Category: About speech pathology

At Talking Fish Speech Pathology, our daily work centres on the fundamental human right to communicate effectively. We see firsthand the transformative power of a confident voice, clear understanding, and the ability to connect with others. What might seem like a local, individual focus, however, actually ties directly into a global framework for a better future: the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The SDGs are a collection of 17 interconnected goals adopted by all UN member states in 2015, serving as a blueprint to achieve peace and prosperity for people and the planet by 2030. While many goals focus on obvious areas like poverty, hunger, and climate action, the thread that weaves through all of them is effective communication.

Let’s explore how communication, and by extension, the work of speech pathologists, is critical to achieving these ambitious global targets:

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

This goal aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. Communication is foundational to health. From a child accessing early intervention for a speech delay that impacts their social and academic development, to an adult recovering from a stroke needing to communicate their needs and participate in rehabilitation, clear communication is paramount. Speech pathologists facilitate this, ensuring individuals can express symptoms, understand medical advice, and advocate for their health.

SDG 4: Quality Education

Ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education for all is impossible without effective communication. Children with unaddressed speech, language, or literacy difficulties (like dyslexia) struggle to access the curriculum, participate in class, and form peer relationships. By supporting these foundational communication skills, speech pathologists help children unlock their learning potential, reducing dropout rates and fostering lifelong learning. This includes developing crucial literacy skills, which are themselves a form of communication.

SDG 5: Gender Equality

Empowering women and girls often involves giving them a voice and ensuring it is heard. Communication skills are critical for self-advocacy, participation in decision-making, and challenging social norms. While not immediately obvious, communication barriers can disproportionately affect vulnerable groups, including women and girls, limiting their ability to express their rights and needs.

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

Effective communication is a cornerstone of any workplace. From clear instructions and collaborative problem-solving to job interviews and client interactions, strong communication skills are essential for employment and career progression. Speech pathologists assist individuals in developing the communicative competence needed to participate meaningfully in the workforce.

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

This goal aims to reduce inequality within and among countries. Communication disabilities are often hidden, leading to marginalisation and exclusion. By providing access to speech pathology services, we help to level the playing field, ensuring individuals with communication differences can participate fully in society, exercise their rights, and contribute to their communities. This includes advocating for accessible information and communication environments.

SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

Promoting peaceful and inclusive societies requires open dialogue and mutual understanding. Effective communication is the bedrock of resolving conflicts, participating in democratic processes, and ensuring justice. Individuals who cannot communicate effectively may struggle to access legal aid, share their stories, or participate in community discussions.

At Talking Fish Speech Pathology, we are proud to contribute to these global goals through our local impact. By empowering individuals to communicate, we’re not just helping them find their voice; we’re helping them participate fully in their communities, access education and healthcare, secure employment, and advocate for themselves. Every therapy session, every assessment, and every piece of advice contributes to a more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable world for everyone.

Want to learn more about how communication empowers individuals and communities? Are you keen to join the profession that supports communication for everyone? Contact Talking Fish Speech Pathology for information and support in becoming a speech pathologist.

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At Talking Fish Speech Pathology, we understand the unique pressures of our profession. We champion the idea that cultivating mindfulness isn’t a luxury, but a fundamental practice that empowers us to be more present, effective, and resilient speech pathologists.

What is Mindfulness in a Clinical Context?

At its core, mindfulness is about paying attention to the present moment, without judgment. For clinicians, this translates into:

• Present Moment Awareness: Being fully engaged in the therapy session, noticing subtle cues from a client, and truly listening without mentally rehearsing the next question or task.
• Non-Judgmental Observation: Acknowledging our thoughts and feelings (e.g., frustration, impatience, excitement) as they arise, without getting entangled in them or critiquing ourselves.
• Self-Compassion: Recognising that we are human, we make mistakes, and we deserve kindness and understanding, especially when facing challenging cases or high-pressure situations.

Why is Mindfulness Crucial for Speech Pathologists?

