Australian new graduate help
I am a new graduate speech pathologist in aus working in a paediatric private practice and lowkey hating it!! I feel like I’ve chosen the wrong career. Dealing with NDIS is tough, I don’t love my caseload (lots of social communication goals) and I feel completely lost for most of my clients, especially AAC. I feel completely unprepared by uni and I feel like I’m letting my clients down by doing everything wrong. I feel completely ineffective in my sessions and I feel stupid doing therapy in front of parents.
I know this is common for new grads to feel but I can’t help but think in the back of my head that my bad feeling about this career is more than just being a new grad. This whole field of language therapy feels wishy washy and a little bit pseudosciencey now that I’m actually doing it all in practice.
I think I’d like to try out a department for education role in the schools or maybe being a reading tutor?? My main interests that got me into this field are early literacy. But honestly even working on speech sounds feels more concrete and structured compared to what I’m doing in my sessions now, I just don’t have many on my caseload. NDIS clients seem to lend themselves to the kind of therapy I hate doing :(
I’m not sure I just feel lost. I just don’t feel happy where I am with my career right now. If anyone has any advice I would be so grateful.