Systems, Balance, & the Challenges of Culturally Responsive Healthcare with Sarita Parikh, Founder of Mind, Body & Play Therapies, LLC

00:00.00

kitedart

Hello Sarita! Welcome to the show. I'm so happy to have you here. Just so everyone knows I'm here with Sarita Parikh.  She is the founder of Mind, Body and Play Therapies. Thanks a lot for being here.

00:17.00

Sarita Parikh

His so nice to be here. Thank you for having me.

00:19.41

kitedart

Yeah, yeah, Thank you? No I'm so excited to have you here especially to learn even more about your business because I know you from a different context and it's so funny because I've always known you from your other business. Um and and didn't even know about this. This business tell recently? So I'm excited to get to learn more about it.

00:36.67

Sarita Parikh

And I'm excited to share about it because it is so different from our other business global gathers. So 2 different worlds. Yes, yeah.

00:42.67

kitedart

Yes, and we'll get to learn about that on another episode so we have that in the works great. So yeah, so would you start off today and just share with us about mind body and play therapies. Ah the work you do the difference you make for people in that business.

00:58.20

Sarita Parikh

Yes, so I've had mind body play therapies for about 16 years maybe a little less maybe a little more I can't remember it's been so long now. Um, but um, it is a pediatric physical therapy private practice. Um, and I really. Had focused on um, the zero to 3 year old population of very medically fragile medically sick um very involved children and that is where my primary focus was for a long time. Um, and more recently and. Past few years it's been evolving and changing and but that's really, um, my whole career life for a long time. So.

01:41.42

kitedart

Yeah, yeah, wow, that's that's amazing. That's so interesting I actually a long long long time ago was a nanny for so a couple of little boys who needed a lot of pretty intensive therapy and that was a really interesting experience. And um I think probably for a lot of people who who are privileged enough that they don't have to you know deal with that like it's just not something maybe a lot of people think about. So. But I know for the people who need it. It's like so incredibly impactful for them and and the whole family.

02:16.86

Sarita Parikh

It really is involves the entire family when it's a baby you know because it's just so the parent all of a sudden becomes a medical provider because it's just there's so much to it from the therapies and the nursing and then all the doctor's appointments and. Learning how to take care of your baby and help them grow and develop and yeah, so whole different world.

02:43.52

kitedart

Yeah, yeah, awesome. Well thank you for the work that you do and have done. Um I know that it's changing but I would love to um I'd love to first you know we we a big part of what I want to do here at now and center is. Not only share about people's businesses share about their stories. But I really feel that that in that there's so much experience and knowledge that comes from people who've been in business and you've been in business a long time like congratulations on that too I just want to acknowledge that because.

03:16.60

Sarita Parikh

Okay.

03:19.36

kitedart

You know so many businesses go out of go out of business and to to to have survived and be around for 1617 years is a fee in and of itself. So just want to acknowledge that.

03:29.70

Sarita Parikh

Thank you.

03:32.82

kitedart

Yeah, and I just think that there's a world of knowledge there that can be shared about your experience. So 1 thing I would love to just have you share about is what is you know what have been some of the biggest challenges that you've had in starting and running your own business.

03:48.70

Sarita Parikh

Um, you know it's funny for me. 1 of the biggest challenges has always been. There's so much documentation and paperwork involved in healthcare and I am terrible at it so that has always been 1 of my biggest nemesis challenges and to keep up with that and.

03:55.33

kitedart

Um, and.

04:06.71

Sarita Parikh

Have all like all that stuff. Um together I will honestly say like I would rather just be treating patients and like doing that. But really the other side of that where you have to keep everything so well documented. Um, you know because being a business owner. You really? I mean it's not just. Doing that 1 piece that you love you have to wear so many hats and you actually have to do all of it and do it well um, and as a therapist like I can't give the part that I hate the documentation to anybody else like I actually have to document on my patients so that um. That has always been the most 1 of the most challenging and I also did all my own billing and so dealing with insurance companies and trying to get paid. Um, probably that was like banging my head against the wall most of the time. So um, yeah, that whole the payment aspect of. Healthcare care is as we all know like that a consumer of health care or as a provider like insurance companies and payment and the whole health care system is such so challenging in that respect. So think those are 2 big ones. Um, and. Balance I think for all business owners balance is a big 1 and you know as a pediatric physical therapist and I was in the home so I was probably the health care provider that they saw the most and so and when you're talking about. Ah, child and especially that zero to 3 population. You end up becoming all things right? because you're the healthcare provider. That's there the most so you end up becoming the social worker the psychologist the therapist, the old things to and so it does. As much as I loved it and I love advocating for my families and helping them. Um, it does become um, overwhelming too and trying to find that balance was definitely overwhelming in a challenge.

06:07.80

kitedart

Got it? Yeah no thank you for sharing. Um I'm curious and I get. It's so Funny. So I work with people all the time right? who that whole idea of as an entrepreneur needing to wear all of the hats and do you know do well at all of that. All of those things and. I always really try to help my clients find the places where they can either let go of things right? because there's a lot of like shoulds and supposed to's in business so where they can either let go of things that they maybe don't have to do things that other people say they have to do.

06:35.93

Sarita Parikh

Um, yeah.

