Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Michele Sweigart
Hi Stephanie, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
There’s just so much I want to share with you, but one of the most important things is how…
Learning mindfulness-based and compassion-based strategies has transformed my personal and professional life with greater well-being.
After graduate school, I hopped around from assignment to assignment trying to find that perfect job and where I fit in best as a speech clinician. Right when I thought I found my ideal work site and position in Los Angeles, it only took a few weeks in this new role to realize I was completely disconnected from the team members in the organization. A few co-workers shared their first impressions and beliefs about me to one another based on a misunderstanding around a black ink tattoo of a sun that was visible on my foot. One morning, I was called into the director’s office regarding the team’s worries and concerns about my values. My brand-new job was on the line, and I was heartbroken hearing the inaccurate thoughts and rumors about my character that were circulating. I immediately felt devastated, alone, and nervous to be on campus. These feelings continued to show up each day of work. One particular day, I left my desk to sob in my car. I wanted to lash out, quit my job, and numb my pain. I wanted to run home and sulk on my couch and never look back at this assignment.
While sitting in my car, highly emotional and reactive, my phone rang. It was the new Occupational Therapist (OT) calling me to collaborate on a shared client. Bursting into tears, I told her that I was not available to be in a work conversation at that moment. Naturally, she asked me what happened, so I poured my heart out to her. Trying to catch my breath between words, I explained the story with raw emotions. It didn’t feel fair that this was happening to me, and I wanted to close off.
Something happened in that vulnerable moment, sharing my experience with the OT, where everything changed. She helped ground me, recognizing where I was in that moment without judgment or blame. She swiftly guided me through my pain and suffering using mindfulness and compassion-based strategies to help me focus and recenter myself. Her first simple method, stop and take a breath, halted my victim train dead in its tracks. Her mindfulness strategies, at that critical moment, were transformative. I stopped resisting what was happening to me, and I opened up to the life I was presently experiencing. I was released from my defensiveness and the obsessive emotions and thoughts around the story. I arrived at a place of present-minded awareness and compassion, a place of calmness, clarity, and wisdom.
After my brief conversation with the OT, where she utilized evidence-based tools of mindfulness, I was able to find my center, use wise speech and advocate for myself to the team without coming from a place of negativity and blame. I spoke from a place in my heart, a place of wisdom and compassion. This was a place where I could be received and heard and a place where I could be open to hearing from others. I didn’t throw judgment but rather curiosity and interest in the team’s perceptions. We were able to peacefully open the dialogue to understand each other’s views. We were able to come to the truth and a mutual understanding, one of respect and consideration. This made for more productive collaboration with the professionals at the school site for the rest of the year. I didn’t need to run home to my couch to solve this. I needed to run “home” to that place in my heart, the place of belonging, the place of living from and being right where I was in the moment. I owe that outcome to the science-backed tools that the OT, my friend, taught me in that moment of what felt like great suffering.
As more challenges and difficulties came my way, because they always do, I longed for that feeling of calm and relaxation that came from practicing mindfulness and compassion-based strategies. I longed to get “home” to that grounding feeling where the world wasn’t spinning out of control under my feet. Mindfulness was truly the door for me getting “home”.
Since that pivotal moment in time in 2011, I have deepened my faith and my practice with mindfulness, compassion-based practices and meditation. I discovered and read books on the topics. I took numerous courses when they came up. I got a life coach. You name it, I sought it. I WANTED TO LEARN FROM THE BEST!
I completed an online 2-year training in Awareness and Compassion-Based practices. I now hold a Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification, provided by Sounds True, in partnership with the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley. My instructors include some of the world’s most respected mindfulness teachers of modern day: Jack Kornfield, Tara Brach, Eckhart Tolle, Ruth King, Kristin Neff, and so many others.
I’VE TRANSITIONED FROM BEING A REACTIVE AND STRESSED SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST (SLP).
I’ve experienced firsthand the transition from being an emotional, reactive, and stressed-out SLP to being a more compassionate, intentional, and patient SLP who knows how to establish boundaries, advocate for my needs, show up with more wisdom, clarity, and care for my emotional and physical well-being.
I am continually learning how I can show up in my role as my BEST self.
More than anything else, I want the same for other professionals in the special education field.
I place a strong value on health and well-being, work-life balance, compassionate communication, sustainability, and self-development. I place a strong importance on thankful appreciation, generosity, and kindness. And since 2011 I have made a conscious choice to share holistic professional development with those who need it the most. So special educators and professionals can continue to enjoy their field and the clients they work with on a daily basis. School districts are seeing an all-time high in the shortage of qualified SLPs that desire to work in the school settings due to the expectations and demands placed on the speech therapists. More and more SLPs are experiencing burnout, overwhelm, and fatigue. They are losing sight of their passion and the reason they entered this field.
