COUNSELING:

Counseling is an essential part of speech and language therapy. Focusing on the pathology of the client is not enough to achieve a lasting improvement. The Speech and Language Pathologist needs to know the psychology of the client as well. To accomplish this, the Speech and Language Pathologist will employ a Dynamic Counseling approach. This will involve not only to the client but the client’s parents/family and caretakers as well.

Parents, especially, who may be in the shock and grieving stages, need to receive counseling from the Speech and Language Pathologist in order to eventually, accept and understand the child’s challenges, and then be ready and able to assist the Speech and Language Pathologist in the program to improve their child’s communication ability.

The expected outcomes of the counseling session may include but not limit to:

1) A Gain of more self-awareness
2) An Experience in internal locus control (i.e., the clients learn that they can control and or manage their emotion)
3) A feeling of less anxiety
4) An ability to engage more in positive thinking

Hence, Counseling at Tanya Speech Therapy Will Include:  

✓   Providing appropriate counseling strategies related to Communicative Disorders for the client from a Trained Speech Therapist with a Background Knowledge in Clinical Psychology
✓   Providing Counseling for the parents/caregivers to assist them in working though the grieving process concerning the client’s diagnosis
✓   Educating when appropriate the clients and the parents/caregiver regarding issues related to communication and swallowing difficulties

Referring clients and/or the family to other appropriate professionals when counseling needs fall outside the scope of expertise of the Speech Pathologist.