Global Perspectives: A SLP's Journey Working Abroad #15 (Location: Switzerland)
Liz is originally from Texas, U.S.A. and moved to Switzerland and works as a SLP private practice owner. Continue reading to learn more about her experience working in Switzerland. Thank you Liz for sharing your experience!
What are your name, pronouns, and your job/professional title?
Liz Vanderbrouk (she/her) Speech Language Pathologist
Tell me about yourself. Where did you initially move from (before you worked abroad) and what graduate school did you attend?
I am originally from Texas where I went to both undergraduate school (University of Texas for a bachelor's in Early Childhood Education) and graduate school (University of Houston for a master's in Communication Sciences and Disorders). Then, I moved to Ireland in 2018 where I couldn't practice speech pathology because the Irish certification body (CORU) wanted me to take more courses in order for my CCC's to be recognized (this was after I spent over a thousand dollars submitting all of the required documents notarized). We stayed in Ireland for around 9 months when we then moved to our home here in Switzerland in 2019 (partially because I was unable to work in Ireland).
Why did you become a SLP?
After I had received my bachelor's degree in early childhood education I was accepted to UT to continue on to do my master's in education. It was right before I was going to accept that my mom (who is a speech therapist) said, "Why don't you look into being a speech therapist?"....I literally reacted with "Why didn't you say this four years ago when I was STARTING my degree😜". So, I shadowed some of her friends who were also SLPs to see if it would be something I liked and ended up realizing it's not too far off from being a teacher (which I loved being). So, I rejected my acceptance to get my master's in education and instead started my postbaccalaureate for communication sciences and disorders.
What city and country do you currently work in, what setting do you work in (e.g., international school, clinic, university, research, etc.), and what age range do you currently work with? How long have you been working abroad?
I currently own my private practice in Meggen Switzerland where I have my sessions primarily online. I work with all ages starting with parents of kids younger than 5 years of age for Parent Consultations, kids 5 years and older via online sessions, and adults for accent services and voice disorders.
What type of cases do you typically work with (e.g., AAC, multilingual, articulation, Autism, feeding, cognition/swallowing, etc.)?
Considering I work in a country where the native languages are German, Italian and French, 100% of my caseload is considered at least bilingual with the majority being multilingual.
Where did you apply for this SLP international job and how was the application process?
The laws here are a bit antiquate in that the country's certification body will only register you if you speak one of the native languages fluently. So, not being fluent in any of the 3 languages already mentioned, I function as a mostly private pay entity (with some special cases being paid for by the city).
What did the process look like for you to move abroad (e.g., obtaining visas/work permits or sponsorships, finding a place to live, moving, SLP licensure, etc.)?
In order to live and word here in Switzerland as an American, you have to have an approved work visa that is "sponsored" by your employer. No companies that I am aware of will sponsor a speech therapist. The need simply isn't big enough. So, the only reason I am able to live and work here is because my husband has an approved work visa and, thus, my work visa is tied to his.
What motivated you to pursue work opportunities abroad as an SLP?
My husband has lived and worked abroad for a good chunk of his life and has lived in Switzerland for many years prior to us gettting married. He knew he always wanted to stay in Switzerland and actually speaks both high German and Swiss German fluently (which makes living here SO much easier!). When we started dating, I was living and working Texas (where we are both from) and he was living here in Switzerland (this was back in 2016? oh how time flies!). So, with this in mind I started looking into my options of working in Switzerland :)
How does the pay rate, cost of living, and quality of life compare to living in your home country?
Oh wow, where do I even begin!? I would say everything is higher- the cost of living is higher, the pay is higher, and the quality of life is higher. Although the cost of living might be pretty close to the US now....?
What specific challenges do you face working abroad as a SLP?
Another great question that I could talk about for hours...I would say a big challenge was not having a thorough or breadth of knowledge about bilingual/multilingual speech and language. In our graduate, just like a lot of the subjects, it was a very superficial/base-level amount of information. So, it started me on an incredibly journey through the research to educate myself in order to be the best speech therapist for my clients. Another challenge is that wide range of the type of clients I see. Because there are only a handful of native English speaking SLPs in the country, I get intakes for literally everything from nonverbal autism, AAC, muscle tension dysphonia, dyslexia- you name it. Where I feel like in the States it's easier for you to hone in on one area where you can specialize, here in Switzerland I feel the need to know a lot about everything because these people wouldn't get services otherwise.
What are your favorite things about working abroad as a SLP?
The people! The parents, the kids, the adults- I love that I not only get to interact with people every day but that I get to be a positive moment for them- whether it's giving hope to adults that their voice will get better, or comforting parents that they're not alone in helping their little ones grow their speech and language. My heart is grateful that I get to help people every day.
What are the most significant differences between practicing as a SLP in your home country versus abroad?
The main difference I think is the sheer quantity of SLPs in my home country (the US) whereas here in Switzerland SLPs are a rarity, a dime a dozen. This requires us/me to cast a much wider net in terms of knowledge to ensure I'm competent in each and every disorder that comes to me.
How does your experience working abroad influence your perspectives on diversity and cultural sensitivity in speech-language pathology?
Oh goodness, it's literally something I work with every day. The Swiss multicultural landscape has provided me with a remarkable platform to work with individuals from diverse linguistic and cultural circumstances. Not only has this experience sharpened my clinical skills, but it has also deepened my desire to learn more about multilingual speech and language development. Navigating the nuances of students' multilingual backgrounds has been both a challenge and a privilege. Each therapy session is an opportunity to weave together the threads of effective intervention while keeping in mind their cultural diversity and the varied effects of the multilingual environment from which they exist. In a word- it's completely turned my view upside down coming from an environment where.
What advice would you give to other SLPs who are considering working abroad for the first time?
"In the midst of change, adaptability is your greatest strength"- Buddha
If you're able to be flexible and adjust to the needs of your clients you're going to be just fine :)
If applicable, how do you handle homesickness or any potential challenges related to being far away from family and friends?
Frequent video calls!
Can SLPs contact you for more information? How can they contact you?
Of course! You can email me at Liz@TheSpeechTherapist.ch - follow me on Instagram @TheSpeechTherapistCH and check out my website for resources (some free) www.TheSpeechTherapist.ch
