomes in a student lead fluency clinic.
Julia is trained in a variety of fluency therapy programs including the Lidcombe Program and RESTART DCM for preschool children, The Camperdown Program for adolescents and adults and the clinical application of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. She also has a wealth of experience using Stutter Modification therapy, Smooth Speech, The Westmead Program, CBT and Solution Focused Brief Therapy.
Julia is a jazz singer and songwriter, working regularly with a choir and vocal duet. Her love of music underpins her passion for authentic expression and lifelong learning. She strives to support people of all ages who stutter to nurture their authentic voice and foster social and cognitive well being (alongside increasing fluency where this is a client’s goal).
Julia currently works from the Brighton office on Wednesdays. She sees clients of all ages with stuttering and cluttering, and is also interested in adult accent modification and school age speech sound difficulties.