Swallowing Wellness is the world’s first outpatient center providing care for infants, children, and adults with swallowing disorders, located in Bethesda, MD. We are an innovative, state-of-the art facility with a comprehensive approach to diagnosing and treating swallowing disorders.

Our mission is simple - to provide extraordinary care for people with swallowing impairments (dysphagia).

Why choose Swallowing Wellness? We are highly-trained specialists who take time to understand your swallowing problem, so you can understand your options. Our primary goal is to restore eating and drinking ability.

We currently accept Medicare and Private Pay.

Healthy Swallow. Healthy Life.

We can address your swallowing complaints

  • I want to eat again

    Begin your Personalized Eating Plan even if you are on a modified diet or if you have a feeding tube. Eating is one of the pleasures of life and we want to help you to return to it.

  • Food gets stuck in my throat

    When food gets stuck in your throat, it can be uncomfortable and even cause panic. We can help you to identify the causes and offer solutions.

  • Pills are hard to swallow

    Pill avoidance is a global issue impacting 25% of adults. Our advanced imaging and clinical tools can help to make plll-swallowing easier.

  • I cough and gag when I swallow

    Coughing during swallowing is a sign of aspiration, which means that the food is going into the wrong pipe (trachea) instead of the right one (esophagus).

  • Swallowing is a pain in the neck

    Odynophagia is the medical term for painful swallowing. The causes can range from a chronic sore throat to more complex issues such as growths and muscle fatigue.

  • I want to eat in social settings

    Swallowing difficulty can be embarrassing and isolating. At Swallowing Wellness we train techniques that return you to your seat at the table with family and friends.

  • I am losing weight

    Unwanted weight loss, poor nutrition, and dehydration can be common and worrisome outcomes of a swallowing disorder. Our targeted therapies can help.

  • I failed my swallow test

    At Swallowing Wellness, no one “fails'“ a swallow test! Our diagnosic process places you at the center of all decision-making about your swallowing healthcare journey.

  • Food comes up

    It can be tricky to identify the causes of regurgitation. We offer a comprehensive and skilled examination, which may include referrals to other medical specialties.

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Clinical Team

Ianessa Humbert, Ph.D., SLP

CEO, Speech-Language Pathologist

humbert@swallowingwellness.com

Dr. Ianessa Humbert is a world-renowned scientist, researcher, educator, speech-language pathologist, and highly sought-after speaker with over 20 years of expertise in swallowing and swallowing disorders. She is the co-creator of the Swallowing Training and Education Portal and has been awarded over 6 million in research grants to study swallowing physiology.

Access Dr. Humbert’s publications here.

Candace Thomas, M.S.

Lead Speech-Language Pathologist

cthomas@swallowingwellness.com

Candace has diverse experience across schools, inpatient rehabilitation centers, assisted living facilities, and hospitals, working with both adult and children, including in an inpatient pediatric unit and a Level III NICU. She has expertise in managing tracheostomy and speaking valve needs, cleft lip and palate, as well as neurodevelopmental disorders. Candace holds advanced certifications in pediatric dysphagia, Infant-Driven Feeding (IDF), Neonatal Oral-Motor Assessment Scale (NOMAS), Simon Says (orofacial myofunctional therapy), and the AEIOU Approach.

Radiological Technologists

Omar Henderson, R.T.

Bianca Conteh, R.T.

Alejandra Ramirez, R.T.

Stephen Sullivan, R.T.

At The Swallowing Wellness Center, we offer a range of diagnostic services to adequately understand your swallow function. Our therapeutic approach is designed to improve your swallowing ability for better health and quality of life.

Clinical Services

We create bespoke education programs to address the training needs of healthcare professionals and their student communities who treat individuals with swallowing disorders. The Swallowing Wellness Center partners with the Swallowing Training & Education Portal to provide experiential learning programs and residency training based in real-world clinical environments.

Professional Education

Dr. Ianessa Humbert training future Speech-Pathologist to identify swallowing anatomy

Dr. Ianessa Humbert training the next generation of Speech-Language Pathologists who will treat people with swallowing disorders

There is something profoundly satisfying about sharing a meal. Eating together, breaking bread together, is one of the oldest and most fundamentally unifying of human experiences.

— Barbara Coloroso