Why did you choose speech telepractice in the first place? I doubt it was for fortune or fame. You probably chose to become an SLP because you love helping people. When that precious child’s face is aglow with the excitement of an amazing communication breakthrough that will change her life forever, you are beside yourself with joy. This is why you became an SLP!
So why do you awaken some days dreading the thought of going to work? Think for a moment, is it that your caseload is overloaded? Or are you overwhelmed with paperwork? Perhaps you have come to the sobering realization that you don’t have what it takes to help some of your kids.
How can you flip this around and salvage your speech teletherapy career?
Speech Telepractice: Are you aware of your “Burnout Vulnerability”?
1. Don’t be a hero: Get help!
Let’s face it; nobody enjoys writing lesson plans for 40 kids. The solution: create fewer lesson plans and take advantage of pre-made lesson plans to lighten your load. Realize that there is no reason to write a new lesson plan for each and every child since most speech telepractice students don’t progress so rapidly. Use existing templates and modify them when necessary.
Then, if you happen to have a kid whose progress is moving on a fast track, you can adjust lesson plan without revamping the entire caseload. Consumer friendly guides to develop speech and language skills are available online both for free and for a fee. Just Google speech therapy resources, and you will be pleasantly surprised to see what is available.
2. Become Even Greater
Why not treat yourself to a continuing education course or conference? The excitement of something new can infuse you with the energy to overcome your malaise. Maybe it’s a fresh insight into your therapeutic population, or a brand new technique to upgrade the particular therapy that you offer. And don’t forget- the courses and conferences are tax deductible!
Another option for enhancing your speech telepractice career is to add certifications or degrees which aside from increasing your knowledge will open the door to new and more lucrative employment opportunities. Alternatively, this may be the time to move your career to the next level- management. Perhaps the time has come for you to manage other SLPs!
3. Maybe It’s Time for Real Change
Face it, working day in and day out with the same type of client can get quite annoying after a while. Lacking fresh new challenges, it becomes difficult to maintain your focus and sustain your excitement. You may need more of a variety of clients to fully maximize your potential and realize the satisfaction that you crave.
Or maybe it’s something else. Could it be that those unreasonable productivity requirements are slowly extinguishing your flame? Or is your supervisor bearing down too hard? If you have had enough aggravation, maybe it’s time just to call it quits and find another job. Harness the internet to find a better remote speech therapy job.
Or better yet, perhaps the time has come for you break out and start your private practice affording you more control over the complexion of your workload.
Remember Why You Got Into the Profession
Instead of questioning why you chose a career in online speech therapy in the first place, realize that you need not throw out the baby with the bath water. Your clients often desperately need the help you can offer them. If you step back and take a deep breath, and tackle burnout like any other challenge, with self-compassion and insight, know that help is already on the way!
