SLP Survival Guide: Shannon Kennedy on Tools, Burnout & CF Year Lessons

About this episode

Shannon Kennedy discusses her journey in speech therapy, insights on the CF year, and advice for future SLPs.

On this episode of The All About Kids Podcast, we’re joined by Shannon Kennedy, a certified speech-language pathologist and former Clinical Fellow here at All About Kids. Shannon takes us through her journey into the world of speech therapy — from her early inspiration to that powerful moment when everything clicked and she knew she was right where she was supposed to be. We talk about what it’s really like during your CF year, what she wishes she had known going into it, and how she’s learned to navigate one of the most important — and often overlooked — aspects of the job: the parent-therapist dynamic. Shannon also opens up about misconceptions around the SLP field, how to spot burnout, and what keeps her inspired. Plus, she shares her favorite tools and toys for therapy sessions, and gives thoughtful advice for grad students and future CFs stepping into the field. Whether you’re an aspiring SLP, a seasoned therapist, or someone who just wants to understand the heart behind this work — this episode has something for you.

People in this episode

Host: All About Kids

Guest: Shannon Kennedy

Topics covered

• speech therapy
• burnout
• parent-therapist dynamic
• clinical fellowship
• tools for therapy
• graduate advice

Keywords

• speech therapy
• SLP
• burnout
• clinical fellow
• therapy tools
• parent-therapist relationship
• graduate students

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: All About Kids, speech-language pathologist

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