Ep. 18 - From New York to South Florida: Dana Weiss on Building an SLP Practice, Connection Before Progress, and Intrinsic Motivation

In this episode, Frances sits down with Dana Weiss, an incredible Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) who recently made the transition from New York City to South Florida and quickly realized: the pace, the culture, and the clinical landscape are a whole different world.

Dana shares what it was like training and working across Manhattan and the Bronx in a large, cohesive clinic model… then moving to Florida, where many roles are independent and pay-per-client, which ultimately pushed her to take a brave leap: starting her own private practice.

Together, Frances and Dana explore what it really means to be both a clinician and a business owner, how to separate your identity from your work, how to build confidence when you don’t have a supervisor to “phone a friend,” and how life (and nature!) can regulate your nervous system when everything feels like it’s crumbling.

They also dive deep into the heart of Dana’s clinical philosophy: connection comes before progress.

Because if a child doesn’t feel safe, regulated, and comfortable, learning can’t land.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

• The difference between New York’s clinic culture and Florida’s more independent model
  
  
  
• Why starting your own practice can be terrifying… and wildly empowering
  
  
  
• What it’s like to be “the one” responsible for clinical decisions, creativity, and outcomes
  
  
  
• The importance of not taking your work home emotionally (and why so many clinicians struggle with it)
  
  
  
• The “Wild West” reality of South Florida therapy and how integrity stands out
  
  
  
• Dana’s approach: meeting the child where they are (even during a screener)
  
  
  
• Why play isn’t “not therapy” it’s the foundation of therapy
  
  
  
• A powerful conversation about assent, consent, and making therapy something kids want to join
  
  
  
• Intrinsic motivation vs. extrinsic rewards and why internal pride creates real carryover
  
  
  
• What speech therapy really includes (it’s so much more than sounds!):
  
  
  
  • AAC (Augmentative & Alternative Communication)
    
    
    
  • expressive + receptive language
    
    
    
  • comprehension + classroom impact
    
    
    
  • executive functioning + regulation
    
    
    
• Why OT + Speech + ABA collaboration changes everything for kids and families
  
  
  
• How Florida helped Dana slow down, reflect more, and grow her confidence personally and professionally
  
  
  

Moment to remember

Dana describes building motivation from the inside out so kids leave sessions feeling:

“I did it.”

And Frances reflects on how that pride is one of the most powerful reinforcers there is.

What Dana wants parents to sit with

You are doing great.

If your child is receiving services like speech, OT, ABA, anything- take a breath and give yourself credit. You’re doing everything you can… and it will unfold the way it’s meant to.

Connect with Dana Weiss

🌐 Website: https://www.bocaspeechsolutions.com/

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bocaspeechsolutions/

Connect with The Play Base

🌐 Website: www.us.theplaybase.com

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theplaybase/

🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theplaybase