Holding On to Our Best Success Stories

Why New Clinicians and Graduate Students Should Treasure Their Triumphs

Embarking on a career in speech therapy is both exhilarating and daunting. For new clinicians and graduate students, the journey is filled with learning, growth, and, inevitably, challenges. Amid the steep learning curves and occasional self-doubt, it is crucial to hold on to your best success stories. These moments of triumph are more than just highlights; they are essential to your professional development and daily clinical practice.

The Power of Inspiration: Success stories serve as powerful reminders of what you are capable of achieving. When you reflect on the times you made a significant impact on a patient's life, it can provide a much-needed boost of confidence. Remembering these moments helps combat the imposter syndrome that many new clinicians face. Each success story is a testament to your skills, dedication, and the positive difference you can make.
Fueling Your Passion: Speech therapy is a field driven by passion and a desire to help others. Your success stories are tangible evidence of the rewards that come from this profession. They remind you why you chose this career path in the first place. Holding on to these stories can reignite your passion during tough times, keeping you motivated and focused on your goals. Remember, the impact you have goes beyond the individuals you directly work with; it extends to their families and communities, enriching lives and fostering inclusivity. Your dedication and expertise play a crucial role in enabling others to communicate effectively, opening doors to opportunities and relationships that might otherwise remain closed.

Why does it matter?

Reflecting on your past successes can enhance your clinical decision-making process. Analyzing what worked well in a particular case, why it was effective, and how you approached the situation can provide valuable insights. This reflection helps you to:

Identify Effective Strategies: By understanding the specific techniques and interventions that led to successful outcomes, you can apply these methods to future cases.
Build Confidence in Your Judgments: Success stories reinforce your ability to make sound clinical decisions. This confidence is crucial when faced with challenging cases or when you need to think on your feet.
Learn from Experience: Each success story is a learning opportunity. It helps you understand the nuances of patient care and refine your approach to different clinical scenarios.

Sharing Success Stories

Sharing your success stories with colleagues, supervisors, or even within professional networks can be incredibly beneficial. It fosters a culture of learning and support, where everyone can benefit from shared experiences. It also allows you to receive feedback and gain new perspectives on your achievements.

Practical Tips for Holding On to Success Stories

Document Your Successes: Keep a journal or digital record of your notable cases. Include details about the patient's background (vaguely), the interventions used, and the outcomes achieved.
Reflect Regularly: Set aside time to reread your success stories. Reflect on what made them successful and how you can replicate these strategies in the future.
Celebrate Milestones: Take the time to celebrate your achievements, no matter how small. Acknowledging your progress reinforces your commitment and dedication to the field.
Relive Success Stories in Bad Moments: Whenever I feel absolutely down I remind myself of stories that make everything worthwhile. Take time to pick your success stories because no matter the field or the setting we all have bad moments and it is our own responsibility to remind ourselves why we’ve decided on where we are.

My Success Stories

I have two success stories that I remind myself of when I am feeling particularly terrible and I am happy to share them with you.

(For HIPAA reasons these will be pretty generic but hopefully you still get the picture)

I worked with a nonverbal ASD toddler who came to me during my CF. I was in the same setting I am now, outpatient rehab, and was new to the game. My experience did allow me to have worked with a lot of children in the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) population but it’s so challenging because no two are the same. This means that while you can approach treatment in similar manners, you definitely have to personalize your therapy to their preferences and abilities. This toddler hadn’t received any services yet, which meant I was the first one. I was setting the bar for how they pursued services going forward. No biggie.

Obviously I started with what I knew. I tried targeting motor imitation and songs to increase shared engagement and understanding. I targeted building vocabulary through both common objects and actions using picture cards. When I say this was unsuccessful, I truly mean it. They liked the songs but demonstrated limited engagement with literally everything else. What was I supposed to do next? I knew that it didn’t make sense to just keep flip-flopping between strategies and interventions so I stuck with this for some time. I was nervous that this toddler’s parents thought I was wasting their time. Over time I increased my rapport with this toddler and we shared a lot of joint attention, engagement and fun moments. Progress! But when you have parents who have no idea what their child wants, this type of progress (while exciting progress) just doesn’t present helpful.

