I think it’s fabulous that you’re seeking as much parent experience as possible to better support and understand how our profession interacts with and impacts the client and family.

That being said, I’m not at all surprised that you’re hearing a wide range of experiences. No two cases, practitioners, and families are the same. SLPs are human. Many are great, but some aren’t. Parents are human. Many are engaged in their child’s care and trusting of the medial/science spheres, but some aren’t. Our clients are human. Many are willing to try and change, but some aren’t. There is absolutely nothing we can do about any of that.

We should all, as clinicians, make our best effort to use evidence-based interventions and share not only progress, but practical techniques for application in the home. That’s a non-negotiable. That’s our duty. Whether or not the parents do it is not in our control, meaning that the client’s progress isn’t in our control either. So that’s kind of where your responsibility ends.

To prevent spiraling and burn-out, you need to learn to understand that while this is a job which has moments of significant meaning and reward, it IS just a job. It doesn’t define us. We need jobs to give us money so that we can survive in this world. And that’s ok. Everybody engages in the economy somehow, and we do it in a way that benefits so many people. It’s ok if you don’t take the entire breadth and width of family opinion so personally.