My 2024 New Year's intentions as a speech-language pathologist

I love the idea of setting intentions for the new year, rather than making resolutions. While resolutions are seen as specific goals to be achieved and checked off a list, intentions focus more on what you value and puts core beliefs at the forefront. Setting New Year's intentions as private practice SLP involves considering both my professional and personal growth. Here are some areas I'm centering my intentions on this year:

Professional Development:

• Continued Education: I'm committed to attending workshops, conferences, or online courses to stay updated on the latest research and therapeutic techniques in speech therapy.

• Specialization: This year, I'm going to choose a specific area within speech therapy, such as gestalt language processing, and aim to deepen my expertise in that area.

Client-Centered Focus:

• Individualized Treatment: I strive to create personalized treatment plans for each of my clients, considering their unique needs, preferences, and progress.

• Client Empowerment: I intend to foster a collaborative relationship with my clients (and their families) by involving them in goal-setting and decision-making regarding their therapy.

Self-Care:

• Work-Life Balance: I have an ongoing commitment to a healthy balance between my work and my personal life to prevent burnout. This year, I will continue to establish clear boundaries for my work hours and downtime.

• Wellness Practices: I aim to incorporate more wellness activities into my routine. For me, this means regular exercise, mindfulness, and fun hobbies (like crafting and thrifting!). In order to be my best SLP self, I need to maintain these wellness practices.

Networking and Collaboration:

• Professional Networking: Attending networking events to connect with other SLPs and healthcare professionals helps spread the word about what I do, so I can continue to help more children and families with communication difficulties.

• Collaborative Partnerships: This year, I'd like to explore opportunities for collaboration with schools, clinics, or other professionals to enhance the services I offer and connect clients to the resources they need.

Feedback and Reflection:

• Feedback: I will establish regular feedback opportunities for clients and colleagues to assess the effectiveness of my services and identify areas for improvement.

• Reflection: I aim to dedicate time for self-reflection, to analyze my therapeutic approaches, identify successes and challenges, and set actionable goals for improvement.

I think this is a pretty good list to start the year! I'm excited to grow, learn, and evolve throughout 2024, both personally and professionally.

What intentions would you set for yourself this year? The key with setting intentions is to create intentions that align with your values, promote growth, and contribute to both your professional success and personal well-being. Try to regularly revisit your intentions throughout the year to make sure they're still relevant and motivating. I'd love to hear what you come up with!

My mission is to help your child meet their fullest communication potential while enjoying the journey there. If you think we’d make a great team, send me a message and let’s connect today!