In a small office filled with positive energy, Emily and Milly—two speech therapists—are working together to make a positive impact in the lives of the entire community. The path that brought them together wasn’t planned, but, as they like to say, "two brains are better than one." Each of their experiences and their shared passion for their work in speech therapy culminated in the foundation of Logopedisch Centrum "Small Talk."
What inspired you to become speech therapists?
For Milly, the desire to work with children was present from a very young age. “I always imagined myself in the role of a pediatrician or a teacher,” she says. But everything changed in her final year at HAVO. “When I attended a camp at Hospi Bondi Camp, I met a speech therapist for the first time. This sparked my curiosity, and I researched further.” This is where she realized that a large part of speech therapy involves helping children, an aspect that strongly resonated with her. “I discovered that my older sibling with Down syndrome received speech therapy when they were young. It was a surprise and very moving for me.” This inspired Milly to pursue speech therapy and help children with their speech development, just like her sibling had received. “It was when I returned to Aruba for my internship that I truly discovered my passion for speech therapy. Working in my native language brought a new level of connection and understanding to my work. I began to appreciate the dynamics of the job.”
Milly: I realized that by choosing this profession, I could not only help children in general but also make a real impact in the lives of children with different needs.”
Emily: “The realization that I could help children find their voice and overcome communication barriers resonated deeply with me.”
For Emily, her journey was different but with a similar goal: helping children. “At first, I imagined myself as a midwife,” she shares. Even though she didn’t pursue that path, her determination to find a career where she could make a significant impact continued to guide her. “I discovered speech therapy and its potential to transform the lives of children and adults,” she says. During her internship in Aruba, working with dedicated speech therapists solidified her desire to dedicate herself to this profession.
Milly and Emily first met during an informational evening on autism organized by the Fundacion Autismo Aruba. But their connection didn't deepen until a couple of years later, when they met again in a more casual setting. During that encounter, they discussed the inclusion of speech therapy in the basic package of AZV (Aruba's health insurance). “Initially, we were a bit skeptical,” Milly explains. “We didn’t know each other well enough to take such a big step like opening a business together.” But through their conversations, they discovered a shared passion for speech therapy and a mutual desire to make a positive impact in the community.
For Emily, the development of speech therapy in the AZV basic package was an opportunity to start her own practice. “I saw this as a step toward realizing my dream,” she says. For Milly, it was a chance to pursue a long-term ambition she had been planning for the future. “Our goal was to create a warm and inclusive environment where people of all ages could overcome barriers in communication,” Emily adds. On March 8, 2024—a date significant for women worldwide—they officially joined forces to start Logopedisch Centrum “Small Talk,” and on April 1, the center opened its doors.
But the path to establishing "Small Talk" wasn’t without challenges. “At the beginning, we realized that our vision required a large investment and a lot of planning,” Milly says. The challenge of finding an institution that believed in their vision and was willing to provide financial support was one of the biggest obstacles. “Even though we received the support, our next challenge was to execute our plan in a very short timeframe,” she adds.
For Emily, the personal challenge was proving her capabilities as a newly graduated speech therapist. “I had to demonstrate that despite my lack of experience, I had the skills and motivation to carry out a project of this magnitude.” For Milly, the challenge was balancing work with her personal life, especially after becoming a mother for the first time. “This required sacrificing quality time with my little one, who was just a year and a half old.”
For both therapists, their passion for speech therapy is more than just a job; it’s a way to create an impact in the lives of those who need it. “We believe that speech therapy is crucial because it addresses communication problems, something essential for the emotional and social well-being of every person,” Emily says. In their opinion, a speech therapist helps people speak with confidence and interact more effectively, bringing joy and relief to the family and the person themselves.
The range of those who can benefit from speech therapy is vast: from children with speech development delays to adults seeking to improve their vocal control. “We assist both people with hearing problems and those with difficulty swallowing, like patients who have suffered a stroke,” Milly says. Their goal is to help every client, every family, find their voice and provide them with the opportunity to overcome their challenges.
Emily and Milly have many aspirations for the future of “Small Talk.” They want to expand their reach, offer more services, and deepen their knowledge in various areas of speech therapy. They stay up to date with the latest research, attend specialized training, and focus on both professional and leadership development. Emily emphasizes their goal of creating a collaborative team, where both the therapists and their clients feel supported.
This balance of professional growth and personal development will allow Logopedisch Centrum “Small Talk” to thrive, creating a positive and lasting impact on the community they serve.
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