M.S., CCC-SLP
Los Angeles, California
5.00 / 5 avg
To get started, schedule a free, 15-minute consultation with one of our speech therapists. We'll use this time to discuss your communication needs and treatment goals.
Schedule a free consultationHello! I'm Laura. I began my career in 1997 after graduating with my master’s degree from the University of Georgia. I volunteered in high school to assist foreign-born students in learning English. This sparked my interest in communication and assisting people with gaining confidence in expressing themselves. I have completed extensive research in the area of aphasia and authored multiple publications and presentations at the Clinical Aphasiology Conference. I began my career working with hearing-impaired students from pre-K to high school. I moved to Florida and worked in hospitals, skilled nursing, and pediatric clinics. I then moved to California, where I continue to work both remotely and in person at California Rehabilitation Institute. I have developed multiple programs to assist clients and complete training throughout the United States. I constructed a professional communication course to focus on confidence in communication and professional development, as well as a cognitive wellness program to focus on minimizing the impact of aging on cognition. I lean toward a holistic therapeutic approach and am always impressed and fascinated by my clients’ perseverance and desire to improve.
California
Florida
Ohio
English
B.S. - University of Central Florida
M.A. - University of Georgia
Accent Modification
Acquired Apraxia
Adult Articulation
Adult Dysphagia
Adult Fluency/Stuttering
Adult Social-Pragmatics
Aphasia
Autism Spectrum Disorder
Dysarthria
Executive Functioning
Parkinson’s
Pediatric Articulation/Phonological Disorder
Pediatric Receptive-Expressive Language Disorder
Professional/Public Speaking
Traumatic Brain Injury
Golfing, aerial arts, drawing, reading, and animal training.
All reviews have been submitted by patients after seeing the provider.
Your trust is our top concern, so we will never alter or remove reviews. We also don't publish reviews that contain any private patient health information.
Laura is always very kind, incredibly knowledgeable, and a very empathic listener. She always gives me something to be mindful of that I can take with me from each session. I'm really enjoying working with her.
G.S./Apr 23, 2023
Laura Thorburn has always been very patient, kind and helpful to my father during his speech therapy sessions.
R.G./Apr 23, 2023
This was my first session with my therapist and I really enjoyed it. We spent time practicing some techniques and exercises that I can work on until our next appointment. I loved that I was able to read her evaluation report ahead of our meeting. That was the first time I've ever been able to read notes someone has taken on me and it was more helpful than you could imagine - especially for something like this. I was able to see how my answers to her questions in the evaluation were perceived and her interpretation/evaluation of what I needed help with. Funny enough, as a part of the evaluation I learned that I am able to process information better when I'm reading it versus just hearing it out loud so being able to read my report was helpful as opposed to just hearing it during my session today. I'm glad that there are documents and baselines for where I'm starting so I can track my progress along the way.
J.S./Apr 14, 2023
How patient and kind she is
L.G./Sep 1, 2022
Extremely helpful
A.C./Jun 2, 2022
Helped out a lot with tips and these classes for My son and has helped him improve with his speech.
V.C./May 17, 2021
At Expressable, all individuals and families are matched with a licensed speech therapist that's experienced to their specific area of need. You'll receive expert help from a talented, caring, and compassionate speech therapist invested in you or your child's communication success.
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Private payHSA/FSA Major insurance plansCommunication is one of our most vital, life-long skills. Speech therapy can help children reach communication milestones appropriate for their age; clearly articulate their thoughts, feelings, and ideas; comprehend the language of others; and develop socially. It also contributes to their academic success and emotional well-being. Plus so much more!
The first step is to schedule an evaluation with a speech therapist. They’ll assess your child’s communication development and make a professional recommendation as to whether your child could benefit from speech therapy.
There is no minimum age. Communication skills begin developing in infancy. Building strong language skills in very young children can set the foundation for strong communication and literacy skills later on. Speech therapy is particularly important for children who aren’t reaching age-appropriate communication milestones, or who are experiencing difficulties such as stuttering or a lisp. Because speech and language patterns become more ingrained over time, the earlier speech errors can be corrected, the better the outcomes are likely to be.
The duration of speech therapy is different for everyone, and it depends on several factors. This includes the type of speech disorder or communication challenge, the frequency of speech therapy sessions, how often you and your child practice the skills taught in speech therapy at home, your child’s age, any underlying medical conditions, and more.
Most children love online speech therapy! Many become more attentive with online learning, and they prefer the interactivity of online exercises and communication. Plus, there are many effective strategies that speech therapists use to engage children online. Expressable’s model of care also focuses on the most important component of improving children’s speech and language skills: the involvement of their parent or caregiver. When parents are actively involved in their child’s care, that leads to faster progress. Our therapists work directly with caregivers to teach them techniques and strategies they can use in their child’s everyday life.
Speech therapy sessions are focused on each client’s care plan, and the activities done during sessions always relate to those goals. So, if a person is in speech therapy to better pronounce the /s/ sound, they’ll begin by learning how to make the sound by itself and work up to practicing it in conversation. Or if someone wants to improve the quality of their voice, their speech therapist will teach them appropriate breathing and vocal exercises. The therapist will aim to do as many trials of each exercise as possible, in order to make the most of each session.
Your speech therapist will constantly be measuring and assessing your response to these exercises. When needed, they’ll make changes to your treatment plan to help you make progress as quickly as possible. Regardless of your goals, your speech therapist will always provide practice activities to complete at home between sessions.
Expressable currently accepts many of the largest insurance companies, and we’re actively working on contracting with new plans across the country. We also offer affordable private pay options and accept HSAs/FSAs for those who do not have insurance coverage or prefer to pay out-of-pocket.
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