My mission is to support these professionals with courses containing science-backed principles that take care of them as a whole person. So, they can show up as their best selves in their roles while supporting those who need them the most. It is an uphill battle right now, but it is one that we cannot ignore. Now more than ever, we need to strengthen our inner resources so that we can stand tall and strong in the face of difficulties and adversity. Now more than ever, we need to know how to compassionately self-advocate and set boundaries so that our work is sustainable and we can continue to touch lives in LA County. Our children and our adults in this city, who have unique needs that are supported by Speech-Language Pathologists, need us.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Many years ago, before I was introduced to the healthier forms of self-care that I practice, and before I started the work I needed to do on my own personal development, my emotions would get the best of me. I was on a roller coaster ride of emotions and making decisions based on how I felt at the moment. I was emotional a lot and coming from a place of quick reactivity. This way of living was not serving me…
I made choices on the job impulsively at times without thinking them through. I responded to people quickly and perhaps arrogantly without really thinking through what the best thing to say may be. And later, I would have regret. I did not always collaborate with other team members in the most mature way, thinking that only an SLP knows best about speech-related issues. My thinking was narrow-minded. I did not demonstrate a beginner’s mind. My ego thought I sort of knew it all- which is crazy, looking back now and seeing how much I really needed to grow. And complaining to multiple people over and over just wasn’t changing the game. I wasn’t wrong to experience these emotions, but how I was handling those situations in my life needed improvement.
My life seemed unstable at times, which happens as you live from your emotions, responding and acting out from your emotions which are always changing. I want to normalize this. And if others are feeling this way, know that you are not alone. We want to go out into the world and change it, and make a difference. But we don’t always know how or where to start.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Welcome to my world, where mindfulness and compassion meet special education! In my business, I’m the leading the way with mindfulness and compassion-based practices for special education teams in LA County. As someone certified as both a Teacher of Mindfulness Meditation and a Speech-Language Pathologist, I’m on a mission to transform the way educators and clinicians approach their work. Change begins with us. Not by changing our environment but by changing ourselves.
In 2013, I founded Golden State Speech Pathology Services, Inc., a woman-owned Non-Public Agency where the magic happens. We have a team of speech therapists that contract to school districts in Los Angeles County. At Golden State, I also specialize in empowering speech-language pathologists with holistic professional development that goes beyond the classroom. My courses, “ShiftMakers: 1.0” and “The Framework to Becoming a Mindful Speech Clinician,” are gearing up to revolutionize the industry by helping clinicians integrate mindfulness and compassion into their practice.
What sets me apart? It’s my unwavering commitment to personal and professional growth. I believe that the best way to support our students/clients is by first nurturing ourselves. My groundbreaking work, which has earned me a spot as a presenter at the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s national convention in 2023, is all about supporting a compassionate and mindful approach to interprofessional communication.
Brand-wise, I am most proud of my role in shaping a new generation of mindful and compassionate speech clinicians. My brand-new offerings don’t just stop at courses; I am also a speaker and YouTube host for SpeechTherapyPD.com, where I share my insights and passion for holistic practices. You may have heard me on popular podcasts like “Speechie Side Up,” “First Bite,” and “Speech Science Podcast,” where my thought leadership continues to inspire and educate.
What do I want you to know about Golden State? I am not just about quick fixes or superficial strategies. My focus is on deep, transformative growth that benefits both educators and their students. My dedication to clear and compassionate communication is at the heart of everything I do.
What are your plans for the future?
I’m eager to grow my brand awareness and reach a wider audience, bringing more participants into my courses. By leveraging social media, speaking engagements, and collaborations with like-minded organizations, my desire is to showcase the transformative power of mindfulness and compassion-based practices in special education. Additionally, I plan to expand my online presence through engaging content and interactive workshops, making it easier for educators and clinicians to discover and benefit from my holistic professional development programs.
On a personal note, I’m excited to continue my own work with The Center for Nonviolent Communication and incorporate more of their principles into my programs. Continued personal education in these intensive trainings provided by CNVC aligns perfectly with my mission to promote clear and compassionate communication in the workplace.
The future holds a lot of promise and growth for Golden State Speech Pathology Services, Inc. I’m dedicated to making a profound impact in the field of special education and beyond, and I can’t wait to see where this journey takes me next!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://goldenstateofmindpd.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/golden.state.slp/
