Meet Kelly Penny | Speech Language Pathologist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kelly Penny and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kelly, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
In traditional speech therapy settings, I saw too many kids being treated as checklists or diagnoses, rather than as whole, vibrant individuals. And I saw parents struggling to find spaces where their child could be truly understood, celebrated, and supported. Feeling seen is a basic human need — and one that children with complex needs often go without. I had a deep desire to reimagine what speech therapy could feel like. Not just for the child, but for the whole family.

Starting my own private practice allowed me to bring that vision to life — to explore where a child’s sensory, emotional, and developmental differences intersect with their desire to communicate. To design sessions around the child, not the chart, and to create an environment where children are invited to grow, not pressured to change.

And just as importantly, I wanted parents to feel inspired and included in the process, to see therapy as something exciting and meaningful for their whole family. Therapy shouldn’t be a chore or just another appointment — it should be joyful place where progress is made through connection, creativity, and fun.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My career as a speech-language pathologist has been guided by one core belief: communication is connection, and connection is everything. What truly sets me apart is my commitment to serving the whole family—not just the individual receiving therapy. A diagnosis doesn’t exist in a vacuum; it impacts everyone. That’s why I take a holistic approach, working to ensure that parents, siblings, and caregivers all feel supported, informed, and empowered.

When I founded my private practice in 2020, I knew I wanted to create something deeply personal—a space where families could feel seen, heard, and equipped with the tools they need to grow together. Launching during a pandemic was far from easy, but it pushed me to innovate, listen closely to families’ evolving needs, and stay rooted in flexibility and compassion.

One of the things I’m most proud of is seeing families become more confident and connected through our work together. Therapy isn’t just about techniques—it’s about trust, teamwork, and transformation.

If there’s one thing I want people to know about my practice, it’s this: we’re not just here for the sessions. We’re here for the whole journey.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
As a mother of 2 boys, it can be challenging to catch up with friends! But San Diego is the perfect city to find a mix of beach time and easy outdoor adventures where kids can play and adults can chat.

Everyone who visits me from out of town gets taken to the San Diego Zoo. Their new Wildlife Explorers Base Camp is a great place to let the kids lead and learn at their own pace. La Jolla Shores is another great stop. The waves are gentle and little ones can enjoy some sensory play in the sand or at the playground while you sit back and hang out! Jeff’s Beach Burgers are some of the best in the city and make a great lunch or dinner. Taking the ferry or driving over to Coronado is another fun way to spend the day. Hotel del Coronado has an amazing gelato and paleta shop… we love enjoying our sweet treats on the grassy lawn overlooking the beach. It is a fun and simple routine that requires minimal effort. For playtime, Tecolote Shores and Civita Park are our favorite spaces for the kids to burn off some energy—both have fantastic inclusive playgrounds that are perfect for all ages and ability levels. To wrap up the visit, Kate Sessions Park is the perfect setting for a goodbye picnic and a recap of the week’s activities. With beautiful views of practically the whole city, you can see all the places that you’ve been and chat about everyone’s favorite moments.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to dedicate my shoutout to my very first clients. Their belief in me, in the earliest days, gave me the confidence and stability to lay the foundation for what would eventually become my full-time practice. My clients continue to be my greatest source of motivation. Every training, every certification — it’s all for them and inspired by them. Their progress, resilience, and unique stories push me to keep showing up as the best version of myself.

And to my husband — thank you for being my biggest supporter and for strongly encouraging me to take the leap and turn this into a full-time career. I am the heart of my business and he is the brain. I truly wouldn’t be here without him.

Website: https://www.buttercupspeechtherapy.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buttercupspeechtherapy

Other: Google Business Profile: https://g.co/kgs/SbEcLNX

Image Credits
myself