I am blessed to have the pleasure of introducing you to our February Spotlight, Christy Long! Christy is being recognized this month for her dedication and passion to helping our other DotCom Therapists™. When a therapist needs a fellow therapist to collaborate with regarding materials or other information, Christy is one of the first to volunteer her time to help our therapists. Here is some information to help get to know Christy better!
1.) What made you want to become a speech therapist?
I actually had no idea what a speech-language pathologist was until the end of my sophomore year in college. The counselor needed me to declare a major and I still had NO idea what I wanted to "be”. They sat me down with one of those programs that asks you questions to find out your likes/dislikes and after every analysis it came up with either speech-language pathologist or funeral home director. Yeah...so I looked up the speech career and discovered it could be a nice fit for me. I found a local Bachelor's degree program at the University of Missouri in Kansas City and moved on to Wichita State University where I received my Master's degree.
2.) What made you want to join the DotCom Therapy team?
After 18 years as an in-school therapist it was evident I needed a change. It's true what they say about how burnout happens. I was longing for adventure and needed a new challenge. I had done some research about speech teletherapy services and in my heart knew this was the future of my profession. I wanted in while it was still young! I searched MANY companies and went through about a dozen interviews last summer. I had even accepted a position with a different company but found out soon after that they weren't going to be able to guarantee me that full-time job they'd offered. I got back online and happened to luckily come across DotCom Therapy on a job-search website. First thing that caught my attention was their logo! I LOVED it! I then realized that their base was less than a few hours from my home. It was evident they had a huge social media presence (another interest of mine.) The more I read about how exciting DCT was and how quickly it was growing, the more I wanted on board! I began to feel very positive about my new career. I couldn't believe how fast they responded to questions I had on their Facebook page! (Someone even answered a question I had in the middle of the night!!) My interview with Elise and Ali was awesome! I loved their questions and I felt like I was already making new friends! I knew that if they offered me a job I was going to take it! Here I am in the best job I've ever had!! #Ilovemyjob
3.) What has been your favorite thing about teletherapy?
Too many to choose!! I love my home office. I love having a window. I love not having to drive to work in bad weather. (I love not having to drive to work.) I love wearing slippers to work. I love that I haven't had a sick day since I started this job! I love my new work friends! I love all the support there is for us. Everyone is so friendly and helpful! I love feeling appreciated on the job. I love meeting so many new people. I love telling people I work in Alaska! I love not having that stress ball in my stomach when I think about work. I especially love that it doesn't feel like work any more. It really is FUN!
4.) Fill in the blank. When I’m not working, you’ll most likely find me…
visiting with and/or texting family and friends, searching for new therapy materials and food recipes to pin on my Pinterest boards, watching movies, chatting on Facebook, surfing the web, hoping to find a new restaurant to patronize (I just discovered I like Korean BBQ), and mostly you'll find me trying to make at least one person smile every day. "I just like to smile. Smiling's my favorite!" (Buddy the Elf) :)
Thank you to Christy for being a member of our DotCom Family and for your dedication to supporting our other therapists!