AIRWAY ANSWERS PODCAST

Nicole Goldfarb founded the San Diego Center for Speech and Myofunctional Therapy over 20 years ago, and she has been practicing Speech-Language Pathology since 2003 and Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy since 2008.  

 

She is the 193rd Certified Orofacial Myologist® in the world, and in achieving her orofacial myofunctional therapy certification, she received the highest score ever appointed on the International Association of Orofacial Myology (IAOM) certification exam at that time.  

 

Nicole also holds the distinction of being one of only a few Certified Orofacial Myologists® in all of San Diego County that also has a master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology, which is an unparalleled combination of degrees that allows her to provide the most advanced and comprehensive treatment, as most patients with speech issues also have myofunctional issues.  

 

In addition to owning a private practice for over 20 years, Nicole worked as a Speech-Language Pathologist in a school district for 7 years, servicing thousands of children with speech and orofacial disorders.  

 

Nicole has achieved numerous advanced trainings in both speech-language pathology and orofacial myofunctional disorders, and she has a special passion and interest in sleep-disordered breathing and diagnosing restricted frenums as they relate to orofacial myofunctional disorders.  

 

She was also honored to be the sole person selected to receive individualized, intensive, and advanced training for over a year with the nationally renowned Certified Orofacial Myologist® Katha Phair, and Nicole worked by her side daily throughout that time.  Katha trained Nicole in her specialized and unmatched techniques that she had developed and refined over the past 50 years of working with hundreds of thousands of patients.  In 2014, upon her retirement, Katha Phair selected Nicole to take over her myofunctional therapy practice, and Nicole was combined this with her already established speech and myofunctional therapy practice.  

Nicole’s accomplishments in the orofacial myofunctional therapy and sleep/airway field includes, but is not limited to, the following: 

 

• She has completed over 50 presentations nationally and internationally to medical and dental professionals, graduate school residents, and the general public on orofacial myofunctional therapy as it relates to sleep-disordered breathing in both children and adults.  Some of her most recent lectures include:

 

• The 2024 American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine (AADSM) annual conference as part of an all-day POSA course with Dr. Gozal, Dr. Yoon, and others, with her lecture titled, “What Every Dental and Medical Specialist Should Know About Sleep-Disordered Breathing from the Perspective of Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy”. 

• The 2024 American Academy of Physiological Medicine and Dentistry (AAPMD) Collaboration Cures annual conference, with her lecture titled, “The Role of the Speech-Language Pathologist in Myofunctional Therapy Patient\ Functional Collaborative Care”.

• The 2024 World Dentofacial Sleep Society 2nd annual conference among top airway experts in the world, with her lecture titled, “The Relationship Between Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders and Speech Articulation Issues”.

• The 2025 Winds of Change Conference among 13 top medical and dental specialists, hosted by the world renowned Oral and Maxillofacial surgeon Dr. Reza Movahed and Orthodontist Dr. Maz Moshiri. 

 

• Nicole is currently on the Child Airway Initiative Task Force (CAST), which is a national team of doctors, dentists, and orthodontists developing a universal screening tool for all dentists to use to screen patients for sleep-disordered breathing as per the 10/2017 American Dental Association proposal that all dentists should screen all patients for sleep-disordered breathing. 

 

• She is the host of the audio and video podcast titled “Airway Answers with Nicole Goldfarb: Expanding Your Breath of Knowledge”.  

 

• Nicole is also a Breathe Institute Ambassador.

 

• She is a Talk Tools® Education Partner.

 

• Nicole is the author of a 2023 article in Dental Sleep Practice Magazine “Why Every Dentist and Orthodontist Should Have an Orofacial Myofunctional Therapist on Their Team”.

 

• She also wrote an article for Sleep World Magazine for sleep MDs, respiratory technicians, and other sleep specialists titled “Helping to Restore Proper Rest: How orofacial myofunctional therapy can aid in the treatment of sleep-disordered breathing”, published 8/2024.

 

• Nicole is also the author of a two-part chapter on orofacial myofunctional therapy in an upcoming medical textbook to be released 2024 year with the world renowned editors Dr. David Gozal, MD, Dr. Bill Harrell, orthodontist, and Dr. David McIntosh ENT.  

 

• Nicole is the author of a children’s book series “The Adventures of Captain Airway and Mr. Mighty Mouth”, helping to bring airway insight to young children, their parents, teachers, and other medical professionals.

 

• She serves on the faculty for Airway, Sleep, and Pediatrics Pathway (ASAP) 

 

• Nicole is also on the Board of Directors and the Faculty for the Sleep Education Consortium (SEC) which is a 501(c)3 Non-Profit Organization dedicated to providing educational opportunities for medical professionals and general public on sleep disorders and treatments.

 

• She has received the Award For Continuing Education (ACE) through the American Speech-Language Pathology Association multiple times for her advanced number of professional development and trainings in the field of Speech-Language Pathology.  

 

• Nicole currently serves as a mentor and consultant to patients, professionals, and colleagues nationally and internationally in the field of orofacial myofunctional therapy.

 

In the past, Nicole has served as a master teacher for Speech-Language Pathology interns from various universities, and she has also been a supervisor for beginning Speech-Language Pathologists in their Clinical Fellowship Year.  

 

Nicole graduated Magna Cum Laude from U.C. San Diego with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. 

 

She achieved a master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology from San Diego State University where she was honored to be selected as the sole “Outstanding Graduate Student” for her entire graduating class by the department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences.  

 

Nicole combines her background and skills in Psychology, Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy, and Speech-Language Pathology to provide effective and result-based evaluations, therapy, consultations, and mentorship for children and adults of all ages. 

 

Nicole’s life-long quest is to help in the early identification and treatment of sleep-disordered breathing and airway issues.