Learning From My Biggest SLP Mistake

Hi friend! 

Have you ever done something as an SLP that, when you think back to it, it makes you absolutely cringe? 🫣 Because me too! And if I'm being honest, I can almost promise you that you can think of the most notable SLP, an SLP you really look up to, your mentors, any SLP you can think of and know that they have also made mistakes just like you have.

The thing about mistakes though is the only mistake you can make from making mistakes is not learning from them. I think that’s something that SLPs need a reminder of and especially newer SLPs and CFs that are about to start out.

You’re going to make mistakes. Just learn from them.

Now I could just tell you that and you would be like "yeah, yeah, okay," but instead I’ll get a little vulnerable--okay way vulnerable--and tell you one the worst mistakes I've made as an SLP. Truly, I can't believe I’m sharing it because it's a little bit mortifying. But I’m doing it because I want you to see that everyone is capable of making mistakes and that if you’ve made a mistake in your job, you aren’t alone. But you know, even knowing that, some mistakes just stick with you. And this mistake of mine has definitely stuck with me 🫣 It’s from way back in my CF year.

I had a client that I was seeing after school who was older and mainly produced immediate echolalia. We had a routine that as soon as she got to the clinic, she’d go to the bathroom first. And she could do that independently, so I just waited outside the door. Well one day she was just taking awhile and I knocked a couple of times. For the sake of this story, we’ll just call her Sally. So I said, "Sally are you okay?" And Sally would say “okay.” So brand new SLP me just took that as okay. I didn’t have my SLP detective glasses on or anything.

Anyways, time went past and I finally was thinking you know I should just go in and check. As a brand new SLP, and I mean brand new, I didn’t really know the rules or the boundaries with this, but I wanted to make sure she was okay. 

So I just knocked again, and said, “Sally, I’m going to come in and check on you okay.” She replied with, "Okay.” When I walked in, she was just standing up pacing. She then got really frustrated and was pulling on her pants and that’s when I realized…she couldn’t get her pants off by herself. She had on different pants than usual and they were tighter and with a button…but she couldn’t tell me that.

When I asked if she was okay, I was just getting immediate echolalia back. When I tell you, I have never felt more guilty in a moment of my life. I have never felt like more of a complete failure. I just remember trying to stop tears from falling. I felt like I was punched in the gut. So I helped her with her button and exited the bathroom so she could use the restroom.

Now here’s the point of telling this story: I knew in that moment, I made a big mistake. I had all the therapist guilt in the world. But didn't I sit there and sulk in that feeling and let it ruin my week.

No, because in that failure of a moment was also a learning opportunity on both parts. This was a major issue that she couldn’t ask me for help. Or that she couldn’t initiate opening the door to ask me for additional help. So what did I work on the rest of the session? Exactly that! That life skill!

Asking for help. Initiating for help.

I can’t remember if I grabbed the OT or a therapy tech to assist me but by the end of the session, we had successfully worked through that scenario. We did the entire session with her and I on one side of the bathroom door, and another person on the other side just working through that scenario. I turned this horrible start into a productive and successful session. Now it doesn’t always happen like that but the reason I wanted to tell you this is for two reasons.

1. You will make mistakes. Most will be little but some might be big. That doesn’t make you a bad therapist.
2. Learning from your mistakes and taking ACTION from your mistakes is what matters.

It's about what WE can do, what WE can change.

Please don't ever forget that!

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