From Graduate to Team Leader: Jessie’s 15 year journey

From new graduate to Team Leader, Jessie Diamond-Curtis has grown her entire career at Therapy Focus as a Speech Pathologist and AAC specialist.

When Jessie joined Therapy Focus as a graduate Speech Pathologist in January 2011, she had no way of knowing she’d still be here 15 years later — leading a team of around 20 allied health therapists specialising in Assistive Technology and AAC and helping shape the very services she once learned from the ground up.

Her story isn’t just about career progression. It’s about what happens when an organisation genuinely backs its people.

It started with the graduate program

“The grad program was where I started and what drew me in,” she says. “The mentorship, the extra learning opportunities, and joining alongside a whole group of other allied health therapists.”

The structure was immediate and so was the sense of belonging.

“It was a very supportive environment, I learnt a lot, had a lot of mentorship.”

What stood out wasn’t just the training, but not having to navigate the transition alone.

“The grad program was really supportive and there was a lot of extra learning modules provided to us throughout that time, lots of extra training. And for me, the best bit was having other people in the same position starting at the same time.”

“And they were not just speechies, they were physios and OTs as well.”

It made the transition from study feel supported rather than overwhelming.

For Jessie, who had spent time dancing and working in a physio practice before moving into speech pathology, stepping into the world of disability therapy as a new graduate was a big shift. Having a structured program around her made all the difference.

Her early years were spent in early intervention, which she describes as rich with training and hands-on support. But what came next surprised even her.

They took a chance on me

“The organisation took a chance on a speech pathologist, rather than the usual occupational therapist. That opened up a whole new direction for me.”

About five or six years in, she started to get a bit restless. When a position in the Assistive Technology Team became available, Jessie put her hand up. It wasn’t a traditional path for a speech pathologist, but Therapy Focus backed her anyway. That leap led directly into the world of AAC — communication devices and systems that help people with disability express themselves, connect with others and live more independently.

From there, as the NDIS began to roll out across Western Australia, Jessie stepped into a clinical advisor role focused on AAC. Each new opportunity built on the last.

“I’ve been lucky with career progression,” she says, though those who know her would argue luck had little to do with it.

The work that keeps her going

Ask Jessie what drives her, and she doesn’t hesitate.

“Seeing someone use an AAC device for the first time, and when the family sees it too. You don’t put something in front of someone, and they automatically know how to use it. It takes time. It takes patience. But when it finally clicks, that’s the thing that makes you want to keep going for everyone. To make sure everyone has an effective way to communicate.”

That moment of connection is something she comes back to again and again.

“When you see that click, when someone finds an effective communication method that truly works for them it’s amazing. It’s exciting. That’s the thing that keeps me going.”

That click doesn’t always come quickly. Jessie talks about honouring a person’s preferences, their individual way of communicating and patiently building toward the right solution. When it lands, though the reward is profound.

She’s been part of Therapy Focus’ specialised AAC service since the beginning, building and growing the service and now guides the next generation of therapists to find their own click moments with the clients they support.

A career and a life, not a compromise

Jessie doesn’t separate the two.

“I have had three babies in the last eight years,” she says and through each parental leave, her career didn’t pause so much as evolve.

“Every time I came back from parental leave there was a role that fit my skill set and that fit my life. That’s not something I take for granted.”

Her current role as Team Leader is three days a week, based at the Osborne Park office. It’s a structure that works for her family, her team, and her continued growth as a specialist.

What 15 years really looks like

Fifteen years at one organisation is rare. Staying that long and still finding the work meaningful is rarer still.

For Jessie, her journey has been one of growth, flexibility and a workplace that’s consistently met her where she is.

“The teams here are genuinely great. I’ve been supported to carve out a specialised pathway that I’m proud of.”

She has moved through roles, taken on leadership, grown her family, and deepened her expertise all within the same organisation in a way that has met her needs.

But perhaps the most telling detail isn’t on her CV. It’s that one of her colleagues became a bridesmaid at her wedding.

“The connections you build here aren’t just professional. The colleagues become friends. That sense of team is one of my favourite things about working at Therapy Focus.

Could this be your journey too?

We support therapists at every stage of their career from graduate through to senior therapists and leadership roles across a wide range of specialisations.

If you’re looking for a place where your career can genuinely grow, where flexibility is built in, and where the work means something, we’d love to hear from you.