Are you feeling burned out and constrained in regular SLP or OT settings? Looking for something a little more outside the box?

In this episode of Private Practice Success Stories, I sat down with Carolyn Parker, a Start Your Private Practice program student,  who was feeling that way too. She decided to do something different and started her very own nature-based private practice where she could get outside with the kids she serves and help them thrive. 

Since then, she has found so much joy and freedom in her work. 

Carolyn (she/her) is a speech-language pathologist in the heart of Central Michigan. She opened her private practice, Stepping Stones Speech Therapy, PLLC, in the summer of 2021 as a way to supplement income and pursue something new. 

In the fall of 2022, Carolyn left her full-time school position as an SLP and AAC consultant to pursue her private practice. Stepping Stones Speech Therapy offers pediatric, in-home therapy focusing on early language, speech sound disorders, and augmentative & alternative communication. 

Carolyn is passionate about inclusion in the outdoors and uses nature and natural materials as therapy tools in her practice. She enjoys teaching educators and therapists about the benefits of outdoor time and nature-based learning for students with disabilities through her Instagram account, @theoutsideSLP.

In Today's Episode, We Discuss:

• Why Carolyn decided to start a private practice 
• How she got her first client
• Why she decided to specialize in nature-based therapy
• How she incorporates nature into her therapy sessions
• How word-of-mouth marketing has helped grow her business
• Her plans for the future of her private practice
• Why it’s okay to think outside the box and try new things

Take this episode as your permission to try new things and see what works. Whatever is in your heart of hearts, just try it! Don’t think that it’s weird, crazy, or that it can’t be done. You can thrive outside of a traditional setting, just like Carolyn.

To learn more about The Start Your Private Practice Program, please visit www.StartYourPrivatePractice.com

Whether you want to start a private practice or grow your existing private practice, I can help you get the freedom, flexibility, fulfillment, and financial abundance that you deserve. Visit my website www.independentclinician.com to learn more.

Resources Mentioned: 

Follow Carolyn on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theoutsideslp/

Visit Carolyn’s website: https://www.steppingstonesspeech.net/

Where We Can Connect: 

Follow the Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/private-practice-success-stories/id1374716199

Follow Me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/independentclinician/

Follow Me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jena.castrocasbon/