Briana Falgiano M.S.,CCC-SLP shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Good morning Briana, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? Have you stood up for someone when it cost you something?
Standing up for the disabled community is one that unfortunately takes grit, hard work and the ability to shift. At The Dramatic SLP LLC, we are a team of neurodivergent individuals who have many diverse gifts as well challenges that we face daily. Because of our own neurodivergence, we tend to get sick more often, struggle with changes of routine or scheduling and find it taxing on our nervous system to enter new environments frequently (such as homes of new clients). Being a neurodiversity affirming clinic all around, I am constantly advocating and explaining to my clients and therapists about the needs of not only our clients but also ourselves. I have many conversations with parents and clinics about the importance of play-based therapy techniques, building rapport with clients and establishing communication over compliance. This type of therapy looks very different from what many people are familiar with. This type of therapy has a free-flow style with boundaries that focuses on the client while also targeting speech therapy goals. Most of my job is advocating for myself, my therapists and our clients to family members about the importance and benefits of learning language through an unstructured environment and how the research shows this is the best way of acquiring language. This costs us clients. We have had people walk away from our clinic when they are not able to see what the long-haul journey for speech therapy actually looks like. With chronic illnesses that I myself have as well as my other therapists have, we are often calling out sick from sessions. Our clinic has the benefit of having a less structured environment for the work flow. We do what we can, when we can. This also, unfortunately costs us clients. Most families are generally understanding, however, it can be a challenge to explain chronic illness to those who may not understand it. I am proud to stand in the gaps and employ both neurodivergent and chronically ill therapists. I know my team brings a great deal to the speech therapy table and I am proud to have such a dedicated staff who puts their heart and soul into everything they do with The Dramatic SLP LLC.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hi there,
My name is Briana Falgiano, M.S.,CCC-SLP. I am the owner of The Dramatic SLP LLC. The Dramatic SLP LLC is an organization that combines speech therapy with the dramatic arts. The goal is to deliver speech therapy in a fun, engaging setting which incorporates learning for others based on their special interests. The Dramatic SLP LLC delivers services through 1:1 speech therapy sessions, social interaction groups and even provides entertainment for special events and birthday parties. The Dramatic SLP LLC is comprised of neurodivergent individuals and is an LGBTQ+ owned organization. The Dramatic SLP offers a great deal of resources, creative ideas and innovative therapy techniques to get each child communicating in ways that feel best to them. Christina DiLuigi, M.S.,CCC-SLP of The Dramatic SLP LLC is a phenomenal therapist on our team who enjoys researching and delivering quality alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) methods. Christina’s passion is to make sure each client’s devices are fit for their own unique personalities and brings the drama to life through customization and use of each device. The Dramatic SLP LLC offers classes that are held once weekly that incorporate speech and language through the dramatic arts through our Drama Club and “Drumming for Self Expression” group. These groups target social interactions such as introducing oneself, roleplaying scenarios and conversations and expanding on language through imagination through drama and music based games. We have seen the impact the dramatic arts has had on those within the neurodivergent community and love sharing our passions with each of our attendees. The Dramatic SLP LLC also participates at local events and organizations brining performances and entertainment to events such as Nathaniel’s Hope, Orlando Fringe Festival, The Autism Society of Greater Orlando and more! The Dramatic SLP LLC brings a uniqueness to it’s treatment methods that help families who feel hopeless in their journey of seeking out services find quality care and joy to spark progress, seek connection and above all: connection.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: What relationship most shaped how you see yourself?
I would say the relationship with my wife has helped me to see myself in a different light. There is something so powerful about two trauma survivors coming together to find hope and joy in relationships. For so many of us who have survived childhood abuse situations we are often left with feelings of hopelessness, PTSD, and a general struggle to find safety in relationships. It is extremely rare for survivors of abuse to find healthy relationships, let alone for two survivors of abuse to find a healthy relationship with one another. In our marriage, my wife has the ability to see me for who I am and how I want to be seen. My wife, Katrina, knows my weaknesses and my challenges, but she is also well aware of my strengths. Long before The Dramatic SLP LLC existed, Katrina was in my corner reminding me that I could create a company and an organization of my dreams and that she would be there to support me along the way. Katrina sees not only my CPTSD triggers and emotional dysregulation but also my ADHD challenges and autistic meltdowns. That is the beauty of each of us, we understand how those challenges affect our daily living and we are able to support one another in those challenges to help each other be the best we can be. Katrina sees me as an individual who is worthy of love long before I ever created something I was proud of. I Think there is so much to be said about those who see us before we see ourselves. They are truly the ones who lift us out of our head and negative thoughts and elevate us to the places we never dreamed of going. Katrina is that person for me. Having her perspective of myself, allowing me to see my gifts and strengths, truly empowers me to share those gifts with others. I am forever grateful for her.
