New Jersey is home to many ambitious and talented women who juggle family, career and home. A select few of these women are also extremely busy building their own companies to help better manage the whole work-life balance. At NJ Mom, we want to highlight these extraordinary women building NJ businesses and learn the secret to their success.
Speech Therapist & NJ Mompreneur: Courtney Caruso
Courtney Caruso is the NJMompreneur and bilingual Speech-Language Pathologist and owner of Liberty Speech Associates LLC located in Nutley, NJ. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Loyola College in Maryland with a Bachelor of Arts in Speech-Language Pathology/Audiology and a minor in Spanish. She is a mother of one and enjoys working with both children and adults to help them overcome their speech obstacles.
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Courtney & family in Wildwood, NJ
NJMOM: What do you offer to your clients and how is it different than other professionals in your field?
Courtney: I offer bilingual/Spanish services and provide speech therapy and evaluations in my clients’ homes and/or in a mutually agreed upon community location. Many professionals provide their services in an office, which can sometimes make it difficult for children to carry over the skills they’ve learned to other settings. By providing services at home and in the community, my clients are always practicing their skills in real life situations and parents get to be active participants in the process.
NJMOM: What is your favorite part about your business?
Courtney: I love working with children and their families. I get to meet so many interesting people and learn about a variety of cultures in the process. It’s also a pleasant surprise when my clients cook me cuisine from their native countries (my husband enjoys that perk too!).
Courtney at the “When I Grow Up” event in Jersey City.
NJMOM: What is your background in your Speech Pathology?
Courtney: I received my Masters in Speech-Language Pathology from Teachers College, Columbia University in 2009. While studying at Columbia, I had the opportunity to travel to Bolivia for one month to provide speech therapy in Spanish to children and offer workshops and trainings to parents and teachers. Since receiving my degree, I’ve worked with children 12 months and older in various settings, including offices, parks, homes, and daycares.
NJMOM: Who is your role model?
Courtney: My mom. She is the most amazing woman I’ve ever met or known. She has an incredible work ethic which has definitely rubbed off on me. She’s also fun-loving and extremely generous. She is always there for everyone. I hope that I can be half the mom to my son that she is to me. I don’t know where I’d be without her.
NJMOM: What are your favorite things to do in New Jersey with your family?
Courtney: This is a tough one. We have favorite activities for every season! In the fall, we love going apple and pumpkin picking at Eastmont Orchards and stopping at Delicious Orchards for lunch and to buy their delicious fruit pies. In the winter, we enjoy cutting down our own Christmas tree at Shale Hill Farms. We spend a lot of time at Brookdale Park in the spring going for walks and playing with our dog. And, like many NJ families, we enjoy the shore in the summer. We go crabbing every year.
NJMOM: What is the best part about being a mom for you?
Courtney: Watching my son grow and develop. He’s only 3 months old and so much has already changed. As a speech-language pathologist, my senses are heightened to all aspects of his speech and language development and listening to him coo is pure music to my ears. The cuddles aren’t half bad either!
NJMOM: Where do you love to vacation in New Jersey?
Courtney: Every August, our whole family vacations in Wildwood. This past August was particularly special because it was our first vacation with our son.
NJMOM: Anything else you’d like to tell moms in NJ?
Courtney: NJ has so much to offer families – parks, museums, zoos, beaches, lakes…the list goes on and on. Each location and activity offers innumerable opportunities to enhance and facilitate speech and language development, so when you’re out and about with your kids, talk about the things you see and ask them questions. Jump on these teachable moments while you have the chance!
To learn more about how Courtney can help you reach your child and family through speech therapy, visit libertyspeechassociates.com or give her a call at 201-658-4400. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Google +.
