The Yes You Can Speak program was amazing. In only four 90 minute sessions, CORE Repatterning…read morehelped me feel 100% released from the traumas that have been holding me back. Before the program I had a challenging time speaking my truth from my heart with people I felt might not be safe. Now I can have difficult conversations with an open heart rather than needing to be protective or defensive. My general confidence has improved immensely, and so has ability to pause instead of saying "um," my vocal variety and use of hand gestures. I love how deep it was, especially the part where we connected with our core values and spoke from that place of authenticity. It's powerful! This program is not at all just about public speaking, it's about giving you tools and techniques to live a much fuller life whether you're with an authority figure, a team, in an interview, on stage, or with a loved one . I loved it so much, I just asked Lynn, "What will it take to be part of your team?"

I never feared public speaking, I feared speaking without preparation. I felt confident when I had…read moretime to think things through, but if I was calleyyd on spontaneously, I froze. My inner critic would chime in: "You're rambling! You're not making sense! Hurry up!" And just like that, I'd lose my train of thought and sound anything but clear or confident. As someone pursuing speaking more seriously, I knew I had to get past this. I joined a local Toastmasters club, which helped with structure and delivery techniques, but it didn't get to the root. I didn't need to memorize a speech. I needed to feel confident grabbing the mic with no idea what I'm going to say, and still pack a punch with my message. I met Lynn when she stopped by my local Toastmaster club as a guest speaker. By the end of her workshop, I was speaking freely, no notes, no rehearsals. In less than an hour, she got me to trust myself, and my message came across clear and resonate. So, I joined her Level 1 course. I'll be honest, at first, I was hesitant. The exercises were simple, even a little "woo-woo" and I doubted if it would really change me. We practiced looking in the mirror to say affirmations. We marched around chanting, "I don't know what I'm going to say, but it's going to be great!" and various other fun things! But it worked. Week by week, those small practices paired with real speaking challenges rewired my brain. This class brought me to tears countless times. In 4 weeks, I grew more confident, more self-assured. For the first time, I believed that I could do this. I could trust that I knew what I wanted to say and didn't have to rely on perfect preparation to say it, and say it well. Lynn created an extremely safe, low-pressure container, that feels easy to do, yet the internal shifts and changes are monumental. Everyone in the class went from unsure, to confident. Our last session was so powerful. The new-found authority in the room was palpable. It also happened to fall on my birthday. The group, who by then felt like family, surprised me with a cake and a song. So nice! Lynn teaches from the heart. Her approach gently unearths the root of fear. A month later, I'm still applying what I learned. I'm leading meetings more clearly, toasting at dinner, raising my hand to speak, looking myself in the mirror with kindness before judgement, and, most importantly, trusting myself more than ever. If you want to uncover what's holding you back and try simple yet powerful tools to break through it, Lynn's class is a safe and transformative place to start. I highly recommend!

I highly recommend Mia for all your acting/voice needs. She is great! She brings to the session her…read moreyears of experience in acting and voice overs and provides a wealth of knowledge to her pupils. I appreciate her approach in aiding people into finding their inner voice and help them to project that with confidence. She has worked with all age groups, from youth to adults, and from many backgrounds. She is very approachable and makes the whole process fun and enjoyable! Whatever your experience is currently, she can help you improve your skills! Give her a call or, better yet, check out her website!

I started working with Mia two years ago and still use things from our first few sessions literally…read moreevery week of my life. She has helped me find my voice, my confidence, powerful grounding through connection to my body and the earth, and of course, techniques to put all of this into practice. Mia is warm and caring and extremely knowledgeable. If you are looking to step into your next level of excellence, I highly recommend starting to work with Mia today.

Sam has been an incredible help in my career and in my personal life. She coaches with the perfect…read morecombination of empathy, intelligence, curiosity and pragmatism. Sam handles big and small: from communication in meetings and presentations to rethinking your career. Sam highlights what matters. She'll prompt you to think about big changes in achievable steps. If things get tough or you start to fall back into old patterns she'll help you recognize the pattern and move past it. She genuinely cares about the people she works with and it shows.

