Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Tanya Tapia. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Tanya , appreciate you joining us today. If you had a defining moment that you feel really changed the trajectory of your career, we’d love to hear the story and details.
When I think of defining moments, I think of accomplishment and great success. I picture in my mind someone standing on a 1st place pedestal or delivering a key note presentation. I definitely do not imagine someone sitting in a dark room feeling completely hopeless and devastated, but yet that is how I felt during my defining moment. My moment came in the form of a phone call with my undergrad academic advisor. I will never forget her words as she suggested I pursue a different career path as I would never be able to get into a speech pathology graduate program with my final undergrad grades as they show that I cannot handle the coursework. To say that I felt as if the weight of the world had fallen on my shoulders would be an understatement. To fully understand my devastation, you would first need to understand my struggle. At 24 years old, I moved my young family consisting of my 1 year old son and husband, to Arizona, away from nearly all of our family, so that I could attend Arizona State University’s Speech and Hearing Program. All of our savings went into moving from California and starting a new life with bright prospects. A few weeks into my first semester, I began feeling stomach pains. With no health insurance at the time, and extremely limited finances, I kept putting it off and chalking the pain up to just about anything I could as nonchalantly as I could, until I couldn’t anymore. The weeks I spent avoiding the $75 dollar urgent care fee all came crashing down one night when I ended up in the hospital needing emergency gall bladder surgery. It was okay- this was an extremely common laparoscopic surgery and I would be back home in a few hours and back to my coursework- at least that is what I thought. Complications from a mistake made by the surgeon turned this simple routine surgery into a nightmare. Thirty minutes quickly turned into a 6 hour open surgery that would turn my world upside down. I did not in fact return to my coursework. I remained in the hospital for a few weeks, and then returned for a few more weeks due to complications. My bright outlook on our new life here in Arizona was now dreary and terrifying. My time in the hospital gave me first hand experience of things I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. The depression from being away from my toddler and feeling like a burden to my family was only exacerbated when I had to request a medical leave from school to address my health. Despite all of this, I returned to school, pushed forward, attended every class, went to all of my doctor appointments, and even gave birth to our second son. Things were going great, I was working hard and took as many classes as I could to try to catch up. Finally things were looking up until one day they came crashing down. I had stayed at school to work on a group project but had to leave early. Something wasn’t right. My husband rushed me to the hospital and after initial lab work came back they began to get my discharge papers ready. I begged and pleaded, insisting that something was wrong. The ER doctor said given my unique medical history he was going to run a few more tests. Not long after, he returned with a concerned look on his face. There it was, he believed me now also. I was in liver failure, septic, and was definitely not returning home to my 3 month old son who was eagerly awaiting his next feeding. Back in the hospital I went refusing pain medication as long as I could, pumping and dumping to keep my breast milk supply up, all while keeping my spirits high. I had to stay in the hospital for a few weeks and underwent various medical procedures but I was determined and returned right to school. I pressed forward, trying to make bile drainage bags fashionable at a college, and refusing to cry when they would accidentally open and spill all over me right before a test. I took finals with my mom waiting outside with my infant son and refused pain medication so that I could stay alert in class. The stress of my out of state tuition paired with child care costs and unexpected medical expenses was not exactly the ideal financial situation. I was determined to graduate so that I could help carry the financial weight rather than add to it. My bachelors degree and the ability to work as a speech language pathology assistant was my goal line. I worked day in and day out determined to reach the finish line. My grades were not ideal but they were sustainable. They got me my degree and I did it. Despite the mental and physical challenges I had to face, I only graduated one semester behind schedule. I worked for a few years and when it came time to start thinking about graduate school I quickly realized that I selected a career with very competitive programs. I had great letters of recommendation, a personal statement outlining the difficulties I had to face during undergrad, yet my applications couldn’t get past the initial step because my GPA was not competitive enough. I was desperate and needed guidance. I loved the field, worked hard, had experience, and I just needed someone to talk to with more insight than I had. So I made the call. The call that made me feel small and worthless. Those words of “guidance” hurt more than any physical pain I had endured in those past few years. I hung up the phone and sat there, in a dark room and cried. I wasn’t good enough. I failed. I focused on the short term finish line without considering the long term goal. No matter how many times I said that to myself in that dark room… I didn’t believe it. I wiped my tears, stood up, and began doing research. I WOULD get into a speech pathology program and I WOULD become a speech pathologist because I WAS capable, I just needed to believe in myself. That phone call is my defining moment because it was the moment I didn’t let the world or words of others define me. I went on to get accepted to a graduate program in a related field of special education. I graduated with a 4.0 and received a Masters of Education in Special Education and Early Childhood Education in November and was accepted into a speech pathology program the next month. I completed a rigorous expedited program while being pregnant with our fourth child. I graduated with honors, a 4.0 GPA, and Masters of Science in Speech Language Pathology. I have been working as a Nationally Certified Speech Language Pathologist in the schools for four years now and have started my own small private practice delivering in-home speech therapy services to my local community. That phone call lit a spark in me, and as much as it hurt, I will forever be grateful for those words.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
As long as I can remember, I always wanted to be a teacher. That was my plan and what I thought would be my career. During a preschool practicum class at my local community college, my professor pulled me aside. I began panicking thinking I may have delivered a lesson incorrectly or some other error. To my surprise she asked me if I had ever thought of becoming a speech language pathologist (SLP). I had no idea what she was referring to and reminded her that I was on a course to become a teacher. She did not accept this answer without me agreeing to go and observe a few local SLPs. She shared that the way I structure my lesson plans really echoed that of an SLP always focusing on communication. Needless to say, I fell in love with a career that I had never even heard of.
