Finding the right therapist and clinic for you and your family is one of the most important decisions you can make. It is significant because speech pathologists and occupational therapists work closely with individuals to help them with a wide range of skills (E.g. communication, social, emotional, fine motor skills) and foster their development. The perfect fit will make this journey a rewarding, positive and productive experience.

Things to take into consideration when searching for the right therapist and clinic include:

1. Friendly and personable:

Are the receptionists and therapists friendly and personable?  Do they listen to your requests and show that they care about you and your needs?  Do you feel comfortable asking questions?  This is so important to make sure that you find a team that really care about you and your needs / preferences.  

2. Confidence and experience:

Is the clinic a new business or have they been around for a while?  Longer term businesses have the experience and are usually set up with processes and systems more effectively to help their therapists to concentrate on you.  Each clinician has different passions and strengths. It can be useful to have a conversation with clinicians about whether they have worked with individuals with similar challenges to you, so that you feel confident in their ability to identify and support your needs and interests, as well as follow their recommendations. Building a trusting relationship with your clinician and clinic will also enable you to feel more motivated and valued.

3. Professional Development:

Do the therapists attend regular professional development at the clinic you are interested in?  At Hanrahan Health, our clinicians have key learning sessions every week and attend external courses once a quarter.  This helps our team members stay up to date with the latest treatment techniques to keep improving our clinical services all the time!  

4. Communication:

Each therapist and clinic have a different style of communication. Therapists can stay in touch with you through conversations in person, on the phone or via email. Communication is an opportunity to discuss goals and provide feedback. The frequency of this can also vary such as weekly, fortnightly, or monthly. Finding a therapist and clinic that communicates in a style that aligns with you and is flexible with your schedule and needs will ensure that you feel very supported, as well as knowledgeable about the purpose of each session and the progress made.  Make sure you feel comfortable to ask the clinic if you have preferred way or frequency of communicating.  

5. Collaboration:

Therapy is a joint process. The right clinician will listen to what your personal goals and work on them with you as well as other professionals to enhance all aspects of your life. They will also be open and flexible with therapy goals and approaches to adapt to your changing needs, wants and interests. This will ensure that therapy is always led by you, is personal and relevant.

Other tips:

  • Look at the website to see what services the company provides and if this aligns with what you are looking for
  • Phone the company and ask questions to make sure it will be the right fit for you – you really need a company that is available to chat with you when you need to chat – so make sure they call you back on the same day whenever possible if they are not free to chat when you call.  
  • Make sure the company explains what to expect – fees, appointments, paperwork.  This can be overwhelming so best to know up front as much as you can.  

If you do have any questions about our services or clinics, please feel free to reach out at anytime.

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