Confidence & clarity
Communication Coaching
Tailored one-to-one coaching to help you communicate with clarity, confidence and impact.
What it is
What is Communication Coaching?
Communication coaching is one-to-one, evidence-informed support for people who want to communicate more clearly, more confidently and more effectively - at work, in public speaking, in interviews, in professional relationships, or in everyday life. It is delivered by a qualified Speech and Language Therapist, which means the work is rooted in the science of voice, speech and communication - not generic performance coaching. Sessions are entirely tailored to you: your voice, your role, your audience, and the specific situations that feel stuck or high-stakes.
Communication coaching is for you if you're a professional whose voice tires or wobbles in meetings; a leader wanting more presence and clarity; a student, clinician or academic preparing for interviews, vivas or presentations; a neurodivergent adult wanting to build strategies for workplace communication; or simply someone who wants to speak with more ease and be genuinely heard. Coaching is strengths-based, practical and completely confidential.
Your experience
What you might be experiencing
You might be brilliant on paper and quiet in the room. You may know exactly what you want to say - until it's your turn to say it, at which point your voice tightens, your words scatter, or you find yourself over-explaining. Perhaps meetings feel like a performance you can't quite trust yourself to deliver, presentations sap your energy for days beforehand, and you leave interviews or difficult conversations replaying what you should have said. Many people describe a gap between the person they are inside their head and the one that other people meet at work - and it's exhausting to keep bridging it alone.
Coaching starts from the belief that this gap is a very normal, very fixable communication problem - not a personality flaw. Whether you're preparing for a specific event or simply want to be a more settled, confident communicator over time, we can look together at what's happening in your voice, your breath, your language and your mindset - and rebuild patterns that serve you rather than drain you.
The evidence
How speech therapy helps
There is strong evidence that structured communication training improves both objective performance and self-rated confidence. A meta-analysis by Ebner & Kiehl (2018) found that presentation and public speaking training produced significant reductions in speech anxiety and measurable gains in delivery quality across a wide range of adult learners. Coaching that combines voice work, breath control, structured messaging and cognitive-behavioural strategies for public speaking anxiety (as reviewed by Bodie, 2010) is particularly effective for high-stakes communication.
A Speech and Language Therapist brings something extra to coaching: understanding of how the voice and speech systems actually work, how habits form in the larynx, breath and articulators, and how to change them safely and sustainably. Alongside measurable gains in delivery, most clients report the biggest change in how they feel when speaking - calmer, clearer, more themselves.
~75%
of adults report significant anxiety around public speaking
Chapman University Fear Survey
Large
effect sizes for reduced speech anxiety after structured coaching
Ebner & Kiehl meta-analysis, 2018
6–10
sessions typical for a focused coaching block
Cornwall Speech Therapy typical caseload
Voice-led
SLT-delivered coaching draws on voice science, not generic presentation tips
RCSLT scope of practice
Your climb
Treatment structure
Coaching is designed like a guided ascent: base camp, then a steady climb through skill, practice and altitude - until the view from the summit becomes the new normal.
STAGE 01
Base camp
Discovery
A relaxed conversation about your goals, the situations that matter, and what “good” would look like for you.
STAGE 02
Kit check
Assessment
A focused look at voice, breath, pace, structure and language - with recordings and honest feedback.
STAGE 03
Ascent
Skill building
Practical work on voice production, message design, presence and managing performance anxiety.
STAGE 04
Ridge run
Practice
Simulated meetings, presentations or interviews - with real-time coaching and iterative refinement.
STAGE 05
Summit
Deployment
Take it live: the real event, the real audience - with a debrief and consolidation session afterwards.
Your appointment
What sessions look like with Claire
Sessions are one-to-one, 45–60 minutes, and completely confidential. Many combine voice and body work (breath, posture, resonance) with structured practice on the specific communication scenarios you want to master - a board presentation, a viva, a difficult 1:1, a wedding speech, a media interview. We often use short recordings to notice what's working and refine what isn't.
Between sessions you'll have small, targeted tasks that fit into a working week. Coaching can take place at Claire's home office in Falmouth or online via Zoom / Microsoft Teams - including bespoke packages around a specific event and lighter-touch ongoing coaching for leaders and professionals.
Continuing your progress
What happens after the programme?
Most clients leave a coaching block with a very concrete change: a presentation delivered, a promotion interview aced, a difficult conversation handled without losing their voice or their nerve. Just as importantly, they leave with a permanent shift in how they think about their own communication - from something that happens to them to something they can shape.
You'll finish with a personalised communication playbook - the voice and breath work that suits you, your best structures for different types of talk, and go-to strategies for managing performance anxiety. Some clients return for occasional top-ups around new roles, promotions, or big-stakes events.
Voices from clients
Feedback from sessions
“I can not state enough how Claire helped me regain my confidence and hope, with the ability of speech again. I would recommend Claire to anyone who needs any kind of help within her professional capacity.”
J.S.
“Claire combines exceptional clinical knowledge with a warm, approachable manner that enables her to build genuine therapeutic relationships. She has a remarkable ability to identify practical, meaningful communication strategies that translate into real improvements in everyday life.”
Emily Denny
Further reading
Additional Information
Where else to find information
The Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists and the British Voice Association both publish accessible guidance on professional voice use, communication and public speaking.
Bespoke packages
Claire offers bespoke short coaching packages around specific events - a keynote, a viva, an interview panel, a wedding speech - as well as ongoing coaching for leaders, clinicians and professionals.
Interested in communication coaching?
Get in touch to talk through what you're working towards, and whether a short coaching block or ongoing support would suit you best.
Frequently asked questions