About Us
Speech Therapy & Associates is a private practice that offers a wide range of speech language therapy services for adults and children. We offer clinic-based intervention as well as community visits within Auckland and Hibiscus Coast/Rodney up to Warkworth.
Our Team
Patty Govender
Bachelor of Speech and Language Therapy (Honours) (UDW, South Africa)
Masters of Philosophy (Second Language Studies) (passed cum laude) (Stellenbosch University, South Africa)
Patty is the founder and director at Speech Therapy & Associates. She has over 15 years of combined experience working with adults and children within a variety of settings such as kindergartens, schools, hospitals, clinics. She has a special interest in adult neurology, having studied and worked extensively with adults with swallowing and communication difficulties after strokes and traumatic brain injury. She is a full member of the NZ Speech Therapist’s Association (NZSTA).
Patty earned her Bachelor of Speech and Hearing Therapy degree (honours) from the University of Durban Westville in South Africa. She worked both as a speech language therapist and audiologist for several years in South Africa. Her Masters degree which she passed with distinction, was in General Linguistics with a focus on second language studies, was from Stellenbosch University in South Africa.
Patty moved to New Zealand in 2002 where she took up a position in Gisborne. In 2005, she started Speech Therapy Associates upon moving to Auckland.
She has been involved in student training for nearly ten years. She has been involved in part-time lecturing and clinical education at the Speech Language Therapy program at Massey University in Auckland.
Due to Patty's extensive range of experience with adults and children, she is often sought after to provide supervision, mentoring and support to other speech language therapists around New Zealand. She has a wide range of networks to assist and support clients, their families and other speech therapists.
Masters of Philosophy (Second Language Studies) (passed cum laude) (Stellenbosch University, South Africa)
Patty is the founder and director at Speech Therapy & Associates. She has over 15 years of combined experience working with adults and children within a variety of settings such as kindergartens, schools, hospitals, clinics. She has a special interest in adult neurology, having studied and worked extensively with adults with swallowing and communication difficulties after strokes and traumatic brain injury. She is a full member of the NZ Speech Therapist’s Association (NZSTA).
Patty earned her Bachelor of Speech and Hearing Therapy degree (honours) from the University of Durban Westville in South Africa. She worked both as a speech language therapist and audiologist for several years in South Africa. Her Masters degree which she passed with distinction, was in General Linguistics with a focus on second language studies, was from Stellenbosch University in South Africa.
Patty moved to New Zealand in 2002 where she took up a position in Gisborne. In 2005, she started Speech Therapy Associates upon moving to Auckland.
She has been involved in student training for nearly ten years. She has been involved in part-time lecturing and clinical education at the Speech Language Therapy program at Massey University in Auckland.
Due to Patty's extensive range of experience with adults and children, she is often sought after to provide supervision, mentoring and support to other speech language therapists around New Zealand. She has a wide range of networks to assist and support clients, their families and other speech therapists.
Cassandra Sampson
Bachelor of Speech Language Pathology (Honours) University of Canterbury Cassandra began her career working as a speech and language pathologist in schools on the Navajo Reservation in Arizona, USA where she spent a year working in various schools with children from age 3, through to high school. Since beginning with Speech Therapy Associates in July, 2015, Cassandra has enjoyed working alongside a great team of professionals while being involved with the assessment and intervention of children and adults with communication and swallowing difficulties. She has worked with communication difficulties associated with aphasia, dysarthria, apraxia and cognitive-communication disorders following brain injury and stroke, as well as developmental speech and language delay.Cassandra’s area of interest is around child language, as well as running group programs to educate both parents and teachers on communication strategies to aid children’s speech and language development. In her spare time Cassandra enjoys spending time at the beach, adventuring, rock climbing and spending time with friends. Michele Danneels
We are delighted to announce that Michele recently joined our team. Michele is well known to the North Shore and wider community having worked here for over 15 years. More information on Michele to follow. |
Some of our Past Associates
Renee Taylor
Masters of Speech Language Therapy (University of Auckland, Auckland)
Bachelor of Arts majoring in Psychology
Renee worked with children in Early Intervention, as part of our contracting team. We were sad to see her leave when she assumed a position working in the community with adults.
Bachelor of Arts majoring in Psychology
Renee worked with children in Early Intervention, as part of our contracting team. We were sad to see her leave when she assumed a position working in the community with adults.
Courtenay Elder
Bachelor of Speech and Language Therapy (Massey University, Auckland)
Courtenay worked with us for approximately two years, providing assessment and intervention to adults and children with communication and swallowing difficulties. She currently lives and works in the Bay of Plenty area.
Courtenay worked with us for approximately two years, providing assessment and intervention to adults and children with communication and swallowing difficulties. She currently lives and works in the Bay of Plenty area.
Ana Jones
Bachelor of Speech and Language Therapy (Massey University, Auckland)
Ana Jones was part of our team for two and a half years. She hales from Northland and holds a Bachelor of Speech and Language Therapy from Massey University. Ana has experience working with adults and children, in a variety of settings. She left Speech Therapy Associates to take up a full time position within the Ministry of Education. We are happy to have a continued association with Ana, albeit now a more social one.
Ana Jones was part of our team for two and a half years. She hales from Northland and holds a Bachelor of Speech and Language Therapy from Massey University. Ana has experience working with adults and children, in a variety of settings. She left Speech Therapy Associates to take up a full time position within the Ministry of Education. We are happy to have a continued association with Ana, albeit now a more social one.
Victoria Green
Bachelor of Speech and Language Therapy (Massey University, Auckland)
Victoria was part of our team on and off, over a few years. She provided locum cover in Patty Govender’s absence. Victoria has experience with adults with neurogenic commication disorders and dysphagia (swallow difficulties) and has worked at in London and Auckland. She recently relocated to the Bay of Plenty region but continues to be supportive of the Speech Therapy Associates family from a distance.
Victoria was part of our team on and off, over a few years. She provided locum cover in Patty Govender’s absence. Victoria has experience with adults with neurogenic commication disorders and dysphagia (swallow difficulties) and has worked at in London and Auckland. She recently relocated to the Bay of Plenty region but continues to be supportive of the Speech Therapy Associates family from a distance.