Sam has been a before and after for both my personal and professional life. Coming from another…read morecountry where English is not the first language has been somehow challenging, and I have struggled at communicating feedback, decisions, or stories because I felt very self-doubtful. After several sessions, I noticed that we weren't tackling specifically that, but many other aspects of how I talk, the words I use, why I say the things I say, among other things, that all indirectly were adding or affecting me in many other ways, but super related to my insecurities. Sam has helped me feel more confident with myself and with my inner voice (no pun intended). I have become more mindful of the words I use, in a natural way. I can't stress enough how much Sam has impacted me personally and professionally. So grateful to have met her!

STPS has been a god send for us. We've been utilizing STPS for 2 years now and have seen great…read moreimprovement in our son's sensory needs. Lauren has been instrumental in teaching us and teaching Miles how to listen to his body in order to gain regulation skills he could not access previously. I cannot express how blessed we are to have STPS and especially Lauren in our son's corner. We just started using their BT services - Vivian has been amazing and understands our son so well. They've also been instrumental in getting our son well regulated in a higher demand environment where is being academically challenged to his actual abilities (above grade level). Do not look any further, STPS has amazing professional clinical staff who know kids and have a naturalistic implementation of their therapies.

Excellent care for your child's needs! We cross a bridge to come here at it is WORTH it! I was…read morelooking for OT for my child and it has been very difficult to find a company. Skilled Therapy Play Services allows us access to in-person services, personalized treatment plans, and so much practical home advice! They also have ABA services! I can't express how much my child has improved with the addition of OT and I highly recommend their company to any family looking for services for their child.

I took Improv 101 with Don last December, and it was genuinely one of the best classes I've taken…read more I work in a corporate environment and I speak at events regularly, but this class still pushed my communication skills to a new level. Don is an outstanding teacher - funny, sharp, and incredibly good at helping people communicate with clarity and confidence. You can tell he has real experience coaching executive communication (including in tech environments like Google), and he brings that same practical, high-impact approach to improv. Before this class, I didn't realize how much improv can unlock - imagination, acting, presence, and even emotion. Don breaks it down in a way that's easy to apply right away. You learn how to truly listen to your partner and build a scene using simple principles like: who you are, where you are, and what you're doing. He also creates a supportive, high-energy environment that makes it easy to participate. Everyone was engaged, willing to jump in, and genuinely fun to work with--and it was just as fun to watch others grow throughout the class. If you want a class that can meaningfully improve how you communicate--at work and at home--this is it. I'm already looking forward to taking Improv 201 the next time Don offers it nearby. Thanks, Don!

I took Don's public speaking class and improved a lot of my stance and gestures in my speech. The…read moreclass is very interactive and encouraging. Highly recommended for people who are interested in sharpening their public speaking skills.

My daughter has been taking public speaking and debates class for couple of years now. It has been…read morean amazing experience for her. From the very first day, Larry created a fun and engaging environment where my daughter felt comfortable and confident participating. She loves to research the topics for her debates. Larry typically picks something that is current and interesting for his students. Larry is an exceptional teacher who truly has a gift for bringing out the best in each and every student. Under his guidance, my daughter has developed a strong sense of self-assurance in her public speaking abilities and honed her debate skills. Larry is extremely knowledgeable about the subject matter and has a unique ability to explain complex ideas in a way that is both engaging and easy for students to grasp. His dynamic teaching style, sense of humor, and high energy level make the lessons enjoyable and memorable for students. Recently my younger daughter started taking lessons with teacher Larry and the outcome has been the same, she can't wait for the next public speaking class.

From the owner: We are creating a culture that allows our students to learn and perform in a fun and creative…read moreenvironment, that will produce life long learners, captivating speakers and confident young leaders. Come and see what Parents and Students are saying about I SPEAK California.

Scheduling was impossible because we were matched with a therapist on the East Coast, and we're…read morebased on the West Coast. We were forced to sign up over Zelle, which should have been our first big red flag. (Unlike using a credit card, I've come to find out, Zelle does not offer purchase protection or help in cases where services were never rendered.) The team agreed in writing to give us what should have been a simple refund, and then changed their minds, stopped responding and never credited us for services we were never able to use. Terrible and dishonest customer experience, and would not recommend. We're sticking to in-person support with reputable companies.

