Therapy Smarts is a therapy clinic that offers services designed to help children reach and exceed their developmental milestones across speech, occupational, physical, mental health and behavioral services. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Therapy Smarts founder and CEO Avani Shah to learn more.
Avani Shah’s Background
What is Avani Shah’s background? Shah said:
“I was originally born in Mumbai, India, where my sister and I were raised under the guidance of our mother. In our early childhood, she gifted us the values of perseverance and hard work. I was inspired by the opportunities available in the United States and wanted to make a meaningful impact, so I initially aimed for a career in the paramedical field. However, my passion for working with children and teaching them essential skills for success ultimately made Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) a perfect fit for my career.”
“I earned my Bachelor’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology from the Ali Yavar Jung National Institute of the Hearing Handicapped in India. Shortly after, I married my husband and continued my education following our move to North Carolina in 2002. In 2005, I completed my Master’s in Education in Communication Disorders from North Carolina Central University.”
Formation Of Therapy Smarts
How did the idea for the company come together? Shah shared:
“I spent 10 years in the private practice sector, which enabled me to offer individualized and hands-on care for children and their families. My experience in the field inspired me to seek out new ways to make a greater impact. With this goal in mind, I chose to launch my own multidisciplinary clinic, Therapy Smarts. My vision was to establish a comprehensive support system for families, providing services in speech-language pathology, physical therapy, occupational therapy, ABA therapy, and mental health—all in one place.”
Favorite Memory
What has been your favorite memory working for the company so far? Shah reflected:
“I am so proud of Therapy Smarts’ incredible journey so far. When our fulfilling work directly impacts families’ wellbeing, it is easy to wake up excited about advancing our mission. Perhaps the best thing about this line of work is our ability to celebrate new milestones every day, for children and their parents.”
“We pride ourselves on the ability to develop a relationship with each family. Research from the American Psychological Association shows that the bond between a patient and their therapist is just as, if not more vital than the specific treatment method they need. To choose a single memory over my years of witnessing this bond in action is impossible.”
“Just one example comes from one of our autistic patients and her family. When this patient began at our clinic, she was disinterested in communicating, refused to leave her mother’s side and faced difficulties with anxiety and emotional dysregulation in public spaces, making it a challenge for her family to go on public outings.”
“Today, this child has begun to imitate words and utilize pictures to communicate her wants and needs to friends and family, in public and at home. I cherish the memory of her mother crying tears of joy when her daughter willingly turned off her favorite YouTube video, took her backpack from her mother’s hand and waved goodbye as she walked to meet her therapist.”
Core Therapy Services
What are the company’s core offerings? Shah explained:
“We are a multidisciplinary practice offering services designed to help children reach and exceed their developmental milestones across speech, occupational, physical, mental health and behavioral services (ABA). We are able to provide this variety of services under one roof, making it convenient for families to find the care they need for their children.”
Challenges Faced
What challenges have Shah and the team faced in building the company? Shah acknowledged:
“We are continuing to see the impact of COVID-19 in children across age groups. The impact of strict limitation on social interaction and the changes to their daily routines brought about by quarantine advisories and online schooling is still being studied and a need for therapy services is on the rise across age groups. Current statistics suggest that 1 in 6 children struggle with an emotional, mental or behavioral disorder.”
“To meet this growing need, we have expanded our service offerings in the wake of the pandemic and are now able to offer psychological screenings as well as mental health therapy, including parent-child interaction training (or PCIT) therapy. This innovative approach provides a solution for children struggling with low frustration tolerance, anxiety and other emotional dysregulation by teaching parents the key strategies they need to connect with their child, embrace consistency and practice safe discipline.”
Significant Clinic Milestones
What have been some of the company’s most significant milestones? Shah cited:
“Our transition to a physical office location in Durham, NC, was a major milestone for the company. Previously, our therapists operated by traveling directly to clients in their home or school environment, and although we knew a physical space— minimizing outside distractions and outfitted with the therapeutic tools needed to help children thrive— was necessary to providing the best care, we were concerned with the transition when parents would now be expected to come to us.”
