The 5 Best Speech Therapists in Melbourne Helping Voices Be Heard
Back in elementary school, I remember some kids were often laughed at for struggling with speaking. Not a lot of people realise that this is a problem many people carry quietly, and one that can affect confidence well beyond the classroom.
To cope with this, some of those kids turned to counselling services for support. However, before it comes to that, it helps to try to target these communication challenges and build confidence at the same time.
That’s where Melbourne’s speech therapists come in! They offer support for stuttering, language delays, and recovery after injury. To make it easier for you, our team looked for the best experts who are just what you need!
How much does speech therapy cost in Melbourne?
Speech therapy in Melbourne typically costs between $150 and $250 per session in private practice. Initial assessments are usually higher, sometimes exceeding $290. Shorter 30–45 minute sessions range from $110 to $190.
1. Voice Science
Address: 380 St Kilda Rd
Phone: +61 3 9042 3648
Business hours:
- Monday to Friday: 9 AM – 5:30 PM
- Saturday to Sunday: Closed
Voice Science has this dual-threat energy because the lead practitioner, Dr Sarah Rodriguez, is also a trained opera singer!
Her team specialises in the heavy hitters of vocal issues like nodules and muscle tension dysphonia. This makes them a powerhouse for anyone who literally talks for a living.
They gather their data first before they even let you make a sound. One client mentioned how much he loved the team that identifies gaps before the therapy even starts.
During sessions, people also mentioned that the team didn’t just fix errors. They also highlighted what the clients were already doing well.
And if you’re the type who likes a structured program, their Silver and Gold packages are great because they bundle in access to a practice platform.
Just note that they’re pretty high in demand. You may not be able to book a slot right away.
I strongly recommend the Voice Science team
“I am grateful for the pronunciation training lesson I had with the Voice Science team. I loved their system how they first assessed/audited my pronunciation before training me on those gaps. I had Laura as my coach who graciously took me through every lesson and was open to questions. She iced the lessons with tips that I are easily applicable to real life. I now feel confident when talking and am seeing positive changes as I continually practise! I strongly recommend the Voice Science team!”
Irene Mitheu, Google review
They are tremendous
“I’ve got a speed impediment, stutter. Before I came to Voice Science, I really worried about my stutter and feared to make new friends, presentation and talk on the phone. I am kind of introvert. However, Brooke and Emily helped me to overcome that fear by teaching Stutter Therapy Techniques, which was extremely useful for communication. I develop this technique into my speech and it’s working very well. I totally less stutter and I am confident to speak with other people. This is unprecedented situation in my life. They are tremendous!!! I literally recommend to come and practice at Voice Science.”
Suebtrakul Jiamjanya, Google review
2. Melbourne Literacy & Learning Clinic
Address: 1 Gellibrand St, Williamstown
Phone: +61 3 9397 3165
Business hours:
- Monday to Saturday: 7 AM – 9 PM
- Sunday: Closed
After digging through Melbourne Literacy & Learning Clinic, it’s clear that their secret sauce is the way they refuse to treat speech alone. Instead, they mash speech therapy together with literacy tuition.
It’s a total win for parents tired of driving across town to three different specialists. They seem to understand that if a kid is struggling to find their words, they’re probably going to have a rough time when those words show up on a spelling test later on.
Feedback highlights that they tailor the sessions to what the clients (here, it’s mostly children) specifically need to progress.
Everyone in their team seems friendly. They also hand out weekly tasks to keep the momentum going at home.
However, if your needs are more aligned with conventional medical speech pathways, you might find their heavy focus on literacy a bit too narrow.
We have seen a massive improvement in his speech
“My 2 year old son was diagnosed with a developmental delay with speech regression. He has really enjoyed attending Melbourne Literacy and Numeracy over the past 5 months. We have seen a massive improvement in his speech. Anna is kind, friendly and professional. Anna provides constructive feedback and weekly tasks to help stimulate my son’s speech. Over this time he has continued to increase his average words per sentence.”
William, Google review
The sessions are properly catered for my kids
“I have 2 children doing sessions with speech pathologist here. They work closely with my children with what is needed and required to assist them. It’s not just a standard routine sessions. The sessions are properly catered for my kids. They listen, provide and deliver. My kids have improved and progressed so much with these sessions with the amazing work MLLC has done. Thank you so much for assisting my children to progress”
Normy Hamja, Google review
3. Melbourne Speech Pathology Clinic
Address: Level 1/723 Swanston St, Carlton
Phone: +61 3 9035 7199
Business hours:
- Monday to Friday: 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM
- Saturday to Sunday: Closed
If you’re looking for a speech therapy clinic that can handle complex medical cases and progressive conditions, Melbourne Speech Pathology Clinic is a great choice!
They’ve dealt with adults with aphasia or traumatic brain injuries. From what we’ve heard, their director even researches high-tech swallowing evaluations.
