Speak Out February 2016

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Speak Out February 2016 19
professional practice news
Five reasons to create a peer support relationship
Some months ago a colleague and I began meeting
regularly at a local cafe. We had gotten to know each other
during meetings of speech pathologists working in private
practice in the area where we live. Over coffee we would
talk mainly about personal and social matters although
professional issues became increasingly prevalent in our
conversations.
Having each previously worked as a speech pathologist
for around ten years in the public health system, we had
experienced the value of discussing professional issues with
colleagues on a regular basis. Now in private practice, the
opportunity to be involved in such discussions was limited. It
soon became clear to us that discussing professional issues
was fulfilling an important role in the running of our respective
private practices. As a consequence, we decided to formalise
our meeting arrangements. Now we meet during each
school holiday and allocate a certain period of time to focus
exclusively on professional issues.
SUPPORT
Our meetings provide a safe, trusting environment in which to
share openly and truthfully areas of concern we might have
regarding the running of our respective practices. Within the
context of our peer support relationship we are provided
with an opportunity to discuss clinical issues relating to client
management and to seek a second opinion where necessary.
TRUST
Trust is at the core of our peer support relationship. Our
meetings provide an opportunity to voice our perceived
limitations along with strengths and to air grievances and
frustrations in confidence.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
During the meetings, we frequently discuss journal articles and
new assessments, as well as keep abreast of ever-changing
administrative issues relating to private practice. The meetings
offer an opportunity to clarify and explore these issues
thoroughly.
EXPLORATION
Our peer support meetings also give us an opportunity to float
and explore ideas, thoughts, and clinical perspectives. We are
provided with the freedom to discuss sensitive issues relevant
to professional practice that might not otherwise be raised
within the context of a larger group of speech pathologists.
DIVERSITY
While our private practices share many similarities there is
also significant diversity within the two caseloads. This allows
for interesting discussions as we share with each other our
knowledge of specific areas of clinical interest. The peer
relationship meetings offer an opportunity to float innovative
ideas and explore their practical application to our respective
areas of interest.
The readiness with which we have embraced and mutually
benefited from our peer support relationship seems to indicate
that we both felt a need for this additional professional
interaction. After working in private practice for over sixteen
years, it is hard to understand why we didn’t do it sooner.
Hilary Cleator
Elaine Lang
Speech pathologists Hilary Cleator and Elaine Lang share how their peer support
relationship has enriched their careers.