Michaela chose to become a speech language pathologist because she had first-hand knowledge on how they can touch the lives of others. “I went to speech therapy when I was young and it was instrumental in giving me the skills to be able to communicate with my loved ones,” she explains. “I always wanted to be able to give that same feeling to others because communication is what makes us human and allows us to have meaningful connections with those around us.”

In her practice at Reliant, Michaela likes to use a very individualized patient-centered approach. “Since no patient is the same I want to make sure the goals that are focused on are specific to the person in front of me,” she explains. “One of the reasons I enjoy being a speech language pathologist is that it’s a very diverse profession that lets you continue to grow and be educated on all sorts of new developments.”

Michaela enjoys being able to get to know her patients and build rapport and connections with those that she is helping. “I enjoy working with patients of all ages and am particularly interested in treating aphasia, speech sound disorders, as well as language disorders.” Plus, I can help patients dealing with a wide range of issues including cognition, swallowing, voice, AAC, and social skills,” she explains.

In her spare time, Michaela enjoys hiking, paddle boarding, going to the beach, and being outside. She also enjoys spending quality time with friends and family.