Today we’d like to introduce you to Yasmin Rios-Schultz.
Hi Yasmin, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I moved to Austin in 2010, shortly after graduate school, and gained a great deal of experience and skills working as a speech language pathologist in a variety of healthcare settings, with adults. I loved connecting with adults and geriatric clients, hearing their stories and helping them through the challenges they were facing.
During Covid, while working in a large retirement community, dressing in full PPE to see clients for therapy sessions, I knew I needed a change. My passion for helping seniors with their communication, cognitive, and swallowing needs was still strong, but the pull for providing more personalized 1:1 care in clients’ homes, or via telehealth, for those living in rural and outlying areas, was stronger. I began learning how to form an LLC, and initiated the steps to opening up my business during the late night hours and weekends, while still maintaining my full-time job. Eventually, I began receiving referrals for clients in my own business and made a slow exit from working in the corporate healthcare world. For the past 5 years, I have been providing speech therapy services to adult clients in in their homes in the Austin area, and via telehealth, to those in other areas of Texas. Working for myself has allowed me the freedom to find the balance between home, family, and career, that was missing while working in corporate healthcare.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
While transitioning from working full-time and starting my own business on the side, I was in a very busy and more time-consuming season of my life. Eventually, taking the leap and stepping away from the safety of a more traditional healthcare position, was nerve-wracking, yet exciting, and very worth it in the end. Being my own boss, has opened up a world of freedom and opportunity that I did not previously have, and all the hard work was worth it.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a medical SLP or speech language pathologist specializing in cognitive, communication, and swallowing therapy for adults suffering from neurological impairments. I hold certifications for voice therapies specifically designed for people living with Parkinson’s Disease. My clientele also includes adults with mild cognitive impairment, dementia, traumatic brain injuries, strokes and other medical conditions. Helping not only the client, but also their families and caregivers better understand their diseases and teaching them strategies to utilize in the varying stages of their conditions is a true passion of mine. The families and caregivers are just as important as the client themselves, as they are the ones supporting their loved ones during their daily activities, 24/7.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
In childhood, I was always a hard-working student, who looked forward to school every day. My thirst for learning led me to join nearly every activity and club I could from a very young age. The leadership skills I gained from these experiences, led me to eventually become very active in the Muscular Dystrophy Association. In high school, I gained a volunteer position as a summer camp counselor for a Muscular Dystrophy Camp where there was a 1:1 ratio of counselors to campers due to their medical and physical needs. This position evolved into leading the Muscular Dystrophy telethon phone center near my hometown, and recruiting my friends to answer phones and accept donations, during our school breaks from highschool and college. I am certain that community involvement, volunteering, and helping others led me to choose a career in healthcare.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.lakeaustinspeechtherapy.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lakeaustinspeechtherapy
