Hi, I’m Valerie! I decided to become a speech pathologist in college. I changed my major after doing volunteer work at my local hospital in the Speech Therapy Department. I saw first hand the impact speech therapists have in helping people with communication disorders. I also had a friend in college who suffered a small stroke and had speech therapy before deciding to go into speech herself which also really had an impact on my decision because I really wanted to help people.
I really try to establish a rapport with my clients and their families before starting therapy. I feel communication and education of patients and their families are the foundation of therapy. In my clinical approach I try to use clients’ interests when developing goals to make therapy more enjoyable and functional. I get a very detailed case history and background before beginning services.
I really enjoy the arts. I’m currently taking art classes. I am a member of The Fairfax Art League and recently had some of my pieces accepted for show. I specialize in mixed media, clay and jewelry making.
Acquired Apraxia
Adult Articulation
Adult Language
Aphasia
Autism Spectrum Disorder
Breathing
Childhood Apraxia of Speech
Dysarthria
Early Language Development
Executive Functioning
Pediatric Articulation/Phonological Disorder
Pediatric Fluency/Stuttering
Pediatric Receptive-Expressive Language Disorder
Pediatric/Adolescent Social-Pragmatics
Tongue Thrust
Traumatic Brain Injury
Voice
