Welcome to the Illuminate Pediatric Therapies Blog!
Hi! My name is Briana. I'm a speech-language pathologist and owner of Illuminate Pediatric Therapies. After graduating with my master’s degree from Towson University I was unsure of the path I wanted to take with my career. Peds, adults, schools, private practice? Everyone else seemed to have their hearts set on a particular population but so many areas seemed interesting to me. So, I took a job with a large, local school district to gain more experience, get my C's and finally take home a paycheck!
Over the next 10 years I worked in the schools, early intervention, and private practices. I provided services in every kind of environment - classrooms, homes, daycares, libraries, parks, stores, virtually and more. Over time I came to realize how much I loved pediatrics. I loved getting on the floor to play with toys and teaching parents about things like development and neurodiversity. I saw first-hand how powerful communication is. I also began wade into the world of feeding, tongue tie and myofunctional disorders. This was fueled by my own suspicions that I had tongue tie which was impacting my health and functioning in many different ways.
Earlier this year I returned to my full-time job from maternity leave. Life at home was completely changed by a new baby. It felt like it might be time for a change in my career as well. Several months later, I listened to that gut feeling and decided to make the leap into running my own private practice. Like most changes, the unknown is scary, but I am so excited for what the future holds!
5 Fun Things About Me
In case you couldn't tell by the reference in the blog title, I am a Swiftie. No shame. Tay and I are Sagittarius sisters.
We are a frenectomy family! I had tongue and lip tie releases done in January 2022 and my son had them done shortly after he was born later that same year.
My husband and I met playing kickball in a social sports league. I was there more for the social than the sports. One game the whole team cheered for me when I caught a ball in the outfield. It didn't have any major impact on the game. They were just proud of me for actually catching it.
My happy place is on Long Beach Island in New Jersey. My family has been vacationing there with friends who have become family for over 30 years.
My favorite food is pizza but I haven't eaten any in almost a year. A YEAR! I am still on my breastfeeding journey with my baby and I had to cut dairy out near the very beginning for him. It's true what they say about making sacrifices for your kids.
Peace Out, Girl Scouts
Comentários