1. Enhanced Client Connection and Empathy: When we are mindful, we are better listeners. We pick up on subtle non-verbal cues, truly hear the nuances in a client’s voice, and can respond more authentically. This deepens rapport, builds trust, and allows us to tailor our interventions more effectively to their immediate needs. A mindful clinician can better sit with discomfort, whether it’s a client’s frustration or their own feelings of inadequacy, without reacting impulsively.
2. Reduced Burnout and Stress: The emotional demands of our work can be significant. Working with vulnerable populations, managing challenging behaviours, and navigating complex family dynamics can lead to emotional exhaustion. Mindfulness practices, even brief ones, can act as a buffer against stress and burnout. They provide a mental ‘reset button,’ allowing us to step back, re-centre, and prevent the accumulation of tension.
3. Improved Clinical Decision-Making: When our minds are cluttered with distractions or overwhelmed by stress, our cognitive functions can be impaired. Mindfulness helps clear this mental fog, allowing for clearer thinking, better problem-solving, and more effective clinical reasoning. We can access our knowledge and experience more readily when our minds are calm.
4. Greater Self-Awareness and Resilience: Understanding our own triggers, emotional responses, and thought patterns is invaluable. Mindfulness cultivates this self-awareness, enabling us to respond thoughtfully rather than react impulsively. This personal insight builds resilience, helping us bounce back from setbacks and maintain our passion for the profession.

Simple Ways to Integrate Mindfulness into Your Day:

• Mindful Breathing: Take a few deep, conscious breaths between sessions, before documentation, or when feeling overwhelmed.
• Body Scan: Briefly check in with your body for tension, and consciously relax those areas.
• Mindful Walking: Pay attention to the sensations of walking, even if it’s just from one therapy room to another.
• One-Minute Pause: Before entering a new session, take 60 seconds to simply be present, letting go of the previous task.
• Compassion Break: When a challenging moment arises, acknowledge your feelings with kindness, as you would a dear friend.

At Talking Fish Speech Pathology, we encourage our team to embrace mindfulness not as another item on a never-ending to-do list, but as a foundational practice that enriches both our professional lives and the lives of those we serve. By cultivating calm within ourselves, we create a more compassionate and effective environment for everyone.

You have just finished your speech pathology degree – congratulations!

If you want to work in private practice, you will need to join Speech Pathology Australia and register for Provisional Certification so that your clients will be eligible for rebates and funding under Medicare and National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), among other funding schemes. Once you have your certification, you can use the postnominals ‘CPSP’ which stands for Certified Practicing Speech Pathologist.

Speech Pathology Australia has lots of information about the requirements for certification and here at Talking Fish we have read it thoroughly and created a plan to get our new graduate speech pathologists up to standard and feeling confident within their first three months of working with us. From there, it is simply practice, practice, practice (and follow your professional development plan)!

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Week 1: Orientation

• we start with the usual paperwork, getting familiar with resources and technology
• 2 clients per day, there will likely be time to observe other therapists with their clients throughout the week as well
• formal meetings with supervisor on Monday and Friday to get ready for the week and to debrief at the end. Everyone at Talking Fish does a ‘Weekly Wrap-Up’ to summarise their achievements and learnings for the week.

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Week 2: Planning

• this week we create a professional development plan. Everyone at Talking Fish Therapies has one of these and we regularly refer back to them
• begin the Speech Pathology Australia Ethics module. This is one of the requirements for certification
• 2 clients per day plus observation of other clinicians
• formal meetings with supervisor on Monday and Friday to get ready for the week and to debrief at the end

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Week 3: Ethics

• complete the SPA ethics module. This is a 6 hour module so we allow 2 weeks for it to be completed
• 3 clients per day plus observation if time allows
• formal meetings with supervisor on Monday and Friday to get ready for the week and to debrief at the end

by the end of this week you will have completed one of the requirements for certification: completion of the ethics training.

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Week 4: Cultural learning

• a Speech Pathology Australia module on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture is required this week. This is not a requirement for your initial certification but it is very important to the Talking Fish team so we have included it here, early in the new graduate program
• 3 clients per day plus observation if time allows
• formal meetings with supervisor on Monday and Friday to get ready for the week and to debrief at the end

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Week 5: Evidence Based Practice

• Speech Pathology Australia’s Evidence Based Practice module 1
• 3 clients per day plus observation if time allows
• formal meetings with supervisor on Monday and Friday to get ready for the week and to debrief at the end

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Week 6: Evidence Based Practice

• Speech Pathology Australia’s Evidence Based Practice module 2
• 3 clients per day plus observation if time allows
• formal meetings with supervisor on Monday and Friday to get ready for the week and to debrief at the end

by the end of this week you will have completed two more requirements for certification: completion of EBP training and 12 hours of individual supervision

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Week 7-12: Practice, practice, practice

• 4 clients per day
• weekly formal meetings with your supervisor to continue to improve your practice

by the end of this period you will have completed the final requirement for certification: 200 speech pathology practice hours

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From here, everyone’s journey is different. At Talking Fish Therapies we recommend training in DIR Floortime early in your career but this may not be appropriate for everyone, depending on their caseload. This is why a well thought out Professional Development Plan is important and should be referred to often.

If you would like to join us for your new grad year and beyond we would love to hear from you!

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