Welcome to WholeStory Speech and the SEST Approach!

Meet Dr Rochel Lieberman

Rochel Lieberman, PhD, CCC-SLP, is the founder and owner of WholeStory Speech, a private therapy practice in the Brooklyn, NY, where she works with children with social emotional challenges and learning needs (of all levels), co-treating their parents as an integral part of her work.

She is also the creator of the Story Emotion Social Therapy (SEST) Approach, an ingenious new approach that integrates storytelling, story elements, thoughts and emotions into a fun and effective method to help children develop mindful language, better social-emotional and social communication skills, and a sense of wellbeing needed for understanding and being a part of the social world around them. Dr. Rochel Lieberman received the 2025 Distinguished Clinician Award from the New York State Speech-Language-Hearing Association (NYSSLHA) for her groundbreaking work with SEST.

Here’s What’s Inside the Book: Tools That Make a Difference

SEST Therapist Guide with practical strategies, including common roadblocks and real-world solutions
SEST WholeStory Curriculum featuring 8 structured, lesson-style storytelling activities to build both personal and interpersonal narrative skills
2 preparatory exercises to help prepare students for storytelling
2 bonus lessons introducing cognitive distortions and decision-making, with child-friendly SEST characters
5 SEST Storytelling Maps, plus the Listening to Connect and Centering Exercise for therapists, with special versions designed for parents and caregivers
A practical guide for ongoing conversations with children about thoughts and feelings
30 days of free access to companion video clips to support your learning and application

“This well-written and well-organized manual will help SLPs and mental health professionals help children, and their parents/caregivers, blossom…”

“…meaningful, realistic, child-focused and highly child-respected…”

“The layout is user-friendly, the book is filled with relatable examples, and the chapter summaries and appendices/handouts are practical and clear!”