Maya Kim, SLP

How I decided to be a therapist

My pursuit of becoming an SLP began after realizing the impacts of communication difficulties on quality of life and how my aptitude and strengths can be of use to assist people who seek improvements in communication and cognitive abilities.

How I would like to help clients as a therapist

My goal is to provide efficacious interventions tailored to the specific needs of clients. It is my belief that rather than focusing on a client’s speech and language improvements alone, a holistic analysis on the client’s developmental/rehabilitation needs and corresponding speech and language goals should be integrated into a recurring cycle of reflection. Understanding multiple dimensions of the clients’ life helps me see their expectations towards therapy and target their goals more accurately. I also believe that the therapeutic relationship between the clients/caregivers and the SLP is the foundation of every therapeutic journey. I seek close cooperation with the client’s caregiver(s) through caregiver counseling to maximize intervention efficacy. This allows SLPs to define priorities, foster home-linked learning, and create an optimal environment for generalization.

What my theoretical orientation is as a therapist

To maximize intervention efficacy, person-centered, evidence-based, and functional approaches will be taken into sessions. In line with evidence-based practice, I intend to compose sessions of effective intervention protocols confirmed through research but also provide personalized care. Functional goals that focus on enhancing skills most necessary to carry out the clients’ everyday activities will mainly be dealt within and outside therapy sessions. To integrate speech-language therapy into everyday life, I aim to help caregivers learn how to contribute to facilitating development and rehabilitation of the clients’ communication skills.