Unspoken Words: A Selective Mutism Podcast by Dr. Elisa Shipon-Blum

SMart Center
  • 5.0 (26)
  • Mental Health
  • Updated Monthly

Selective Mutism is a social communication anxiety disorder that can be incredibly difficult to navigate and often misunderstood. Fortunately, your host, Dr. Elisa Shipon-Blum DO, has over 30 years of experience in understanding and treating Selective Mutism. This podcast serves to educate those who are struggling (or those who may know someone who is struggling) and to allow their words to be heard. Listen along for tips, strategies, and everything and anything selective mutism. For all podcast inquiries please contact Dakota Hornak at dhornak@selectivemutismcenter.org

  1. 4d ago

    1 on 1 w/ Maureen (a mom whose son overcame Selective Mutism)

    In this Unspoken Words Short, Dr. Elisa Shipon-Blum (Dr. E) sits down with Maureen, whose son Lucas first came to the SMart Center for treatment at age three. Together in this episode, they to look back on his journey with selective mutism.Lucas is now 16, plays in two rap bands, and has no memory of selective mutism being part of who he is. But Maureen takes listeners back to who he was before treatment: a toddler so verbal at home that it shocked her to learn from his teacher that he'd never once spoken at school, and whose sensory sensitivities to noise, crowds, and textures turned out to be the real root of his silence.Maureen walks through what changed things for her family: discovering "comfort before communication" as the guiding principle of treatment, working with Lucas's school to build in playdates with his teacher, informal "spot work" from a speech therapist, and a buddy system, all before ever pushing him to talk, and learning, as a parent, to step back and stop speaking for him so he could find his own voice.The conversation closes with Maureen's advice for families still early in the journey: that there is real hope on the other side, that following the gains and trusting the process works, and that connecting with someone else going through the same experience can turn an isolating struggle into a shared one.Thank you for listening to Unspoken Words, a selective mutism podcast hosted by Dr. E and the SMart Center, produced by New Editions Productions. Have a question for a future episode? Submit it through the Ask Dr. E form at SelectiveMutismCenter.org/askdre.Follow us on Instagram (@UnspokenWords_Podcast) and YouTube (Unspoken Words by Dr. E), or join our newsletter for more content. New episodes release every other Monday at 6am Eastern. -- ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: ⁠https://selectivemutismcenter.org/resources/⁠  ⁠Ask Dr. E⁠ a question of your own!  ⁠Learn more⁠ about the host, Dr. Elisa Shipon-Blum  Explore our⁠ SMart Center success stories⁠!  ⁠Get started⁠ at the SMart Center  Listen to other Unspoken Words episodes⁠ here⁠.  For the best clips from every episode, follow the podcast on⁠ Instagram⁠ &⁠ YouTube⁠  ⁠Learn more about CommuniCamp⁠, our 3+ day intensive group treatment and ALL DAY parent training & support program -  For all podcast inquiries, please contact Dakota Hornak at⁠ ⁠dhornak@selectivemutismcenter.org⁠⁠  This podcast was produced and published by⁠ New Edition Productions⁠ (neweditionconsulting.com)

  2. Aug 10

    1 on 1 w/ Leila (a teen who overcame Selective Mutism)

    This episode of the Unspoken Words podcast is a reunion. Dr. Elisa Shipon-Blum sits down with Leila, who first came to the SMart Center for treatment at age 14, to reflect on what actually changes when someone works through selective mutism. Now 20 and heading into her senior year of college as a psychology major, Leila is candid about how unconvinced she was walking in, having spent years being told she was simply anxious or shy. Leila describes what selective mutism looked like from the inside: she was rarely fully mute, but she could not express herself the way she saw other people doing it. She became, in her words, "really good at avoiding situations," and the hardest part was not the silence itself but the loneliness it created. It was not until she attended CommuniCamp and met other teens facing the same struggle that she realized, for the first time, she was not alone. Dr. E and Leila walk through the strategies that moved her forward: scripted interactions at restaurants and bookstores, using her mom as an intermediary before gradually taking over the conversation herself, and building the confidence to initiate on her own. Progress felt slow at first, driven by small wins proving the strategies worked. The episode closes with Leila's advice for families still in the middle of it: for teens who feel hopeless, there is a path forward even if the journey looks different for everyone, and for parents, the work is to listen, offer grace instead of pressure, and hold on to who their child really is underneath the anxiety. As Dr. E reminds her, so much of the process is simply helping a child believe what the people around them already know to be true. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: https://selectivemutismcenter.org/resources/  Ask Dr. E a question of your own!  Learn more about the host, Dr. Elisa Shipon-Blum  Explore our SMart Center success stories!  Get started at the SMart Center  Listen to other Unspoken Words episodes here.  For the best clips from every episode, follow the podcast on Instagram & YouTube  Learn more about CommuniCamp, our 3+ day intensive group treatment and ALL DAY parent training & support program -  For all podcast inquiries, please contact Dakota Hornak at ⁠dhornak@selectivemutismcenter.org⁠  This podcast was produced and published by New Edition Productions (neweditionconsulting.com)

