Note: This is the first of a three-part series that takes a look at our speech-language pathologists and the work they do. 

As a pediatric private practice, McCulloh Therapeutic Solutions, or MTS, treats children in our own offices – what we call our Greenville and Spartanburg clinics.

Many budding speech therapists and seasoned clinicians often wonder what it is like to serve in a clinical, private setting.

Let’s take a look into the life of a speech-language pathologist, or SLP, in our clinic division!

As a native to Spartanburg, Mary Collins Halligan, CF-SLP, joined our Spartanburg clinic team in September.

“My favorite part about working with the clinic population is the diversity I see,” Mary Collins said. “Every child has their own individual, specific needs, making each hour of my day different. It definitely keeps me on my toes, but I think this is what makes my job so fun and exciting!”

Mary Collins treats 27 patients a week; some children attend two sessions a week. She serves a child once an hour, on the hour.

“As a new therapist, I have really enjoyed working with a variety of kids, as I feel it is helping me gain a better understanding of my strengths, weaknesses, likes and dislikes.”

Mary Collins was recently trained in the Sensory-Oral-Sensory approach to feeding therapy, to better serve her caseload.

Mary Collins loves the camaraderie she experiences with the MTS team.

“You never feel alone, because you are constantly surrounded by awesome coworkers and therapists,” Mary Collins said. “You have the opportunity to work alongside people who support you and want to see your patients succeed just as much as you do.

Something else important to Mary Collins: The bond she gets to form with the children and their families.

“You get the opportunity to spend an hour with each child and form a relationship and care for their families,” Mary Collins said. “This is so important to me, and the opportunity to interact closely with each child’s family is one of the best tools I am given as a clinical therapist.”

Although serving in the clinic has been rewarding and challenging, Mary Collins understands there are still limitations.

“With my school-aged kids, I am missing the relationship with their school teachers,” Mary Collins said. “I communicate with a few of my children’s teachers via email, but it is not as frequent as it would likely be if I worked in the school setting.”

But at the end of the day, the opportunity MTS gives Mary Collins to serve families is what she treasures most.

“The clinic is where families come every week seeking help and hope for their child’s future,” Mary Collins said. “It is an opportunity to serve children with a variety of needs, on an individualized and consistent basis.”

Interested in serving alongside Mary Collins in our clinic division? Ready to take your next steps and give children a voice that lasts forever? Complete your MTSKids application today!