The Friends One-Day Conference is a wonderful opportunity for families to come together and learn more about stuttering, supporting their child, and to begin building community. Children’s programming is activity-based and focuses on exploring attitudes and emotions, increasing understanding of stuttering, and instilling a greater sense of confidence — while making FRIENDS! SLPs and students will learn more about stuttering, current therapies, and the support available for those who stutter.

Financial assistance is available. If you would like to attend this one-day conference but you are experiencing financial difficulties and find the cost prohibitive, please reach out to Sara MacIntyre at: sara@friendswhostutter.org 

Erin Bodner, M.A., CCC-SLP, is a speech-language therapist specializing in stuttering and a Clinical Supervisor at the University of Minnesota. She currently supervises graduate students in their first clinical education practicum. Erin received her B.A. from Colby College and her M.A. in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. She previously worked in the public schools with students from the preschool to high school level. She regularly presents around the state of Minnesota on stuttering-affirming and acceptance-based therapy approaches. In 2009, she co-founded the Sioris Family University of Minnesota Camp for Kids Who Stutter, a day camp that promotes confidence in communication and building a support community. Erin holds the Ally of Stuttering™ seal from Spero Stuttering. In her free time, Erin can be found on an ice rink playing ice hockey and broomball or walking her dog, Frankie (a trained therapy dog), around the Chain of Lakes in Minneapolis.

Nic Brow works as a speech language pathologist at the Sisskin Stuttering Center. Nic completed his undergraduate training at the University of Vermont, followed by a Master’s degree in Speech Language Pathology from the University of Iowa. Throughout his education, he conducted research on the experience of stuttering of adults and teens. He has worked as a clinical educator at Western Michigan University and as a speech therapist across multiple public schools with students from the preschool to high school level. Nic frequently presents on acceptance-based therapy for stuttering both nationally and internationally. He predominantly works with youth who stutter and their families, within the framework of Avoidance Reduction Therapy for Stuttering (ARTS®). In his free time, Nic enjoys surfing, pickleball, and spending time with family and friends.

Sheila Cina, M.A. CCC-SLP is the owner of The Talking Place, a private practice in Golden Valley, which offers holistic speech therapy and communication confidence building for people of all ages. Sheila works as a speech therapist and coaches and trains SLPs in stuttering-related assessment and treatment at Minneapolis Public Schools and across the state of Minnesota. Sheila loves to host social groups, support groups, and book groups for kids, adults, and caregivers in the stuttering community.

Doreen (Dori) Lenz Holte is an author, parent advocate, and mom to a 28-year-old who stutters.  She is the founder of the Voice Unearthed Facebook parent support group with 3,900+ members from all over the world. Dori enjoys speaking to universities all over the world and doing Q&A’s with SLP graduate students (via Zoom). She also participates in various podcasts, blogs, and was honored to contribute to the book, Stammering Pride and Prejudice: Difference not Defect published by J&R Press Ltd. in 2019. Her first book, Voice Unearthed: Hope, Help, and a Wake-Up Call for the Parents of Children Who Stutter was published (2011) was inspired by research and the experiences she had with speech therapy for her young son who stuttered. Her next book, VoiceS Unearthed: The Impact of Early Childhood Intervention on Those Who Continue to Stutter (2023), Dori unearths the voices of 60 individuals, a combination of parents with older children who stutter and adults who stutter, to better understand how early intervention impacted their quality of life. Dori lives her husband, Peter, in Golden Valley, Minnesota. They are parents to three wonderful adult sons and one lovely daughter-in-law – so far.

Joel Korte is a person who stutters and the owner of Chase Bliss, a Minneapolis based company that designs and manufactures guitar pedals. Joel is a board member for Friends: The National Association of Young People Who Stutter.

Sara MacIntyre, M.A., CCC-SLP is the One-Day Conference Director for Friends. Sara owns YouSpeak, LLC where she provides stuttering therapy in Philadelphia and virtually, as well as consulting services. Sara is an adjunct instructor at Teachers College, Columbia University in their graduate program and is the producer and moderator for Virtual Learning by Stuttering Foundation and the Stuttering Foundation Podcast. She is a board member for Friends: The National Association of Young People Who Stutter.

Tim McCarren, M.S., CCC-SLP is a speech language pathologist with Hopkins Public Schools, a person who stutters, and leader of the National Stuttering Association’s Twin Cities adult chapter. Tim received his Bachelor’s degree in Theatre Arts and his Master’s degree in Speech Pathology. Tim loves working with people who stutter of all ages, helping them grow with stuttering. He wishes for all people who stutter to hear the power and beauty of their voices. A stuttering voice is just another rhythm in the song of life. Let me hear your song!

Briann Morbitzer, M.S., CCC-SLP is the owner and clinician of Superior Speech Therapy–a private practice in St. Paul, Minnesota. Her clients are mostly kids and adults who stutter including the client’s family and support. Bri is the founder and facilitator of the Minneapolis-Saint Paul Stuttering Group which is a social conversation group for adults who stutter. While Bri is not a person who stutters herself, she is a creator of space for those that do. She enjoys learning and connecting authentically with others.

Emily Zimmer, M.A., CCC-SLP is a speech-language therapist with Saint Paul Public Schools and Resonant Speech Therapy. Prior to receiving her Master’s degree in speech-language pathology, she attended clown school in Switzerland and worked as a theatre teaching artist for many years. She is currently collaborating with Speaking Out Collective to bring puppet shows that celebrate and center neurodivergent characters with unique talents to audiences of children and adults.