This month we’re celebrating seven years since the start of Fun First Therapy. It’s difficult to articulate what this journey has meant to me not only as a professional and business owner, but from a personal perspective. Some of you may not know how Fun First Therapy came to be, so we’re taking this month to reflect on the journey.
The Beginning
In the spring of 2017, my husband and I made the move from Grand Rapids back to our hometown in Tawas, MI. It was an exciting change, but also a big one. At the time, I was stepping away from being a school and private therapy speech-language pathologist (SLP) at Comprehensive Therapy Center in Grand Rapids. It was a fantastic place to begin my career, and I will forever be grateful for how Jean Silbar and the team there supported me as both a therapist and person. It has certainly impacted the culture at Fun First Therapy and how we aim to support not only professional goals for our company and staff, but also personal ones. At the time of our transition, I wasn’t ready to be back in the school setting. My passion still centered around providing SLP services, however I wanted to bring services to the area that would help fill gaps in care that existed. That is when Michelle Lynn Therapy began and started with home visits to provide private, speech-language therapy sessions for the pediatric population. Soon, I was traveling between homes, doing something I enjoyed. It was only the beginning.
Growth
As speech therapy needs increased, driving between locations in a rural setting became increasingly challenging. Finding a space meant that more families could receive services, so in the fall of 2018, I rented a small room for therapy. I laugh when I look back at pictures. It was completely bare with cabinetry and furniture that had been scraped together. Having been in homes where materials were endless, my material inventory was quite low, but it taught me how to be creative with what I had while still seeing great progress. Thankfully, our office is now full of materials to pull from. Maybe too many, sometimes. ;)
In 2018, I began working with an ISD in the area to cover a leave. This led to a couple years of working with local ISD’s while running private sessions after school and on Fridays. In 2020, a SpEd director reached out and asked if we had “any more SLP’s” that could help fill their employee gaps. This is when “I” became “We” and our team grew to include several SLP’s. Our work expanded to providing virtual and in-person services for ISD’s throughout the state to assist with filling SLP service gaps through contracting support. In 2022, we added counseling services and shortly after began offering occupational therapy.
Fun First Therapy Today
Fun First Therapy continues to offer four main services including social work, speech-language therapy, occupational therapy as well as feeding and swallowing services. Our therapists work with clients of all ages, including adult and pediatric populations. We serve over 100 clients in our clinic and have worked with seven different schools or agencies across the state to provide in-person and virtual services. Additionally, we contract with our local community mental health agency to provide mental health support for individuals with mild to moderate mental health needs.
At this time, we have 16 employees who live in various locations, including the beautiful state of Florida. Many of our employees are part-time, while some are full-time. Our team consists of therapists and staff who are team-players that support one another so fully. I work hard to maintain the idea that work is something that fits into our employees' lives, because selfishly, I want the same for my family. As a new mother, I get to be home with my son two days a week consistently. I also get to lead a team of go-getters who make a difference in lives all over the state of Michigan. This means everything to me and it’s possible because of the team we have.
Our Future
Of course it is impossible to foresee the future. However, I believe this company and our team have many things to look forward to. Our mission continues to be to “fill therapeutic service gaps by providing impactful care centered around our “Fun First” philosophy and we show up and do that. This is evident from the moment you walk into our lobby until the moment you leave.
We intend to continue showing up for our local, Tawas area and surrounding communities to meet outpatient and any school or agency needs here. On a larger scale, it is my goal to become the go-to company for Mid- and Northern-Michigan schools and agencies to contact when student support service gaps exist.
To Our FFT Community and Partners
While I’m here, I’d like to give a quick shoutout to our staff, clients, and school/agency partners. I can’t forget my husband and family who have majorly supported this journey. Business ownership is not for the faint of heart and comes with repeated spoonfuls of chaos along the way. Without support, it would be so. much. harder. Fun First Therapy has grown beyond what I could have ever imagined and hearing the positive impact our team has is beyond what I can comprehend. Thank you for sharing your positive experiences that we so appreciate (and sometimes desperately need) to hear. I feel forever fortunate to have this community.
Warmly,
Michelle St. Aubin, MS CCC-SLP & Owner of Fun First Therapy
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