Today we’d like to introduce you to Heather Mundy.
Hi Heather, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I graduated from college with a business degree. After working in finance for a few years, I wanted a profession more directly tied to helping others. My mother-in-law was a speech-language pathologist for many years, and it brought her so much joy. That is what made me interested in speech-language pathology. I went back to school and got a master’s degree in the field. After I finished graduate school, my husband and I moved to Vancouver, Canada, for 6 years while he attended graduate school, and I worked in the school system there. Then we moved to Williamsburg for my husband’s job. I started working in the school system here in 2017 and started my private practice in 2021, Mundy Speech Therapy, focusing on speech sound disorders.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I took time off to stay home with my children when they were young, and it was a challenging transition to return to the field. The field had changed somewhat while I was away, and I had to learn employer-specific policies and computer systems.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
My practice is focused exclusively on speech sound disorders in children. I work with kids who have difficulty producing certain sounds, such as L or R, and I really enjoy specializing in this one area rather than trying to do a little bit of everything.
One of my favorite parts of the work is getting to know the children and their families. Most parents choose to sit in on therapy sessions, so they see what we’re working on and are part of the process. I think that involvement is really valuable.
Because I have my own practice, I also have the flexibility to work at a pace that feels right for each child. Sessions are typically 45 minutes, which gives us time to work without feeling rushed.
I also wear all the hats in my practice—I’m the therapist, administrator, marketer, scheduler, and everything in between. It can be a lot, but I’m thankful to have a practice that is very focused and personal. Families know exactly what I specialize in, and I’m able to give each child and family a level of individual attention that’s important to me.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
There are so many more resources available today than when I was starting out. Through Instagram and other platforms, you can watch other SLPs provide therapy, share tips, and recommend resources. There are also many SLPs creating very focused materials for specific areas of speech therapy.
At the same time, I think it’s important to be thoughtful about what you use and make sure the advice and products you’re relying on are evidence-based.
Professional development can also be especially helpful when you’re starting out, particularly courses taught by clinicians who are actively working in the field. And if you have the opportunity to find a mentor, or even just another SLP you can consult with when questions come up, I think that can be very helpful too.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.mundyspeechtherapy.com
