A World of Expanding Opportunity

Both unexpectedly and abruptly many SLP clients were forced to transition to Online Speech Therapy over the past year due to Covid. And once many of these clients experienced its effectiveness, they were eager to continue with remote therapy even as the pandemic subsided.

This has opened up an entirely new vista for a growing cadre of therapists. Because studies show that online speech therapy is just as effective as traditional, in-person therapy, it is clear that this $6 billion industry will only continue to expand.

But it is important to realize that the clients aren’t the only beneficiaries of this transition to online speech therapy. The therapists have much to gain themselves as well.

Yet, some therapists may still be skeptical about making the switch. While there are many reasons to switch to teletherapy, it might simplify the decision-making process by highlighting the top 3.

Top 3 Reasons to Deliver Teletherapy

1. Convenience

Online Speech Therapy enables clients and therapists to engage in their sessions without the necessity to be physically in the same place. The participants meet virtually in a face-to-face interaction over the Internet that can feel very much as if they were together.

Without a doubt, online speech therapy is far more convenient than that delivered face-to-face. Because SLPs can potentially deliver therapy from wherever and whenever they’d like, the convenience is unparalleled.

Think about it: an arrangement to have the session is set for a specified time, and then the therapist and child just click a button to connect. It’s that easy.

This has solved several pressing challenges for SLPs, like having to travel long distances to see their patients.

Another benefit that the convenience of teletherapy affords is an improved work-life balance for SLPs, especially concerning their own families.

And if you live outside of a major metropolitan area, delivering teletherapy from the convenience of your home will render those geographic constraints non-existent. You can choose to live wherever you want, without suffering any financial consequences.

Now you have the opportunity to conveniently reach new clients who previously may have been off your radar. Those with disabilities, financial challenges, and transportation difficulties are just a few of the many examples of people you can serve through teletherapy for whom services may not have been possible before.

Because location is no longer a factor, you now can serve clients who live in other cities and states, anywhere in the country. And all of this without compromising one bit of your convenience. It’s a win, win.

But a word of caution may be called for. Together with all of this convenience, there is a challenge as well. You might be lulled into a sense of relaxation regarding your work that could compromise your professionalism. It is essential to maintain that professionalism in several ways: attire, setting, maintaining privacy, and avoiding interruptions.

2. Flexibility

Delivering online speech therapy has proven for many to be an effective way to maximize their time and enjoy more flexibility in their day-to-day life. SLPs who provide therapy online extensively have a newfound ability and opportunity to accommodate a wider range of appointment times.

In addition, they can also lessen transition times associated with meeting clients at their physical locations.

And greater convenience provides more flexibility, which allows for the freedom to prioritize personal commitments and choose how to spend your days and nights.

This newfound flexibility can have a significant impact on your overall well-being and afford you greater peace of mind. It can also ease your capacity to more effectively navigate all of the challenges of your family’s schedules as your availability becomes more malleable to the family’s needs.

Whereas in a face-to-face job your doctor’s appointments and other important meetings need to be juggled around your daily schedule, the flexibility of delivering teletherapy opens up new possibilities and can take much of the stress and anxiety out of schedule conflicts.

What’s more, this increased flexibility also means having the option to offer therapy sessions at abnormal times, because you no longer need to go into the office every time to meet with a client.

And while offering sessions outside of normal working hours is not necessarily a goal for many SLPs, having the option to do so without spending the time to commute between sessions or wait at the office during gaps can be extremely beneficial.

3. Quality of Life

Unfortunately, nothing quite compares to a busy day of work followed by a long commute home. Commuting is one of the most influential factors when it comes to people’s overall satisfaction with where they live.

Facing daily traffic, long commute times stuck slouched over at the wheel, and other driving hazards can take a serious toll on your mental health and happiness. It’s highly unlikely that you will arrive home in a good mood, ready to enjoy an evening of relaxation.

When you decide to provide online speech therapy, all of those commuter-related challenges cease to exist, instantly! Think of all of the time and energy you will save, not to mention the emotional strength that will allow you to enjoy your work and downtime even more.

Unique Opportunities for Special Situations

But the benefits of teletherapy don’t end there. As we all know, life is full of unexpected situations and surprises. Teletherapy is a flexible model that accommodates these unique scenarios instead of being an impediment.

For example, when an SLP becomes pregnant, she may continue working with her clients from the safety of her home where she can take the necessary breaks and time to rest, both of which would be far more difficult otherwise.

And now those who are either semi-retired or have physical limitations, but still want to serve clients, have an option. A part-time SLP has more control over her schedule, and a new mother can more easily transition back into the workforce through teletherapy.

Teletherapy offers a myriad of benefits. If you are an SLP looking to maximize your work and improve your quality of life, you need to give teletherapy serious consideration!