  3. Aug 3

    EP81: Stop Asking "How Do I Get My Child to Talk?”. Ask This instead…

    Episode 81 of the Unspoken Words podcast features Dr. Elisa Shipon-Blum and Dr. Jenna Blum returning to the foundation of it all — what S-CAT, or Social Communication Anxiety Treatment, really is, and just as importantly, what it's not. Prompted by families who reached out to the SMart Center still confused about the approach, Dr. E and Dr. Jenna make the case that the question so many parents ask — "How do I get my child to talk?" — is the wrong one. The better question is why is my child not communicating in this situation, because not speaking is only a symptom of something deeper. At the heart of the episode is a simple truth: this is a whole-person approach, not a Band-Aid for a single behavior. Using Dr. Jenna's "cake" analogy, they explain that every child is made of different ingredients — and that missing even one can mean missing a pivotal piece of the picture. That's why selective mutism is best understood not by its stigmatizing name, but as a social communication anxiety disorder with underlying "whys," and why the SM Evaluation is the essential first step in ruling those whys in or out. Dr. E and Dr. Jenna explain why S-CAT is a recipe of evidence-based approaches rather than any single therapy — blending CBT, behavioral exposures, motivational interviewing, insight-oriented work, and intensive parent management. They walk through the baseline stages of the Social Communication Bridge®, the feelings chart and the "sweet spot" that keeps kids growing without tipping into avoidance, and the parent's role as the driver of real progress. Along the way, real stories bring it to life — from a teen learning to get his own tickets at a Phillies game to a nine-year-old who needed structure long after her mutism resolved. The episode closes on a powerful reminder: the longer selective mutism lingers, the more likely it is that a "why" has been missed — and that with the right understanding, no one has to remain selectively mute. -- Chapters:  (03:20) Why "How Do I Get My Child to Talk?" Is the Wrong Question—And What to Ask Instead (10:33) The Bridge, the Baseline, and Why SCAT Is a Recipe—Not a Single Strategy (14:37) Honoring a Child's Feelings and the Parent's Role in Driving Real Progress (26:26) Motivation, the Hidden "Whys," and Why Courage Isn't Always Loud (34:16) The Whole Person Behind the Symptom—And Carrying the Gains Beyond SM -  ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: https://selectivemutismcenter.org/resources/  Ask Dr. E a question of your own!  Learn more about the host, Dr. Elisa Shipon-Blum  Explore our SMart Center success stories!  Get started at the SMart Center  Listen to other Unspoken Words episodes here.  For the best clips from every episode, follow the podcast on Instagram & YouTube  Learn more about CommuniCamp, our 3+ day intensive group treatment and ALL DAY parent training & support program Learn more about our 6-week, virtual social skills series, which are skills-based groups designed to help children, teens, & young adults build social communication, comfort, and connection with similar aged-peers in a supportive setting. -  For all podcast inquiries, please contact Dakota Hornak at ⁠dhornak@selectivemutismcenter.org⁠  This podcast was produced and published by New Edition Productions (neweditionconsulting.com)

