It’s possible to provide quality therapy as an SLP without burning out.
When I started my first SLP job in the school systems back in the early 2000s, I felt like a “Jack of all trades, master of none”.
There were so many different cases falling on my plate, and I didn’t feel like an expert in any of them. I had a crazy schedule, huge caseload, and loads of admin and committee work to do outside of therapy.
That made it really hard to do any of those “best practices”. I’d learned in graduate school or professional seminars.
It was like pushing a boulder uphill. I hated to admit it, but I didn’t like my job because I felt like an impostor. That’s when I decided to go back and get my doctorate in special education.
During that time, I studied the patterns and habits of people in the field who enjoyed their work and had a healthy balance in their lives.
Turns out, they followed a set of key principles that allowed them to amplify the effectiveness of their services, so they could approach their work with a sense of peace and joy in what they do.
I share what those principles are in this video:
Here’s a breakdown of the principles I discuss in the video:
PRINCIPLE 1: They focus on SYSTEMS over quick fixes.
Having lots of therapy materials might save time in the short-term, but it can cause huge problems long-term! Research has shown that too many options makes decision-making hard, which means planning for sessions can take longer. Yet a lot of catalogs and resources just bombard us with more flash cards, worksheets, apps, or pre-made arts and crafts. But without effective systems, all of that is just clutter. The most successful SLPs focus on learning a couple key evidence-based protocols and understanding them on a deep level. This enables them to plan highly effective sessions in minutes with just a few simple materials.
PRINCIPLE 2: They focus on their circle of influence.
SLPs have a lot of administrative red tape making it hard to give good services. But systems change needs to come from SLPs in the trenches who understand REAL LIFE issues in the field…instead of waiting for changes to come from the top.
People who find true fulfillment in their work don’t get caught up in things that are unfair, nor do they get caught up in thinking “I’m just one person, I can’t make a difference.” Whether it’s something on the micro level, like building their clinical skills and improving the way they show up for their clients. Or something on the macro level, like developing a new caseload model or starting some district or state-wide initiative, they know every bit counts. They’re clear about what they can control and they’re committed to doing their part by continuing to improve their skills and knowledge.
PRINCIPLE 3: They value their time/energy and invest in preserving it.
Research has shown that traditional “one-shot” professional development conferences don’t improve teaching practices. They also don’t improve student outcomes…
Without follow-up support or help with implementation, people are likely to get back to work, forget what they learned, and fall back to old patterns. And while there are some free support forums available to SLPs, it can take hours to sort through all of the discussions (and drama) to get quality information.
That’s why people who value their time and energy invest in curated, expert advice and feedback, so they have more energy to focus on showing up for their clients or just enjoying life.
I created SLP Learning Academy with these 3 principles in mind.
In SLP Learning Academy, I deliver support SLPs need in a format that gives them what they need to show up to work confident and excited:
>>>COMPREHENSIVE TRAINING LIBRARY guided by member questions, so members get support across your entire scope of practice; including unique clinical case studies, collaboration, time-management, and advocacy.
>>>MONTLHY COACHING CALLS where members can get actionable advice and show up to work confident in their plan.
>>>DIGITAL SLIDES LIBRARY with simple, evidence-based protocols across a number of clinical areas to cut down on plan time without sacrificing treatment quality.
If you’re tired of feeling unprepared, unappreciated, and underwhelmed with client outcomes…
And you want to make a lasting impact without sacrificing nights and weekends, then join us in SLP Learning Academy.
Imagine what it would be like to go to sleep each night with the satisfaction of knowing you’re changing lives…
And to do it with the luxury of leaving work at a reasonable time every day, guilt-free.
The average person will spend 90,000 hours at work during their lifetime. How amazing would it be to truly enjoy that time instead of counting down days until the weekend?
SLP Learning Academy is for clinicians who are ready to show up to work confident so they can have a fulfilling, rewarding, career they enjoy.
Come join us in SLP Learning Academy today.
