Helen Andersen
Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders
Clinical Supervisor
Phone: 828-227-3795
Email: hgandersen@email.wcu.edu
Office Address: HHS 161
Education:
Ph.D. University of Florida
M.Ed. University of Florida
B.A. University of Floirda
I have been a life-long resident of Gainesville, Florida. I received three degrees from the University of Florida, and established a private practice in the community.
My professional background is varied, and encompasses both teaching and providing speech/language services to children and adults. As a secondary education teacher, I taught English and speech, and at the college level, I taught undergraduate survey courses and graduate level courses in aphasia and voice. As a VA trainee for two years, I gained experience working with the aphasic population, and ultimately focused my doctoral research on apraxia of speech.
My most rewarding experience was co-founding a multidisciplinary diagnostic and treatment center for dyslexic children and adults. The delivery of service was unique, in that, the clients were released from school and assigned to the clinic for a six-week period. Clients received intensive therapy five hours a day, five days a week, for six-weeks. It was rewarding to observe the significant progress the clients achieved as a result of intensive therapy.
For the past six years, my husband I have been dividing our time between Florida and North Carolina, but recently, we to decided to become full-time residents of North Carolina. I was delighted when the opportunity was presented to join the faculty as a clinical supervisor. The supervisory position allows me to combine my love of teaching with my experience as a clinician, and what better place to live and work than in the beautiful mountains of western Carolina.