  4. Jul 27

    EP80: Live Chat w/ Parents @ June CommuniCamp

    Episode 80 of the Unspoken Words podcast takes listeners inside CommuniCamp for a candid roundtable between Dr. Elisa Shipon-Blum and three parents raising children with selective mutism. Their stories span a special education teacher whose son has moved past SM, a child psychiatrist who grew up with SM herself, and a parent just one year into her 12-year-old daughter's diagnosis. Together they explore what real progress looks like when you stop chasing speech and start meeting a child exactly where they are. The episode moves from crisis to hope, including the "dozen roses" metaphor that reframes recovery as blooming on a child's own timeline. Dr. E shifts the goal from "cure" to reaching capacity, unpacking the hidden "whys" behind a child's silence, whether anxiety, sensory sensitivity, ADHD, or learning differences, and why understanding them matters more than pushing a child to talk before they're ready. The heart of the episode is practical application: crossing the Social Communication Bridge®, identifying a child's true baseline, and starting where they're comfortable. One parent illustrates this with a three-year journey from handing back a toy to ordering ice cream independently. The group digs into real strategies, from interest-based "big shot" roles that build confidence, to preparing for a middle-school transition, to "low and slow" guidance on medication and knowing when a child is ready to wean. Throughout, they return to the pillars of comfort, connection, and confidence, and the power of programs like CommuniCamp. The episode closes on a powerful reminder: courage isn't always loud, the mutism is only a symptom, and every child can reach their potential when we honor where they are on the bridge and walk it with them. -- Chapters:  (01:40) Three Families, One Journey—And the Dozen Roses That Bloom in Their Own Time (10:12) Reaching Capacity, Not a Cure—The Hidden "Whys" and Why "SM" Is the Wrong Name (18:11) Crossing the Bridge, One Chick-fil-A Cone at a Time—Meeting Kids Exactly Where They Are (26:51) Finding Their People—Jugglers, Rock Climbers, and the Motivation to Change (34:49) The Four Pillars, Weaning Low and Slow, and Why Courage Isn't Always Loud ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: https://selectivemutismcenter.org/resources/  Ask Dr. E a question of your own!  Learn more about the host, Dr. Elisa Shipon-Blum  Explore our SMart Center success stories!  Get started at the SMart Center  Listen to other Unspoken Words episodes here.  For the best clips from every episode, follow the podcast on Instagram & YouTube  Learn more about CommuniCamp, our 3+ day intensive group treatment and ALL DAY parent training & support program Earn 6.5 CE credits with our self-paced online course, exploring Selective Mutism assessments and interventions in the school setting .

  5. Jun 29

    EP79: How to Choose the Right Treatment Program for Your Child w/ Dr. Jenna Blum

    Episode 79 of the Unspoken Words podcast features Dr. Elisa Shipon-Blum and Dr. Jenna Blum exploring the power of intensive group treatment for Selective Mutism — and why it works as a springboard that propels children and teens further, whether they're just starting treatment, midway through, or looking for one final push. Drawing on nearly ten years of CommuniCamp, the SMart Center's intensive group treatment and parent education program, they explain why these few days can do what weekly therapy alone often cannot: create frequent communication opportunities, real-world exposures, and a sense of community that builds confidence one step at a time.  The episode emphasizes that parents are the most instrumental part of progress — that 15-plus hours of parent education help families understand the whys behind their child's mutism, learn how to talk to their child, and carry skills home long after camp ends. Dr. E and Dr. Jenna explore the social identity shift that happens when a child realizes they're not alone, why comfort, connection, and confidence must precede communication, and why meeting a child where they are on the Social Communication Bridge® is never a regression but the true starting point for growth.  Through real-world examples — restaurant and store exposures, the buddy process, and teens who form lasting friendships across states and countries — they show how progress looks different for every child.  The heart of the episode turns to what a group setting uniquely reveals: hidden whys like ADHD, autism, and processing challenges that one-on-one therapy can miss, and how those insights translate into IEP and 504 supports at school. The episode closes with practical guidance on choosing any intensive program, and a reminder that courage is not always loud. -- Chapters:  (03:26) Why Group Treatment Is a Springboard—And How Parents Drive the Progress (14:20) Meeting Kids Where They Are on the Bridge Without Rushing Them (16:50) The Social Identity Shift: Why Realizing "I'm Not Alone" Changes Everything (22:02) Real-World Exposures and the C's That Make Communication Possible (32:33) What a Group Reveals About the Hidden "Whys"—And Carrying Gains Into School -  ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: https://selectivemutismcenter.org/resources/  Ask Dr. E a question of your own!  Learn more about the host, Dr. Elisa Shipon-Blum  Explore our SMart Center success stories!  Get started at the SMart Center  Listen to other Unspoken Words episodes here.  For the best clips from every episode, follow the podcast on Instagram & YouTube  Learn more about CommuniCamp, our 3+ day intensive group treatment and ALL DAY parent training & support program Learn more about our 6-week, virtual social skills series, which are skills-based groups designed to help children, teens, & young adults build social communication, comfort, and connection with similar aged-peers in a supportive setting. -  For all podcast inquiries, please contact Dakota Hornak at ⁠dhornak@selectivemutismcenter.org⁠  This podcast was produced and published by New Edition Productions (neweditionconsulting.com)

