Are You the Typical Speech Pathologist?

Stereotyping is not my intention here. It’s just that I’ve been hanging out on Instagram and Facebook a bit more frequently than usual and – well, okay… if I’m honest I’ve been glued to my phone like a millenial (crap, is that me stereotyping again?) and it’s suddenly dawned on me that SLPs have a lot of things in common apart from being an SLP. And so I made the following observations…

The typical Speech Pathologist loves coffee. They live off coffee. And if it’s hot outside they’ll get an ice coffee in a Guinness World Record size cup. And they have great coffee mugs. And cool fonts. I want to drink from their cool-fonted coffee mugs… but I don’t really drink coffee. I’m a herbal tea kind of SLP. Do they even exist? Lemon and green tea when I wake up. Peppermint tea after lunch and a pot of chamomile at the end of the day.

The typical Speech Pathologist works in a school. I tried it. I couldn’t hack it. I literally wailed “I don’t wanna go to school tomorrow” on my first day as a school SLP. You probably read my confessions. I bow down to you school speechies.

The typical Speech Pathologist is a serious crafter. Pleeeeeeease can you just come and set up crafts for me? Or let me sit in on a session? Can I rub your crafty hands and hope it’s contagious? I want to turn toilet paper rolls into fairy castles and make articulation friendship bracelets too! I wanna take pictures of my beaming kids with their proud creative faces and have everyone ooh and aah over my Pinterest worthy activities!! Buuuut… I just don’t have that kind passion for doing crafts. I DO have a passion for admiring crafts though.

The typical Speech Pathologist also has a thing for wine. They know that Friday night = feet up with a glass in their hands. These SLPs can tell all the wine jokes and most have a funny quip such as “The first thing on my bucket list is to fill the bucket with wine”. Which I do laugh at. I may have said this myself as a 20 something. But now (sob) I have allergic reactions to most wines. Yes, it’s a thing. Sadly. Very sadly. So excuse me while I sit back with my chamomile and skim Instagram pics of chillaxed SLPs.

The typical Speech Pathologist has a strong faith with big, big hearts. It’s really inspiring to learn how faith can uplift and transform your life and everyday decisions. During my travels, I’ve experienced the joy of nearly every religion but I also ‘read’ cards. From Oracle decks to Tarot, Fairy to Soul cards. Reading cards is what feels natural to me. When I’m stressed, sad, or overwhelmed I just pick the deck that I know will give me the clarity or support that I’m looking for. I’d love to read for YOU one day. You’ll be surprised 🙂

The typical Speech Pathologist is American. Which means that a lot of the cool SLP therapy activities that I see involving Thanksgiving, Halloween and Winter just don’t apply to where I’m from. I feel a little therapeutically left out! I mean there are 15,000 people expected at the ASHA conference this year… I don’t think we even have 15,000 SLPs in Australia! Maybe you guys can come up with some cool crafty resources to celebrate Australia Day, Boxing Day and the Queens’ Birthday???

The typical Speech Pathologist has a dog or a cat. Or two dogs and three cats. Or some combination like that. I have a bird. He eats my cereal, we communicate through whistles and he sleeps under my sweater cos he’s afraid of the dark. You either tolerate birds or the sight of them flapping their wings scares the bejeebers out of you. Now I’m no cat and dog hater, I’ve had both before. The truth. The 100% honest truth is that I have a great sense of smell and whenever I visit people with dogs, all I smell is poo when I go in their backyard. And I just don’t wanna be smelling that everyday.

So yes, sometimes when I look on social media I feel like I am not like anyone else.

Like I’m the weird, unpopular SLP who doesn’t have the same interests as the majority.

In an age where ‘connecting’ is key, I’d love to be able to connect. Soooo…are there any Estonian, snake owning, uncrafty SLP Buddhists who work in geriatrics and drink their cucumber flavored water out of mason jars? I’d love to know you!

• Comment below if WE sound like each other? Or let me know if I missed something in my (innocent, people, innocent) observations.
• Let’s see test our compatibility! Follow me on Instagram and let’s see if we ‘like’ each other.
• See if the things that I ‘share’ on Facebook are worthy of stopping your scrolling finger.

* P.S. I think all SLPs have a great sense of humour, am I right?