When did you stop hiding your pain and start using it as power?
I stopped hiding my pain and using it as power when I started processing my trauma. Trauma lives in our bodies until we take the time to process it. I began processing my trauma when it became too heavy to carry. As a survivor of abuse, we are often reminded of how our life is set up to perpetuate cycles of abuse if we don’t address the pain we’ve been burying. at around 24 years of age I assessed my life and the choices I was making that were perpetuating my own pain. I realized I was acting from some core beliefs about myself that I no longer wanted to believe and I wanted to break the cycle for my children and anyone who comes after me. I began to dig deep with my therapist, analyzing any behaviors that would indicate my own personal beliefs. We found some very deep core wounds that were affecting my everyday living. I began to heal each of these wounds slowly, with the guidance of God. I healed through the use of varying modalities such as: art, music, dancing, aerial acrobatics, creativity, anything I could find to express my inner world. Slowly but surely I began to find power in each of these wounds and I began to use my wings to fly. Most of these wounds are just simply memories for me today that no longer dictate how I view myself and I am beyond proud of myself for overcoming these challenges and breaking the cycle.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. How do you differentiate between fads and real foundational shifts?
I love this question. The foundation, when it comes to leadership, is the basis of the company and the ideals for which that company stands on. Without a foundation or a vision, a company as a whole will have no drive. As leaders, it is our responsibility to make sure our team members are in-line with that vision constantly and always making strides toward that vision. Fads are trends that pop up and dissipate very quickly. We must always be watchful for what is important in the moment vs. what is important in the long run. I have learned in my time as a leader and business owner that we cannot inspire motivation in individuals to be driven for a cause. We can, however, provide inspiration for those who are in the seat of being inspired themselves. Picking a team of individuals is the most important part when playing a game. Not everyone will agree with your vision. Not everyone will understand the vision either. The goal is to find those who: eat, sleep and breathe the vision either knowingly or unknowingly You can being to change directions once that vision is established and the foundation is built. Once you find your “tribe”, you can begin to strengthen the foundation. Taking care of your people will ensure that the tribe is always strong. Pushing for greater advances when you cannot manage what you already have, will always pull you under. A fad is something that is not worth it in the long-run. A foundation is the marathon we are running for.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
I feel as though I am doing what I was born to do. I feel a deep sense of fulfilment by combining two of my passions. It has been an honor to create and design my own company, The Dramatic SLP LLC. I get to give life to a dream I have been passionate about ever since I started with speech therapy. I truly had to find my way to where I am today, however. What I mean is, I didn’t always do what I was born to do and once did just what I was told to do. When it came to speech therapy, I had to ask myself why I was here in this field and I needed a good answer to stay in the field. I lacked any drive, any desire and wasn’t true to myself. I did everything society would deem a “good” woman would do. I was part of a Christian sorority, I used to be engaged to a man, I was an honor roll student and I rarely got into any trouble. One day I found myself looking in the mirror with no idea who I truly was. I hold myself to a standard that if I cannot look in the mirror and be proud of myself and who I have become, I cannot go to bed. I realized in that moment, I was no longer proud of myself for being someone everyone else was proud of, instead of myself. That is when I broke the mold and broke free. I began asking myself some very challenging questions, identifying who I wanted to be and what impact I wanted to have on this field. I realized I did not fit the typical “speech therapist” mold either. I knew that I was different and I was determined to let those differences shine. I realized I had a gift to share that not all other speech therapists could provide. I was and am determined to stop at nothing to bring that to life.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thedramaticslp.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_dramatic_slp?igsh=MTgzMmZyYnZ3NHpwMw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/19xKB4ews8/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Image Credits
Studio CTB Photography
