I help people communicate and to be truly *heard*.

After his stroke, Paul says “I love you” to his wife after receiving Speech Therapy

When I first started my career in Speech-Language Pathology, I didn’t realize the profound impact I might be able to make in the world.

But now? 18 years later I know I make an impact.

When my client with aphasia can’t get the words out to explain that his friends aren’t patient with him, I know how to help him get his thoughts out. And better yet, I know how to empower him to share his feelings with his friends.

I had an awful lot of doubt when I first graduated that I would be able to help anyone. I felt so inexperienced and naive. I felt like a fraud. And like what I had to offer just wasn’t enough.

Helping clients who had experienced strokes, who had tragic car accidents leading to brain injury, and who were managing diseases like Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s, ALS and more was at first overwhelming.

I saw trauma and degenerative disease and people’s lives being in thrown in to complete chaos. Sadness, depression, anger, grief, hopelessness, and confusion. I didn’t at the time quite feel prepared for that. But what I did know is what I had always been taught.

To be kind.

“Doing unto others” was woven into the fabric of my being from the get-go. Knowing I could be one day on the other side of the therapy table, or being helped while in a hospital bed made me feel like it was my noble duty. And such a blessed honour to just be there.

I see now, 18 years later that because of my upbringing, training and my own health journey I have a unique perspective.

We all really just want to be understood and heard, right? I’m proud that I’m ability to help people with communication disorders do just that.