“Communicating and swallowing are two abilities that many people are able to do naturally. I think many people may not consider that those abilities could be affected, or even lost, after a critical illness or event, like a stroke. It can be really devastating. As a speech language pathologist (SLP), I have the privilege of being a part of my patients’ recovery journeys.

My fellow SLPs and health care workers who I’ve been surrounded by are all very knowledgeable and experienced. My professional and clinical skills have benefitted, even just by interacting with and observing them.

Tiffany has recently received her certification to practice Modified Barium Swallows, “which is a special kind of assessment that involves looking at a patient’s swallow under an X-ray. It took a lot of training and supervision from the amazing SLP teams at Royal Columbian and Ridge Meadows Hospital!”

“If you’re considering a career as a speech language pathologist, I recommend you job shadow as much as you can, and ask all the questions you can think of! The field of SLP in general is quite broad, and there’s so much to learn.

I recently moved to Coquitlam (Tri-Cities) last summer. I love that there’s the perfect mix of nature and city living. You’re close by to trails and mountains, but all your city needs are still easily accessible. I also love being in nature. You can always find me by the water in the summer – kayaking, swimming, paddle boarding. I also like camping and the occasional hike!”

We asked Tiffany what she does for her mental health to help stay healthy and well outside of work.

“Exercise is my biggest stress reliever, and I’ve recently been trying to get more into meditation and the practice of mindfulness. I’m also very lucky to have amazing friends/family – spending time and laughing with them definitely helps keep my mind healthy. Also, petting my cats is huge [to help support my] mental health.”