  6. Jun 22

    EP78: Why Preparation Reduces Anxiety & Unlocks Communication w/ Dr. Jenna Blum

    Episode 78 of the Unspoken Words podcast features Dr. Elisa Shipon-Blum and Dr. Jenna Blum exploring the power of preparation — why structured action plans reduce anxiety and unlock communication for children, teens, and adults with Selective Mutism. The episode explores why uncertainty fuels anxiety to the point of shutdown — how processing challenges, perfectionism, and hidden factors like ADHD make the unknown overwhelming. Through real-world examples, including a twelve-year-old thrilled about a party all week who goes silent on arrival, they show why "just be brave and talk" misses what these individuals need, and how preparation builds the comfort, connection, and confidence that fuel communication. The heart of the episode turns to practical application: building a who-what-where action plan, mapping who will be there and what each person might ask, and tailoring responses across the Social Communication Bridge®. They cover the SM triangle, verbal intermediary, copy-back and sandwich questions, roadmapping events from barbecues to airport security, and structuring activities to start with confidence. The episode closes on a reminder: when children know what, when, and where, anxiety lowers and communication follows. -- Chapters:  (03:44) Why Uncertainty Fuels Anxiety and Makes Communication Shut Down (13:30) What an Action Plan Actually Is—Mapping Who, What, Where, and the Questions (17:56) Why Tailoring Questions to Each Person Keeps Kids From Freezing (25:38) How Structuring Activities, Roadmaps, and Travel Builds Real Confidence (34:47) How to Make Action Plans an Everyday Routine—and Review What Worked -  ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: https://selectivemutismcenter.org/resources/  Ask Dr. E a question of your own!  Learn more about the host, Dr. Elisa Shipon-Blum  Explore our SMart Center success stories!  Get started at the SMart Center  Listen to other Unspoken Words episodes here.  For the best clips from every episode, follow the podcast on Instagram & YouTube  Learn more about CommuniCamp, our 3+ day intensive group treatment and ALL DAY parent training & support program Learn more about our 6-week, virtual social skills series, which are skills-based groups designed to help children, teens, & young adults build social communication, comfort, and connection with similar aged-peers in a supportive setting. -  For all podcast inquiries, please contact Dakota Hornak at ⁠dhornak@selectivemutismcenter.org⁠  This podcast was produced and published by New Edition Productions (neweditionconsulting.com)

  7. Jun 1

    EP77: How to Read the Subtle Messages From Your Child w/ Dr. Jenna Blum

    Episode 77 of the Unspoken Words podcast features Dr. Elisa Shipon-Blum and Dr. Jenna Blum exploring the Look, Listen, and Learn framework — a structured approach that teaches parents, educators, and treatment professionals to understand what children communicate through behavior, body language, and silence. The episode explores why observation matters more than focusing solely on speech — how a child's posture, facial expressions, and setting-specific communication patterns reveal the true underlying causes of mutism. Through real-world examples — a nine-year-old who clings to mom at family gatherings, and a school-age child who speaks at recess but shuts down during academics — they demonstrate how the same shutdown can signal different things: sensory overload, learning challenges, anxiety, or hidden ADHD. The heart of the episode turns to practical application: using Look-Listen-Learn to identify contributing factors, understanding your child's baseline on the Social Communication Bridge®, and why functional assessment reveals what behavioral strategies alone cannot address. They discuss intensive programs like CommuniCamp, where clinicians observe children across real settings to build effective, individualized treatment plans. The episode closes on a powerful reminder: children with SM are communicating constantly — we just need to learn their language. -- Chapters:  (03:45) How Body Language, Facial Expressions, and Posture Reveal What Your Child Needs (10:09) How Sensory Overload, Academic Pressure, and Anxiety Show Up in Different Settings (27:49) Why Your Child May Speak in One Place But Not Another—And What It Means (46:20) Distinguishing Selective Mutism From ADHD, Learning Challenges, and Autism Traits (49:27) How Look, Listen, and Learn Guides Assessment, Accommodations, and Real Progress -  ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: https://selectivemutismcenter.org/resources/  Ask Dr. E a question of your own!  Learn more about the host, Dr. Elisa Shipon-Blum  Explore our SMart Center success stories!  Get started at the SMart Center  Listen to other Unspoken Words episodes here.  For the best clips from every episode, follow the podcast on Instagram & YouTube  Learn more about CommuniCamp, our 3+ day intensive group treatment and ALL DAY parent training & support program Learn more about our 6-week, virtual social skills series, which are skills-based groups designed to help children, teens, & young adults build social communication, comfort, and connection with similar aged-peers in a supportive setting. -  For all podcast inquiries, please contact Dakota Hornak at ⁠dhornak@selectivemutismcenter.org⁠  This podcast was produced and published by New Edition Productions (neweditionconsulting.com)

