I have been avoiding public speaking for almost 12 years. For a long time, I've had this thought in…read morethe back of my mind that I should--and that I am able to--overcome this fear. I finally made the decision to take this course after reading the reviews here, so I hope my review can also help someone who is considering doing the same. Lynn is an extremely warm and heartful person. I felt that when she designed this course, she really understood that before you can repeatedly get on stage and work on your speaking skills, the most important--and probably the most difficult--thing is simply getting started. To do that, you first need to look inward and ask yourself: Why do I want to do this? What is my intention? What motivates me? On the surface, the reason might be something practical, like work or school, but deep down, there is usually much more to it. Lynn, Klaudeen, and Lisa are such amazing mentor. They bring so much energy and passion to the course every Sunday afternoon. Together, they created such a safe, open, and engaging environment that everyone was genuinely willing to participate. Everyone got opportunities to speak, receive feedback, and improve through positive iteration. What I also really appreciated was how connected the cohort became over the course. We weren't just practicing individually--we were learning from each other, encouraging each other, and genuinely supporting one another as we stepped outside our comfort zones. That sense of connection made it much easier to take risks, make mistakes, and keep trying. Five hours might sound like a long time, but the course is designed and instructed in a way that never feels exhausting. Yet I always came away feeling that I had learned something new. Toastmasters and theater classes have always been things I wanted to try but hesitated to actually sign up for. After the course ended, I signed up for both Toastmasters and a theater class without hesitation. I'm genuinely excited and looking forward to doing both this fall. For me, that probably says the most about how much this course helped. One additional FYI for fellow Google employees: I was able to get 50% of the course fee reimbursed because the course qualifies as professional training. Definitely worth checking your employee learning and development benefits if you're considering signing up.

Before Yes You Can Speak, being seen felt really unsafe, and sharing my voice or ideas with others…read morewas something I typically avoided. So much changed for me during the program... my eye contact, pacing, and, surprisingly, I actually bring calm into a room instead of nerves. The mirror work was my biggest breakthrough. I learned to see myself in a whole new way and speak positively to myself, became kinder to myself, and that made me less afraid to fail. When you're not afraid to fail, you will speak with more presence and certainty. If what you're looking for is to connect with and share your authentic self, this is the place for you to do it.

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.

Don's improv class has been such a positive addition to my life. I originally joined looking for…read moresomething fun and different, and it ended up being so much more than that. The class has genuinely helped me with public speaking and communication and I feel more confident thinking on my feet, speaking up, and connecting with others more naturally. Beyond that, it's brought so much laughter into my life. Every class is fun, energizing, and something I truly look forward to. Don creates such a welcoming and supportive environment where it feels safe to be yourself, take risks, and have fun without worrying about being judged. Whether you're hoping to improve communication skills, build confidence with public speaking, or simply laugh more and meet great people, I highly recommend Don's improv class.

A few things I came to appreciate about Don's "Beginner's Improv" class:…read more Curriculum: It's efficiently and thoughtfully organized. We covered a lot in just 6 classes. Good time: Games are played for warm-up and practice of specific skills, and the classroom vibe is good old wholesome fun. Energizing: As a busy working mother of young children, I found these classes didn't drain me -- Instead they gave me a boost of energy and positivity. Applicability: Improv not only helps with communication, but I feel that many of the guidelines (like the famous "Yes And") are useful reminders of how to be a good person in day-to-day life. Personalities: Don established a safe space so that everybody felt comfortable. Some students were shy vs. outgoing, younger vs. older, had vs. didn't have stage experience, etc. After only a couple classes, we established a comfort level that enabled everybody's personalities to really shine through in their improv. Even if you're only mildly curious about it, I would highly recommend that you just go ahead and sign up for Don's classes!

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!

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.

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.

I had been working on accent reduction for almost a year before taking lessons with Alex, because I…read morefelt I reached to plateau, and didn't know how to get to the next level. I decided to take lessons with Alex after talking to 7,8 accent coaches over the phone call. Alex gave me the most meticulous feedback, and it really hit the point. I like that he gave me a full analysis, pointed out exactly the things I needed to work on, then we drill on it. It's really helpful. He also response my questions after class with a detail feedback. It's a great experience learning with Alex. He has lots of patience, answer my question thoroughly. I can tell he is really interested in linguistic. And so do I. Highly recommend his class!

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.

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.