PenguinSmart has been an excellent resource for my husband. Due to a head injury, he now has…read moreGlobal Aphasia as well as cognitive disabilities. Teaming up with PenguinSmart to give me tools and resources to help him gain speech skills has been a real lifesaver. Although he is unable to interact with the SPL Therapist or Coach himself, I am able to execute what they give me to help him improve. They offer several ways to stay connected and to keep track of progress, they also require homework and ask for communication. It can be time consuming but it is only so they can provide the right type of support as he progresses. They are very understanding and want you to be successful! Our meetings have been 100% virtual which has worked wonderfully for my family. Scheduling is easy and all the associates I have worked with have been very friendly! If you have a child (or adult) with speech needs, I highly recommend you partner with PenguinSmart!

It was a gift to have a one on one with Julia. I was really inspired by her knowledge of the…read morespeaker's industry. And then she followed to her an update on my progress. I appreciate any business that takes the time to follow up. Julia is one of a kind.

While we talk every day, presenting to a group (be it a handful of people via Zoom or an in-person…read moregroup pre-COVID-19) is another skill set altogether. Julia has deep wisdom and knowledge on the topic/skill of public speaking. She knows how to help you structure your presentation to ensure the audience is able to follow what you're saying and that you have the impact you desire. Equally important, she will help you tune in to the subtle things you can do to connect with your audience. Are you speaking while looking like the proverbial deer in the headlights? What should you do with your hands (pre-COVID)? Are you remembering to smile? We all are familiar with the notion that a good portion of the population prefers death to public speaking. The good news here is that Julia, with her effervescent personality, warmth, and insight, will help you see that speaking up isn't so terrible after all. Like most things, it's a skill, it's learnable. I can't think of a better teacher.

I have been taking lessons with Alex for a year now. It's mostly on and off, mostly off due to my…read morescheduling. The reason why I reached out to Alex was that I haven't been using my writing skills for years because I was in sales and it requires little to no professional writing at all. In the beginning, the cost was a bit higher than I had expected. I never had to pay for a tutor, so I don't know what the average price was. Nonetheless, I still scheduled a meeting with Alex. I wanted to see if $$$$ means quicker results. I have noticed that my writing skills have improved over the year. He was able to point out the mistakes I been overlooking and help me catch these mistakes. He is very patient and is willing to work with my crazy schedule. I can't say that my writing skills were improved overnight. It did require that I also do homework, and my willingness to improve as well. The bottom line, could I write a novel without any mistakes? No. Could I write professionally with little to no mistake? Sure.

I had a few months of class with Alex and I found them incredibly helpful. Alex was able to…read moresystematically identify the issues in my pronunciation and correct them. Due to COVID and transition, all our lessons happened on Zoom. I was a little bit suspicious at the beginning since I had another teacher before and it was a waste of time. But I still gave Alex a shot when we started and Alex's class turned out to be very effective even in Zoom, his notes and exercises are well prepared. I highly recommend Alex for someone who needs an accent reduction course!

This is a fantastic private school for childen with mild to moderate challenges…read more My little 9 year has been in this special needs school for over 3 years. Partial Scholarships can be requesed but, you must qualify. This excellent school is great for children on the Spectrum; includes social, speech, behavorial, occupational, academics. call 650-631-9999 for my info. a satisfied parent

Not only did my brother grow up through the ALLS and Arbor Bay programs but he thrived. It really…read morefelt like a second home. The therapists and teachers know their stuff and care so deeply for each child. You really get the sense that Arbor Bay is a school founded on passion. It has been a staple in the Bay Area community years and I could not recommend a place for your child more highly. Their Teachers, OT's, BT's and SLP's are top of the line. Their classes are honestly amazing for all young children. With the curriculum Arbor Bay provides, your child will develop a STRONG basis for language and intellect in a way THEY can learn, and retain the teachings.