About Marina Coakley
M.S., CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist · Adult Neuro Recovery Specialist · Parent
Hi, I'm Marina. I started out studying music therapy. There was something about the way music could reach people that nothing else could. That led me to speech-language pathology, and I haven't looked back. Today I work with adults rebuilding language and communication after a stroke, a brain injury, or aphasia, and with the families beside them. Communication is how we stay connected to the people we love. When a stroke or injury makes that harder, I want to help you get it back.
"A motivated brain keeps rebuilding, even years after a stroke or injury. If you were told you'd plateaued but you're not done, I want to help you keep going."
My Approach
Connection First
Connection regulates the nervous system. A regulated nervous system supports learning. Learning fuels communication.
Partnership Over Prescription
Services are collaborative and individualized. There is no one-size-fits-all program or rigid method.
Communication Beyond Speech
Communication is broader than spoken words. All meaningful communication attempts are honored and supported.
How I Work With You
Specialist Evaluation
We start by understanding where your language and communication are now, and what to rebuild first.
Coach for You and Your Family
I teach you and your care partner the strategies that fit your real routines, so practice keeps happening between sessions.
Support Between Sessions
Recovery is built by repetition. I design home practice you can do often, and we check in so it sticks.
Guide Who Keeps You Going
When insurance coverage stops, progress doesn't have to. I help you keep moving toward the life you want back.
I see my job as more than therapy minutes. I coach, guide, and support you and your family so that progress keeps happening in everyday life, which is where recovery is really rebuilt.
My Professional Journey
Educational Foundation
My journey into speech-language pathology began in 2016 when I enrolled at Appalachian State University to study Music Therapy. After some reflection, I realized my true passion lay in understanding and improving communication, so in 2018 I switched my major to Communication Sciences & Disorders. I graduated with my bachelor's degree in 2019, excited to begin a career helping others.
Early Professional Experience
In 2020, my husband and I moved to the Nashville area, where I started working as a Registered Behavioral Technician (RBT). That role gave me invaluable hands-on experience supporting individuals with autism and other developmental challenges, while also teaching me how to balance different therapeutic approaches and collaborate across disciplines.
Master's Program & Clinical Experience
In 2020, I began my Master's program in Speech-Language Pathology through an online program at the University of South Carolina. I completed my degree while simultaneously maintaining my career throughout the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. By 2021, I transitioned to working as a Speech-Language Pathology Assistant, employed primarily in school settings. Through my USC practicums, I gained clinical experience in skilled nursing facilities and outpatient clinics.
Licensure & Affinity Therapy
I completed my Master's degree in 2023, and in 2024 I earned my Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC-SLP) and my Tennessee license, then launched Affinity Therapy. I've since added licensure in Kentucky, California, and North Carolina, so I can work with clients across four states by telehealth. My focus has grown into what I care about most: helping adults rebuild communication after stroke, brain injury, and aphasia.
Education & Credentials
Education
Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology
University of South Carolina
Bachelor of Science in Communication Sciences & Disorders
Appalachian State University
Music Therapy Studies
Appalachian State University
Credentials & Licenses
My Philosophy
"Recovery doesn't expire. My role is to help you and your family keep rebuilding communication, at whatever point insurance or time left off."
Recognize Capability
Seeing what's still possible after a stroke or injury, and building on the strengths that are already there.
Rebuild Confidence
Progress rebuilds confidence, and confidence fuels more progress. That loop is the real engine of recovery.
Communicate Every Way
Communication is more than speech. Gesture, writing, and other paths all count, and every real attempt matters.
Why a specialist
Adult neurologic communication recovery is my specialty
After a stroke or brain injury, the person is still fully there. Their thoughts, their humor, their personality are all intact. What's changed is the bridge between thought and word, and that bridge can be rebuilt. Helping adults do that, after aphasia, brain injury, and stroke, is the work I trained for in skilled-nursing and outpatient rehab, and the work I care most about.
Credentialed and trained for it
M.S., CCC-SLP, licensed in four states, with clinical training in skilled-nursing and outpatient rehab supporting adults after stroke and brain injury.
Methods that fit you
Approaches with a track record, chosen for your goals and the life you want back.
Virtual across four states
Telehealth in Tennessee, Kentucky, California, and North Carolina, from home.
Not sure if this is a fit?
I'd love to talk through what's going on, for you or for someone you love after a stroke, brain injury, or aphasia. That's what a free consultation is for.