“Ultimately, the physical location has been a major success. Our location at the intersection of two major highways makes us conveniently accessible to clients, and only months after moving into our first office suite, the growth of the clinic forced us to expand into an adjoining open space. Today, we operate primarily from our physical location, and the ability to offer centralized service has only fueled our growth and offerings. We grew over 40% last year and have now doubled our service offerings, supplying applied behavioral analysis (ABA), mental health services and psychological evaluations, enabling us to meet the needs of both existing and new families.”
Patient Success Stories
When asking Shah about client success stories, she highlighted:
“A personal favorite success story comes from one of my speech therapy clients. In the beginning of our sessions, this child was reticent and only spoke a handful of words. However, with consistent practice and an individualized focus on his goals, I was able to guide him to a point where he could communicate both effectively and effusively with his family. When leaving a session one day, his mother jokingly said ‘Can you make him stop talking now?’— and this moment remains one of my most cherished memories.”
Differentiation From The Competition
What differentiates the company from its competition? Shah affirmed:
“We are proud to serve a diverse community of families in our area. In the county, 13.8% of the population identify themselves as Hispanic, equating to approximately 44,800 people. We also serve a large Southeast Asian population, equating to 7.6% or over 157,000 people. Yet, across the nation, multicultural therapy resources are on the decline.”
“Communicating in one’s native language is critical to achieve understanding and see sustained progress towards milestone goals. At Therapy Smarts, we are proud to be 40% bilingual, and able to offer services in key languages for our area including Spanish, Gujarati, Hindi and more. This proficiency across our therapists and office staff ensures not only that we can communicate with our patients and their families, but allows us to effectively guide them through the administrative processes of therapy and ensure the transfer of critical skills between the home and clinic environment.”
“We are also proud to be one of the few clinics in our state offering a comprehensive range of mental, physical and behavioral services all in one location. This allows for more accessible care, particularly for patients in need of multiple services. We are also in-network with all major insurances, easing the burden of cost for those seeking care.”
Exploring Future Company Goals
What are some of the company’s future goals? Shah emphasized:
“Our mission statement is to turn challenges into triumphs and we aim to do this throughout our area, in North Carolina. We pride ourselves on seeking out and understanding the wants and needs of our community, and one of our goals is to expand our offerings to address the gaps we observe in offered services for our area.”
“Our next goal is to offer a play therapy service for our families. Play therapy is a psychological service that allows children to explore their thoughts, feelings and experiences through play, encouraging the healthy expression of emotions and the development of coping strategies in times of emotional stress.”
Diversity Within The Company Impacts Therapeutic Outcomes
How does diversity within your company impact therapeutic outcomes? Shah noted:
“Every patient deserves to have their unique background not only recognized but understood. Establishing an alliance and an understanding between a patient and their therapist has been consistently linked to better therapeutic outcomes. Thanks to the diversity of our team, we are able to address an unmet need for both our patients and their families, showcasing our role not only as a healthcare provider, but a community resource.”
Taking A Family-Centered Approach To Therapy
Your LinkedIn bio states that you practice a “family-centered approach” to therapy— can you elaborate on that? Shah pointed out:
“Yes. The involvement of family members is crucial to the therapy process, to ensure that the skills learned during sessions are carried out at home, and vice versa. For the greatest improvements, your child needs the understanding and support of his or her core individuals— this includes parents, grandparents and teachers: anyone that your child is close to.”
“Involving the family in therapy means empowering them with the resources they need to help their child thrive both at home and in their community. This can be achieved by sharing personalized recommendations for skills to work on each week, as well as providing resources parents can turn to, to provide more information on their child’s condition and supportive suggestions to help them create a positive environment.”
Beginning The Therapy Process With A Child
As a parent and therapist, what is one thing you would tell parents who are unsure or hesitant about beginning the therapy process with their child? Shah concluded:
“Early intervention is essential, regardless of whether your child is facing a developmental delay or learning at a different speed. The sooner you get help, the sooner your child will begin to bloom. Remember, regardless of what therapy service is recommended, your child is capable of reaching their goals.
Therapy is a supportive space for them to build the skills that will serve them in their everyday lives. With dedication and communication between caregivers and your child’s therapist, you can create a positive environment for them to reach key milestones. There are a multitude of resources available not only to support them as they grow and improve, but to support you, as their parent.”