Flash forward 12 years, I am a nationally certified pediatric speech-language pathologist based in Maricopa, AZ. I hold a Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology and a Master of Education in Early Childhood Education and Special Education, along with an Associate’s degree in Child Development specializing in infant and toddler development. In addition, I am trained in the It Takes Two to Talk® program, which supports parents of young children with language delays in building strong communication skills through everyday interactions. My educational background provides me with a comprehensive understanding of the communication and developmental needs of young children. I work full time for a local school district as well as own and operate my own small private practice, Tapia Speech and Language Services, LLC, which provides in-home based pediatric speech and language therapy services to the community of Maricopa, Arizona.
Throughout my career, I have had the privilege of working with a diverse range of communication challenges, including cleft palate, apraxia, fluency disorders, phonological disorders, articulation disorders, and language disorders. In addition, I am particularly passionate about working with multilingual children, ensuring that I offer culturally responsive therapy that supports language development across all of their languages.
Each child I work with is unique, and I am dedicated to helping them communicate effectively. I strive to create engaging and personalized therapeutic experiences that empower every individual on their communication journey. While I have experience with clients of all ages, my true passion lies in supporting toddlers and early elementary-aged children. I look forward to partnering with you on your child’s communication journey, helping them express themselves confidently and effectively!
Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?
The most effective way I’ve grown my clientele has been through word of mouth, especially on social media. I work full-time for a local school district and have summers off, so I decided to start a small private practice to supplement my income. At first, I wasn’t sure where to begin, but in today’s world most people turn to social media for information about local services and community happenings, so that is where I started.
I already had an Instagram account I had been using to document my journey as an SLP. I linked a business page to it and shared a few posts advertising summer speech sessions. Originally, I only planned to offer therapy during the summer months. However, every family I worked with asked if I would continue throughout the school year, which encouraged me to keep going. Working full-time in the schools, running my practice on the side, and raising four children left me little time to actively advertise. Instead, the relationships I built with families made the biggest impact. Whenever someone in the community asked about speech therapy, my clients would tag me and share my page. As I connected with more families through direct services, consultations, and parent enrichment classes, the recommendations continued to grow.
Nearly every client I have welcomed into my practice has come through word of mouth, with many parents saying they heard positive things about my services from several families in the community. Taking the time to build strong relationships has made word of mouth on social media the most powerful way to grow my practice.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
The number one thing I focus on in my practice is building relationships. I know my skills and clinical work are strong, but true progress depends on the buy-in from the families and children I serve. Without positive, respectful, and supportive relationships, the services I provide would lose meaning, have less function, and may not carry over outside of therapy sessions.The advice I give and the goals I target are always individualized to the unique needs of each child and family. Communication is a universal right, yet everyone communicates differently. That is why the time I spend building rapport is just as important as the skills I teach. While efficiency and success matter in clinical work, what I truly want to be remembered for is the service I provide. I entered this field to help others, and I keep that at the center of everything I do. Sometimes that means I am not the best fit for a family’s specific needs, but I never stop the conversation there. I make it a priority to answer questions, share knowledge, and guide families toward resources that will support them best. I pour my time and energy into building strong relationships, and I believe that is what resonates most with families in my community who are looking for a speech therapist for their child.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://tapiaspeechandlanguageservices.wordpress.com/
- Instagram: @theaz_slp
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558374539253
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tanya-tapia-3b0846b2
Image Credits
Ann Phalen
Noranna Photo
www.norannaphoto.com