Meet Morgan Vangilder

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Morgan Vangilder a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Morgan, thank you so much for making time for us today. We can’t wait to dive into your story and the lessons you’ve learned along the way, but maybe we can start with something foundational to your success. How have you gone about developing your ability to communicate effectively?

I am always working on effective communication; it is one of the things I struggle with most. Perviously, I avoided conflict at all cost, which harmed my communication skills greatly. Through starting our own occupational therapy practice, I have learned the value of being upfront and not “beating around the bush”. You also have to firmly believe in something/your stance on a topic in order to have a firm foundation in what you are communicating. Taking time out of your day to research certain topics that come up in sessions or looking up different types of therapy to add into our practice has given me a strong foundation of what I believe and what I trust in. You also have to believe in yourself; I used to be one to state my opinion then back down and fold under pressure. Now, after educating myself and hearing other’s experiences, I can better stand firm in my communication and back up my claims with research and facts. It takes time, but don’t give up on yourself!

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

Golden Pediatric Therapy is a private, pediatric occupational therapy practice serving the Montgomery and Pike Road, Alabama areas. Occupational therapy is an AMAZING profession and is extremely rewarding. We focus on activities in the areas of self care (dressing, bathing, grooming, etc), fine motor skills (handwriting, coordination), gross motor skills (jumping, crawling, climbing), sensory integration, social skills, play skills, and now feeding! Occupational therapy covers a wide range of skills and developmental abilities.

At Golden Pediatric Therapy, we focus on a child-led and play-based approach. This means our sessions are FULL of play and letting the child lead the activities while we throw in therapeutic pieces. When we play this way, the child is much more engaged and motivated to try difficult things. It also builds a sense of trust that “Mrs. Morgan’s favorite game is always my favorite game, so she’s going to help me through the challenging pieces”. This is where the personal fulfillment comes in; this child struggles at something, but they trust me to help them learn and master the skill. Now they can climb on the playground with their friends, they can complete their craft while in art class, they are able to communicate to others in their life that they need help. That is most rewarding!

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

1. Be open. Be open to different ideas, ways of learning, ways of approaching different topics. We are always learning more about the world around us. Don’t ever be afraid to change up the way you approach something. Sometimes the best thing to do is to change it up.
2. Be empathetic. Take a second to step out of your own personal bubble and really listen to those around you. Validate their feelings and concerns. Sometimes people don’t need you to give them a solution, they need someone who will listen.
3. Take time for yourself. You cannot pour from an empty cup. Find things that fill your heart with joy (away from work) and schedule them into your day/week. Take care of yourself, because there will only ever be one of you and we need you in this world.

What has been your biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months?

My biggest area of growth over the past year would be my self confidence. Learning to believe in myself and trust that I can do hard things seems so minuscule, but it has increased my quality of life ten-fold. Having a business partner and a husband that are so encouraging and that thoroughly trust in me and my skills was the jump start to stepping out then believing in myself, that I can do the hard things. I think the biggest takeaway is to surround yourself with people who encourage you to try the difficult things and who encourage you when times are tough. Find friends and partners who are your biggest cheerleader, because sometimes you just need someone in your corner cheering you on.

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Image Credits

Shelby Hall Photography

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