Download the show notes and full transcript of the conversation.
In this episode, the first in the new “Mental Health Talk” series, Wilson Nice, SLP, shares her story of overcoming a crisis point in her life. We talk about how she has navigated different diagnoses and recovery, and also a number of very practical first steps you can take and/or explore that may help when you need to to take care of you.
Discussion & Reflection Questions
- What actions, big or small, can you take to help take care of your mental health?
- What types of tools and resources can you utilize to get well, be well, and stay well? Do you think these may change over time?
- If you have a diagnosis of a mental health condition, do you know what the indicated treatments are for that condition to manage symptoms, recover, and become well?
- Do you have a trusted support system or “dream team” in your life to help with your wellbeing and self-care? Think colleagues, family, friends, and yes, your fur family count here too! Or maybe you are in a position to be able to provide support, or be part of someone else’s dream team?
- Do you know where to go if/when you are in crisis? Explore options in your area in case you need emergency help.
“When we feel overwhelmed, and feel such intense emotions we feel we cannot tolerate it, it is helpful to tell ourselves “It is 100 percent true that I feel this way, with this intensity, right now. And it is very likely that I will not always feel this way.” That is the dialectic. That is what works for me. Also, “There is a skill I can try, even in this situation.”
– Wilson Nice
Wilson Nice, MA, CCC-SLP
Wilson Nice is a speech pathologist who initially graduated from Oklahoma State University in 2000.
She has a resource website Nice Speech Lady — where she offers resources for working with adults on the medical side of the field. She has handouts, home programs, testing assistance aides, logistical forms, nourishment resources for mental wellness, and more. The goal of the website is to have practical, useful tools for everyday speech pathology practice from an evidence-based standpoint. Wilson also has recently moved from a skilled nursing facility independent contractor role to an adult medical tele-practitioner role, all the while being a mother to her and her husband’s three adult sons and a dog-Mom to her shitzu.
Wilson wants to share her mental health recovery story with us, as we discuss the concept of the SLP in crisis (which she has experienced, in the past) and because of this, she is sometimes at-risk of becoming, again.
Nice Speech Lady – Telepractice site
Nice Speech Lady – YouTube Channel
Nice Speech Lady – Self-Care Assessment Tool
Nice Speech Lady – Self-care blog posts
“For the SLP in crisis, or the SLP “at-risk” for being in crisis — you are definitely not alone, and there are things you can do. There is always something you can do”.
– Mattie Murrey-Tegels
Mattie Murrey Tegel, MA, CCC-SLP, L, CPC, CLSC
Medical Speech-Language Pathologist and Founder of Fresh SLP
Mattie Murrey-Tegels is the founder and SLP behind Fresh SLP and The Missing Link for SLPs Podcast. She’s been “in-the-trenches” as a medical SLP around the world for over 25 years and now an Assistant Professor for 3 years. She is thrilled to be adding this dream of a podcast because paying her experiences forward is something she is very passionate about. If you ask her patients and students, one thing they will remember is how much she loves her job! She may not look like it but she is a huge introvert and when she is not actively working as an SLP, she is almost always reading, writing (writing over 1,000,000 words a year), or listening to amazing Chicago Blues bands. She also loves being outdoors and definitely enjoys soaking up the sun at her home in Minnesota, where warm and sunny days can be limited. She’s ridden motorcycles for many years, raced sled dogs, hiked huge mountains yet she cherishes the quiet moments of climbing into a hammock to nap or timeless conversations with friends and family.
The Missing Link for SLPs podcast and Fresh SLP is her legacy, giving back to a career that has so richly rewarded her.
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Not a substitute for a formal SLP education or medical advice for patients/caregivers.
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