  8. May 18

    EP76: The Four Faces of an Overwhelmed Child: Avoidance, Shutdown, Emotional Reactions & Control w/ Dr. Jenna Blum

    Episode 76 of the Unspoken Words podcast features Dr. Elisa Shipon-Blum and Dr. Jenna Blum tackling one of the most misunderstood realities of Selective Mutism — the difficult behaviors that so often surface alongside it. Meltdowns, shutdowns, avoidance, and controlling moments leave many parents exhausted, and Dr. E and Dr. Jenna make the case that none of these behaviors are defiance. They are communication. Dr. E and Dr. Jenna explore why so many children with SM hold it together at school and fall apart at home, and why structure, consistency, routine, and predictability are non-negotiable for any anxious child. Through real case examples — a six-year-old hiding under the table at her own birthday party, a teen retreating to his room when relatives visit, a young client frozen in front of a beloved family friend — they walk through the four types of difficult behaviors and what each is trying to say. The middle of the episode turns to practical strategy: the Look-Listen-Learn framework, the roadmap method for preparing children before overwhelming events, and bridging down on the Social Communication Bridge® so kids build comfort before words. They also dig into the underlying contributors that drive dysregulation — sensory sensitivities, ADHD, hunger, fatigue, and the parent's own agenda. The episode closes on the feelings chart — a deceptively simple tool that gives children numerical language for emotions they can't yet explain — and on the truth that parents are the most critical component in their child's progress. Dr. E previews a Part Two with more strategies for navigating the big feelings behind the silence. -- Chapters:  (04:06) When Silence Feels Big: Why Kids with SM Hold It Together at School and Fall Apart at Home (10:55) Behavior Is a Signal, Not Defiance: Reframing Outbursts Through Look, Listen, Learn (17:07) The Roadmap and the Bridge: How Preparation Prevents Avoidance and Shutdown (29:44) On the Lookout: Using Cognition and Real-World Goals to Outsmart the Freeze Response (38:00) The Feelings Chart: Giving Kids Words for What They Can't Yet Explain -  ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: https://selectivemutismcenter.org/resources/  Ask Dr. E a question of your own!  Learn more about the host, Dr. Elisa Shipon-Blum  Explore our SMart Center success stories!  Get started at the SMart Center  Listen to other Unspoken Words episodes here.  For the best clips from every episode, follow the podcast on Instagram & YouTube  Learn more about CommuniCamp, our 3+ day intensive group treatment and ALL DAY parent training & support program Learn more about our 6-week, virtual social skills series, designed to help children, teens, & young adults build social communication, comfort, and connection with similar aged-peers in a supportive setting. -  For all podcast inquiries, please contact Dakota Hornak at ⁠dhornak@selectivemutismcenter.org⁠  This podcast was produced and published by New Edition Productions (neweditionconsulting.com)

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Selective Mutism is a social communication anxiety disorder that can be incredibly difficult to navigate and often misunderstood. Fortunately, your host, Dr. Elisa Shipon-Blum DO, has over 30 years of experience in understanding and treating Selective Mutism. This podcast serves to educate those who are struggling (or those who may know someone who is struggling) and to allow their words to be heard. Listen along for tips, strategies, and everything and anything selective mutism. For all podcast inquiries please contact Dakota Hornak at dhornak@selectivemutismcenter.org

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