Then there was a stretch where I didn’t see this family for awhile. I was so certain they thought I was wasting their time and decided to stop coming. Then at the start of the new year they came back in. At the start of the new year I had also become a fully licensed SLP. No more CF in the title and the experience was starting to show. This time when they came back I took a brand new approach. I had seen a lot of things on social media and did a lot of research. I knew this toddler was a good candidate for AAC but even with my experience with therapy for it, I had no clue how to do an assessment or request one through insurance. Nothing! I was overwhelmed about where to start. So what did I do? I told myself, just start. Start with what you know. So I assessed stimulability with my own device. I started modeling it during all of our activities. This toddler initially demonstrated no interest and would not interact. I knew that hand over hand (HOH) was no longer considered best practice but man the amount of times I was tempted to grab their little hand and press the buttons. I held strong and trusted the research.

After about 2 weeks they used the device to request their favorite activity ‘bubbles’! It was a moment where I just had to sit for a second and process. This child who demonstrated limited interest in shared attention was actively participating in conversation? They continued to increase their ability to use the device and have started to communicate functionally with it both in the office and at home. It was a moment where I was felt like I was in full control and understanding of the speech therapy realm. Is that true? Absolutely not! But it was a pretty good start and an even better feeling.

My second success story was with an adult client. They came in with some voice concerns after seeing the ENT. My first thought to myself was “oh boy”. Now maybe you went to or are in a graduate program that really covers this areas of our field but mine did not. I would say it was one of my weaker areas in terms of competency and carrying out therapy. I have always had it in my mind that treating voice is such a specialty in our field that only a small handful work on it. Is that true? Probably not. But that didn’t change how intimidating that information seemed to me.

This patient had lost their voice due to a viral illness. This had occurred before and they went to a prestigious university hospital clinic for 6 months to fix it. Now they were coming to me, a new grad, with no voice experience… What could I possibly offer them that they hadn’t received from this well established program? Nonetheless, they were looking to me for MY help.

I’ll be the first to admit, that I admitted to them that I was new to voice therapy and this would be a learning process for both of us. If anything I said it to ensure that they knew what they received from the ‘better’ clinic will look differently than what I would be giving them. So what did I do? I used my MedBridge subscription to complete a continuing ed course on voice assessment and therapy. I researched what would be an appropriate layout for an assessment and how to complete one. I truly felt like I was back in grad school at this moment, relearning all these things that I had yet to apply to practice. They came in and we got started. Thankfully this patient was amazing and understanding and gave me the grace I needed to work through, what seemed to me, a very scattered evaluation.

You know what happened? I created a voice program for them to complete and they came in once a week. After 2-3 weeks their voice was back to nearly normal! It’s almost like I went to grad school and knew how to navigate it.

At the end of it all just know that we are all here for a purpose. We all have skills that are better than other and always will be. That is life in a nutshell!

Conclusion

As a new clinician or graduate student, holding on to your best success stories is not just about preserving memories—it's about using them as tools for growth, inspiration, and improved clinical practice. These stories are a testament to your abilities and a source of motivation during challenging times. By reflecting on and celebrating your successes, you can enhance your clinical decision-making, boost your confidence, and maintain the passion that drives you to excel in the field of speech therapy. So, treasure those triumphs and let them guide you towards becoming the best clinician you can be.

Reflect on the progress you've made and the skills you've honed. It's almost like you went to grad school and learned how to navigate it successfully—because you did. You have the training, the knowledge, and the experience to make a positive impact, even when it feels like you're fumbling in the dark.

At the end of it all, just know that we are all here for a purpose. We all have skills that are better than others, and that's perfectly okay. That is life in a nutshell. Embrace your unique strengths and recognize that your journey is uniquely yours. Your ability to persevere, adapt, and grow in the face of challenges is what makes you a great clinician.

When self-doubt creeps in, remind yourself of the successes you've achieved and the positive outcomes you've facilitated for your clients. These stories are your anchor, grounding you in your capabilities and reinforcing your commitment to this rewarding field.

Remember, you're not alone in this journey. Every clinician, whether new or seasoned, has moments of uncertainty. But it's your dedication, passion, and the positive impact you make that truly define your worth as a speech therapist. So, hold on to those success stories, let them inspire and motivate you, and keep moving forward with confidence and purpose. We’ve got this because we were built to do incredibly hard things!