Philosophy Statement Final

Jamie Wagner
Philosophy Statement
Throughout my time as a graduate student clinician, I have grown and developed specific
views about the field of speech-language pathology. As SLPs, we work in a helping profession,
so it is our duty to put our clients’ needs first and foremost. And this does not only mean doing
the best for our clients during treatment, but also supporting every aspect of their lives by
educating and supporting their loved ones and caregivers. This is something I learned and
discussed in every single one of my classes in graduate school. It is also something I have
witnessed firsthand in both of my clinical placements, both at Longwood’s clinic and the school
system where I did my first external placement.
Everyone needs a support system, and by training the support system of our clients, we
can ensure generalization of the skills they are learning in therapy sessions as well as improve
their overall quality of life. There are many barriers that can make it difficult to connect with
caregivers, including cultural differences, linguistic differences, therapy buy-in, attitudes towards
healthcare professionals, and so many more. In the article titled Connecting With Caregivers,
Rachel Harvey outlines some great tips for ways to bridge that gap and connect with the
caregivers of our clients. I have been able to use these tips to connect with and educate the
caregivers of my clients many times. Some of the tips that were helpful for me include keeping
empathetic statements short, so that the caregivers feel heard, but I am not talking over them or
putting words in their mouths, and asking the caregivers what they think is going on with their
loved one (Harvey, 2017). Caregivers spend the most time with our clients and they are often the
people who know them the best, besides the clients themselves. It is so important that we, as
clinicians, are listening to the caregivers, spending time to educate and discuss the client with
them, and that we are making them feel comfortable and heard. Anyone who has had a negative
experience with a healthcare professional will agree that this is the most important aspects of our
relationship with the clients and their caregivers.
Additionally, something else I feel is extremely important within our profession is
transitioning clients into new phases of their life. We can’t only think about benefiting clients
while they are our clients. We have to think about supporting them into whatever is next for
them. This could mean transitioning them to new therapists, new settings, and through major life
changes. As SLPs, our responsibility is to help clients as they transition by working on self-
advocacy skills, working through social interactions, working on functional living skills, and
increasing independence (Perryman et al., 2020). Transitioning clients is one of the most
important aspects of our field, yet it is so easy to overlook opportunities to work on these
transitions. This is why it is so important for us to always be thinking about what functional
skills we can work on to benefit each client as an individual person.
Finally, the last two major aspects of our field that should be considered highly important
by every SLP are evidence-based practice and cultural responsiveness. Not only are these topics
discussed and practiced in every course I have taken while in graduate school, but they are often
addressed in most of the seminars, workshops, and other forms of professional development I
have been a part of. These topics are very closely intertwined with what we do as SLPs because
we work with such a broad range of populations as well as having a huge scope of practice. I feel
that I have grown as a culturally competent clinician during my time in graduate school and my
ability to find and use evidence-based practice has also developed. However, part of my
philosophy as a clinician is that we are never done growing and evolving with these two specific
topics. I will strive to grow in my cultural responsiveness with every new client I have. And
working in a fast-paced and ever-changing field such as speech-language pathology means that I
will always have to keep my skills sharp and adopt new methods of treatment and evaluation as
new research develops.
Overall, my philosophy as a clinician is to look at every client as an individual with their
own specific strengths and needs. By remaining culturally responsive, only using evidence-based
practice, preparing my clients for their unique transitions in life, and working with their
caregivers and support systems, I can truly keep the best-interests of my clients at heart. Only by
carefully individualizing treatment for each client can I ensure that therapy will be successful,
and they will develop useful skills to benefit them for their entire lives.
Resources:
Harvey, R. (2017). Connecting With Caregivers. The ASHA Leader.

Perryman, T., Ricks, L., & Cash-Baskett, L. (2020). Meaningful Transitions: Enhancing
Clinician Roles in Transition Planning for Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorders.
Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 899-913.

Philosophy Statement Final

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Philosophy Statement Final

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Philosophy Statement Final

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Jamie Wagner

system where I did my first external placement.

relationship with the clients and their caregivers.

Additionally, something else I feel is extremely important within our profession is

skills we can work on to benefit each client as an individual person.

new research develops.

Overall, my philosophy as a clinician is to look at every client as an individual with their

Harvey, R. (2017). Connecting With Caregivers. The ASHA Leader.

You might also like