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Mrs Lisa Harris

Consultant Speech and Language Therapist

BSc (Hons)

Practises at: Mount Alvernia Hospital

Mrs-Lisa-Harris-Speech-And-Language-Therapy

Personal Profile

Ms Lisa Harris is a Consultant Speech, Language and Cognitive Therapist with over 25 years' experience working in the neuro-rehabilitation of adults with communication, cognitive and swallowing difficulties resulting from neurological injury or disease.

She is Founder and Clinical Director of The Brain Injury Clinic, which offers a holistic approach to rehabilitation for patients with acquired communication problems and support for family members.

Lisa has a special interest in the treatment of aphasia and cognitive communication disorder (CCD) following head injury, brain tumour and stroke. CCD can often or initially go undiagnosed but can lead to ongoing social communication difficulties that can dramatically affect a patient's quality of life. She also has a special interest in the treatment of degenerative neurological conditions such as Parkinson's and motor neurone disease.

Training and Appointment

Lisa qualified with a BSc(hons) and as a Speech and Language therapist from City University, London in 1995. She has held several specialist posts in NHS hospitals including at St George's Hospital London; Atkinson Morley Neurological Hospital; The Wolfson Medical Rehabilitation Unit and Harrowlands in Dorking, Surrey. She has served as head of department for two neurological rehabilitation units: Unstead Park in Surrey and the National Hospital for Brain Injury, Queen Elizabeth's Foundation for Disabled People, before establishing her private practice, The Brain Injury Clinic.

She has also been a postgraduate clinical tutor at City University, London.

Current Practice

Lisa is currently in private practice in London and Guildford, Surrey having founded The Brain Injury Clinic in 2004 alongside her NHS and charity roles. She provides an expert speech and language therapy (SALT) service to Mount Alvernia Hospital alongside neuro rehabilitation in the local community and nationally and internationally online.

Lisa is the clinical lead speech and language therapist for Re:cognition Health in London and, additionally, provides speech and language therapy for The London Neurosurgery Partnership at the Harley Street Clinic, London. Here she provides intra-operative support during awake craniotomy procedures for the removal of brain tumours and ongoing rehabilitation where needed.

Lisa is a highly experienced clinician, advocating intensive treatment where required, created in a manageable way for patients to work on at home alongside one to one sessions. She aims to enable families and carers to support the patient's communication and rehabilitation, and enable all of those involved in their daily lives access to optimal communication methods and rehabilitation tools.

Lisa has a special interest in the treatment, support and management of both Aphasia and Cognitive Communication Disorder. She has long supported the education of members of the community about these conditions. To raise awareness of aphasia and how to support people with it in the community, Lisa has worked with the Stroke Association.

Research, publications and teaching

As well as having written a number of articles, Lisa has presented at the Brain Injury Group, on aphasia and cognitive communication disorder and at The National Stroke Forum/conferences for people who have experienced stroke and their families. Lisa has enjoyed teaching GPs and legal professionals; her focus at educational events has been on enabling a fuller understanding of neurological communication disorders, their impact on patients' quality of life and how to support them, as well as improve interactive communication.

Lisa received national news coverage for the work done with a young stroke patient and their intensive rehabilitation during lockdown.

Clinical Interests

Lisa treats acquired communication disorders that can result from:

  • Stroke
  • Brain tumour
  • Parkinson’s Disease
  • Head injury
  • Multiple Sclerosis
  • Alzheimer’s disease
  • Motor Neurone disease.

The clinical disorders that may result from these conditions include:

  • Aphasia, where a patient has difficulty understanding and speaking their primary language. This also affect reading and writing.
  • Cognitive communication disorder. A social communication disorder where changes in cognitive ability (such as for example memory, attention, concrete thinking, processing) can cause difficulty with interactions, close relationships and the workplace.
  • Dysarthria. Where speech may sound slurred and less intelligible as the result of a neurological condition.
  • Dysphonia. A hoarse or strained voice where a patient is struggling to maintain their speech quality and volume effectively enough to maintain ease of communication.
  • Dysphagia. Swallowing problems resulting from neurological conditions which may result in aspiration of food or fluids. Lisa is able to provide assessment and, where needed, a Videofluoroscopy, allowing specialist radiographic investigation of dysphagia at The Mount Alvernia Hospital, Guildford.

Professional Memberships

  • Acting Member of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists
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