Written by Sarah Kuhr, CCC-SLP (without the assistance of AI)
As this school year ended, I decided to go back and read the post called “Make This Your Year” from January. I can say I ended this school year with little to no stress that couldn’t be quickly resolved- which (in my opinion) is the definition of a successful school year. This isn’t because I did everything perfectly or knew what to do in every situation- but I can say with confidence I reached out for help when needed and put my best effort into each client. It’s sad to say I didn’t always end years feeling that way, and it was for the following reasons:
- I didn’t have a supportive group of mentors or fellow SLP friends I felt confident in reaching out to.
- There was always someone who created conflict, and I didn’t have the skills to let it go mentally.
- The role I had was overwhelming, and I never felt like I 100% knew what I was doing, which made me feel insufficient as a speech-language pathologist.
These feelings are normal, but we shouldn’t experience them to the degree that they make us want to change careers as veteran therapists. I truly believe finding the right company/school to work for makes all the difference in the world. The good ones are out there; the difficult part is finding them and locking them down.
At the end of this school year, I encourage you to look at those three points above and ask yourself if you can relate. If you can, outlets are available to get connections and a potential job change that’ll prevent you from having those feelings this time next year. I established relationships with other SLPs in a teletherapy group on Facebook back in 2018, and this has led me to where I am today. Social media has its cons, but in the case of networking- it is your best friend. Don’t end another year dreading the next one to come. Socialize within your SLP circle or reach out to our community via social media, as thousands of therapists can lead you in the right direction. It’s up to you to decide if you are ready for a change in the upcoming year- and to quote the New Year post, “Make this your year!”.
