Introducing Ms Chandra

Name: Chandra

Where are you from? I was born and raised in Regina.

Where did you go to school? I completed my undergraduate degree majoring in Psychology at the University of Regina. I completed my Masters degree in Speech Pathology at Curtin University in Perth, Western Australia.

Why did you choose to work in the field of speech and language therapy? Growing up I knew I wanted to work with children in some capacity. The opportunity to work with kids one on one really appealed to me as well. I’ve always loved language and reading and writing and was fascinated by the area of speech therapy…so here I am.

What is your favorite part about being a speech language pathologist? I love the diversity of speech pathology. You get to meet so many families with their own unique stories. And every child is so different that it pushes me to find new and different ways to help meet their communication needs.

What was a fulfilling moment in your career? I feel like every time a child begins to realize their communication potential whether it be through a picture exchange, a gesture, a new sound or a spoken word is fulfilling. That’s one of the best parts of being a speech pathologist – helping families find a way to help their child communicate more clearly or effectively.

What do you love about Regina Speech Centre? I love getting to work so closely with my clients and families. I also really enjoy and appreciate the team at the centre – everyone has such a broad range of experiences so it’s great being able to brainstorm ideas with the team.

What is something that you wish more people knew about our field? Just how diverse speech pathology is. A lot of people think of speech pathology as being stuttering and speech sounds but it can cover anything from those really early preverbal communication skills to some of the more subtle nuances involved in holding a conversation with others.

What’s another profession you would be if not an SLP? I had an opportunity to work really closely with Occupational Therapists in a previous job I had as an SLP and found their perspectives and areas of focus to be so interesting and relevant to the work we do as speech therapists. I think it’s another fascinating field. If not that, I would love to own and operate a little greenhouse.What is your favorite book? I love to read but I don’t know that I have any stand out favourites as an adult. I read a pretty eclectic mix of books so they’re all really enjoyable in their own ways.

What are some of your hobbies? I enjoy gardening, golfing, reading, traveling, and spending time with my family.

What is one thing that you would like to learn how to do? I’ve always wanted to become fluent in a second language.

What is something people may not know about you? Hmmm…I’m a pretty open book. I’m a Christmas fanatic – I love anything to do with Christmas.

Who inspires you? Colleagues past and present who are passionate about what they do and inspire me to be better at what I do. My daughter inspires me to want to succeed at what I do and just be a good person and role model for her. My parents have always inspired me to be a hard worker and to take care of my family like they did for us.

How do you like to spend holidays? I love going on trips whether it be a short drive or a long flight away – as soon as one trip is finished I’m brainstorming where we can go on our next one.