The vibe we gathered from them is that they’re incredibly versatile. Beyond the medical side, they’re doing some cool work with gender-affirming voice therapy. We definitely know they’re very inclusive.
Sometimes, university students train here, too. Based on the clients, though, service quality remains high, and engagement is top-tier.
That said, therapists here can occasionally shift around. If you value consistency, you might find that a let-down.
My daughter has been coming here and her progress has been amazing
“I would 100% recommend Melbourne speech therapy! My daughter has been coming here and her progress has been amazing! Since her first appointment, Joanna has understood her needs and has used the best approaches to make sure she makes progress. Extremely happy with their service and hospitality!”
Paola Rocha Lozano, Google review
I recommend Melbourne Speed Pathology
“I recommend Melbourne Speed Pathology. My daughter has been attending the speech pathology clinic for speech pathology for language and feeding difficulty. I was losing hope in therapy until I met Ellie Woodruff. She helped us a lot. She will go beyond and above with you. I see some improvement. I have a lot of help from her. Thank you, Ellie Woodruff.”
Fadma Wairah, Google review
4. Tanya Relan Speech Pathology
Address: The Edge, K2, Level 2, Suite/21A/82 Keilor Rd, Essendon North
Phone: +61 4 2438 4206
Business hours:
- Monday to Friday: 9 AM – 6 PM
- Saturday to Sunday: Closed
What makes Tanya Relan unique from the other speech therapists we’ve looked into is her knack for building rapport with children.
She uses clever play-based approaches that make the therapy feel less like work and more like a hangout session!
Clients shared that she has this sharp, diagnostic eye that lets her pinpoint exactly what a child needs almost immediately. She pairs that with a clean plan of action, so you aren’t left wondering what the actual goal is.
A lot of people also highlighted her patience. She believes that change doesn’t happen over a week, so she doesn’t pressure her clients to hit milestones before they’re ready.
Because of this, she’s the ideal choice for those dealing with conditions like Down syndrome.
That said, we’ve heard that she’s prone to long waitlists and limited slots.
We were very impressed with Tanya’s professionalism
“We were very impressed with Tanya’s professionalism, engagement and expertise when she worked with our son. Tanya was able to assess and pinpoint exactly what our 6 year old needed to work on to assist his speech. She provided us with a clear plan of action and quickly built a rapport with our sometimes cantankerous little fellow. We were absolutely thrilled to see him reach his goals after only 10 sessions. We 100% recommend Tanya and would absolutely see her again if the need arises.”
Tracey Parker, Google review
Tanya is such an amazing speech therapist
“Tanya is such an amazing speech therapist and so great in what she does. Never holds a judgemental label against the child and instead she tries to help the kid in a kind way. She is really good at playing approaches which is greatly suitable for children of various ages. She is patient and enjoys what she does. She does not believe change happen over a week so she does not rush and pressure the parents and the child, she allows the child to go through changes at her/his own pace. Her approach really suited me and my family. I am absolutely grateful for her great work and approachable and friendly personality. She is one of the best allied health and great in what she does.”
Ella, Google review
5. Play With Words Paediatric Therapy
Address: 128 Fordham Ave, Camberwell
Phone: +61 4 6894 3873
Business hours:
- Monday to Thursday: 9 AM – 5 PM
- Friday: 9 AM – 4 PM
- Saturday to Sunday: Closed
Toddlers do have limited speech skills, but when you notice that yours is a little behind in development, Play With Words is a great place to visit.
They ditch that cold, clinical atmosphere for something that feels more like a supportive playdate. A lot of families shared that their toddlers actually get excited for sessions each week!
Even though they make each session like a visit to an indoor playground, it’s still professional and reliable. Parents also love that the team create a holistic experience.
They weave in literacy, numeracy, and even personal worth into their sessions. They really care about the whole child, building confidence alongside vocabulary.
However, their higher pricing can be a hurdle to those budget-conscious families.
I am so incredibly grateful to have come across this clinic
“I am so incredibly grateful to have come across this clinic and in particular, Jen. Our son had been attending sessions for about 6 months and made incredible progress with his speech delay. He is now at standard with his milestones and blooming. It was also a domino effect; once his communication skills developed so too did other areas of his development. Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart – my family can’t thank you enough.”
Julia Kantzos, Google review
Play With Words is absolutely wonderful
“Play With Words is absolutely wonderful! Jen’s patient and holistic approach to therapy helped our child immensely. Our little one loved his speech sessions and often ran in the door excited about what he was learning. The team are warm, have a wealth of knowledge and their resources and the location is excellent. The sessions provided combine so many skills not only in speech sounds but in personal worth, confidence, literacy, numeracy and play.We travelled an hour to our sessions and I would do it again in a heartbeat.”
Jade Turner, Google review