Meet Veronica Karwoski | Educational Therapist, Owner of Growth Education Therapy

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

Hi Veronica, putting aside the decision to work for yourself, what other decisions were critical to your success?
I have made so many decisions related to my business, so it is hard to narrow it down to just one. I think the decision to simply not give up has been the most important one, and one I’ve had to make again and again. Entrepreneurship, like the rest of life, is full of the unexpected, and the most important lessons are learned through failures. In those moments, it can be difficult to tolerate the discomfort of mistakes and uncertainty and keep working towards your goals. But, each time I’ve made the decision to keep going- I get a little bit more resilient and my business continues to grow.

The decision to not give up, but instead look for lessons in failure, is also something I try to teach to all the students I work with. Some success can be the result of natural talent, but refusing to give up builds a level of self trust that makes true progress inevitable.

What should our readers know about your business?
I am an educational therapist, and the owner of Growth Education Therapy. If you have not heard of educational therapy, it is the practice of providing personalized remedial instruction to children and adults with learning challenges. The ultimate goal of educational therapy is to foster self-confident, independent individuals who feel positively about themselves and their potential as lifelong learners. I am a professional member of the Association of Education Therapists, and a certified special education teacher. What can set an educational therapist apart from traditional tutors is the level of training and experience we have related to learning challenges like dyslexia and ADHD. I would say what sets me apart in particular, is my relentless search for answers when faced with a challenge.

I slowly built Growth Education Therapy over the last 3 years that I was teaching in the classroom. Many of the challenges I met early on in my career as a special education teacher were around how to best meet the needs of the students I worked with. Despite earning my Master’s in Education in Behavioral and Learning Disabilities, I was unprepared to truly help my students make progress.

I overcame these challenges by seeking out the additional training I needed. I opted into trainings offered by my school on crisis prevention, de-escalation, and trauma informed teaching practices, I also funded additional trainings not offered by my school by applying for multiple grants. I was able to learn how to better support students with ADHD and Autism through a kid’s yoga training facilitated by an occupational therapist. I am especially grateful that I was able to complete advanced level training on dyslexia intervention through two different organizations- IMSE and the Academy of Orton-Gillingham. I love reading, and I always wanted to teach reading. However, I quickly learned that simply loving reading is not enough to help students with dyslexia learn to read. The specialized training I got has helped unlock literacy for so many students that would otherwise still be struggling.

The 3 years of simultaneously teaching and building my business during a pandemic definitely taught me the value of patience, the importance of working proactively, and also trusting in timing. This past year working as a full time educational therapist and business owner has taught me to better trust both myself and God’s purpose for me. Through it all- the importance of putting myself out there and developing a professional network has been invaluable.

I want people to know that Growth Education Therapy and my own story can be theirs as well. Challenges are often an invitation to learn something new, and simply continuing to move forward is the biggest key to success. Long before my business and before teaching, I was a student with a speech and language disability. I struggled with the same organizational, memory, and emotional regulation issues many of my students with ADHD struggle with now. That is why I named my practice “Growth” Education Therapy. No matter our setbacks, we can always grow and change.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Oooh, great question!

For ambience, I love the Garden Room and also the restaurant in the St. Regis hotel. Brunch spots that come to mind are the Flying Biscuit and the Southern Gentleman. I really love being active, so I would probably suggest either a walk on the belt line, or hiking Stone Mountain. I recently took my cousin that was visiting to D29 Korean BBQ in Decatur. If you’re looking to relax, Spa Land is a little out of the city, but I love the sauna, the restaurant inside, and the foot reflexology. Cafe Intermezzo in midtown is great for dessert and people watching. I love the High Museum of Art, and I really enjoy the Botanical Gardens.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to thank my dear friend Christian, who referred me to Shoutout. Christian has been one of my biggest supporters while building my business. Thank you for always cheering me on Christian. I also want to thank my sister, Stefanie, who has helped me design instructional resources that educators can use with students with dyslexia.

Website: https://www.growtheducationtherapy.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/growth.education.therapy

Other: I create educational worksheets teachers can easily use in their classroom. You can find those here: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/veronica-karwoski-growth-education-therapy

Image Credits
Shineza Davenport