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Two episodes. That’s all I had to listen to The Slow Road to Better podcast before I felt as if I was part of a conversation between old friends. Each subsequent episode feels like I’m hanging out with people I know and like, grabbing coffee and speaking about aphasia.

Feel Like You’re Part of the Conversation

The podcast, produced by the Stroke Comeback Center, just aired its 33rd episode, but it’s worth going back through the archives and jumping into past topics. Each episode has the same center members speaking on a theme or about their lives. You get to know each member; their personal progress and life beyond aphasia.

The Purpose of the Podcast

The point of the podcast is three-fold: awareness, inspiration, and practice. The podcast aims to explain aphasia to the greater world by telling individual stories. At the same time, it provides much-needed inspiration for people at the beginning of a journey. The participants are at various points of recovery after strokes or traumatic brain injuries, and they present a wide range of possibilities after a life-changing event.

The podcast also gives participants speaking practice. Each episode is a round table conversation, guided by a speech therapist. Episode 27 (“Celebrating Life”) has the participants explaining how aphasia impacts their ability to mourn. When funerals and wakes have people talking about a loved one, how do you participate in the mourning process with aphasia? In Episode 28 (“Setbacks and Resiliency”), the participants discuss how they define and move past a setback.

Every episode is fascinating and addresses common situations for people living with aphasia. Moreover, it’s a warm group who clearly enjoys one another’s company.

The best part is that the podcast is portable; download it to your phone and listen in the car or at home. You’ll feel like you’re part of a conversation where everyone understands.