06:44.80

kitedart

Or to also know that we don't have to do it alone and that we can hire things out or we can trade things out or we can um you know try to look for creative ways to do it. But here you are in this regulated industry where you can't. Let go of the paperwork. It has to be Done. You're the 1 who has to do it. Um I'm just curious to know if you've found anyways because then because then the other thing I do is like if things have to be done. It's like how can you lean in to do it in a way that then does work with your strengths um like a silly example is. For like for me I don't love to write I'd rather talk to people so like I was wanting to do a blog but rather than me writing the blog I have hired someone to write a blog and I just talk to them and then they write it for me right? So It's like a workaround So I'm just curious if you. On that aspect of it if you found any ways that you were able to maybe lean in with your strengths or to just just to make it workable for you because you had to do it.

07:51.25

Sarita Parikh

Yeah, you know I did um so as time progressed I mean we you know technology progressed obviously and health care is very slow on technology. Um, so you know back in the day we were pen and paper and but as technology progressed like. So I slowly like especially because these kids are long term and you're seeing them weekly and not There's not significant change every week and you're not significantly eat significantly changing things that you're doing every week um and so legally you know you have to every 6 weeks do a um, update and every six months do ah um or every 8 weeks anyways and every six months do a reeval and every year do a evaluation but in between these weekly Notes. Don't have to be these crazy long notes and so as. Things evolved I did start you know making like putting it on the computer where you could just do a quick checklist and change the date you know and like make it easier that way and so I wasn't sitting there pen and paper every week having to write out these notes. Um. And created these easier checklist things that I could just do online and so that did help for sure. But I think it's also psychological right? like I know I hate documentation and I hate paperwork and so even that I was like ah got to sit down and do this you know? um. But I did you know then finally start bringing in like my ipad to the visit and in those last ten minutes while I'm talking to the parent giving them a home exercise program I'm also like just quickly doing the checklist. So like there were things that I did to make it a little bit easier so it wasn't all of a sudden Friday and I'm like oh.

09:44.79

kitedart

Yeah, yeah, that's so true and in technology I mean that's 1 a great example of how technology can be such a helpful tool right? and sometimes we maybe um, you know overly rely on it or resist it or whatever. But you know like finding a system that works.

09:44.80

Sarita Parikh

I have to write thirty notes now you know.

10:04.26

kitedart

For you. That's that's brilliant and I think that um, it's so funny because like just like you're saying if you wait till Friday right? Like 1 thing that comes up a lot is people that do procrastinate within their business and I think so often that procrastination comes. Either from a sense of overwhelm of I have to do everything um or just the things that you don't like to do don't want to do. You're not good at you know? And so um I think that what I'm really taking is just coming up with a way that you can try to make it work for you. Um, so that you don't get to that point of oh my gosh. It's Friday afternoon and I haven't done my notes all week. But how can you create a system for yourself that even if it's not the thing you love to do you can kind of stay on top of it on a regular basis. So I think that's great.

10:53.80

Sarita Parikh

Yeah I think that's yeah I think that's really the key is somehow making it you know or giving yourself a reward I don't know like okay if you finish this, you could go to happy hour or whatever it is right? Yeah, um, yeah, and it's just something I've always struggled with you I mean I've always I think it's just.

11:00.40

kitedart

Um, yeah, yeah, yeah.

11:13.13

Sarita Parikh

My personality and just part of who I am like I have always been a procrastinator and I just also work better under pressure and so I could have something and that I know is due in 2 weeks and I have 2 weeks to complete it. I'm not gonna do it till the night before it does not matter how much time you give me you know and that's just been my way like all through school. That's how I got through school I mean even as a kid like it didn't matter like a cost project was you know whatever. So. It's also like me fighting my own like. Personality that I've been as a kid you know since the time I was a kid and as a business owner I'm learning That's not the best way to run a business. Um, but it is like something that I've definitely It's been a challenge trying to run a business and like try to keep up with all the different hats and like not try to get so overwhelmed.

11:52.10

kitedart

Um, a.

12:05.74

kitedart

Right? Well and I you know again I mean I always I Really urge people though to like think about I think that ah we have been conditioned so much in this culture to like look for when things aren't working.

12:04.82

Sarita Parikh

Is just fighting my own personality.

12:24.79

kitedart

We look at Well. What's wrong with me and what do I need to change about me in order to make it work and that I really encourage people to have that perspective of like your whole complete and perfect the way you are and that all you need to know is that That's the way you are. So that you can create the system to work with that. Um, yeah, so that you're not fighting yourself all the time and beating yourself up for oh I didn't do it Again. I didn't do it Again. You know, but like well what's the system that will and I'm the same way I will especially administrative kinds of things I will procrastinate until it's due.

12:42.43

Sarita Parikh

Work within.

13:01.53

kitedart

And so I just have to make sure that I build time in right before the deadline to get it done because if I build it in 2 weeks ahead and then have my time right before the deadline booked then I'm going to be in trouble. But if I can.

13:05.29

Sarita Parikh

Then right.

13:19.85

kitedart

Schedule myself to do it right before the deadline I can set myself up for that success. So I'm just trying to with it. Yeah, how can I work with it. Yeah yeah.

13:24.23

Sarita Parikh

Right? Yeah, it's actually kind of true I mean yeah, it's actually very true. It's so true. Yeah yeah, no.

13:36.79

kitedart

I Don't know because I'm not going to change I'm never going to change probably on that thing. It's just not. Yeah yeah.

13:41.85

Sarita Parikh

It's not going to happen right? like I know that like it's just not I mean like with I mean I'm just going to throw this in there about glow and gather like we have these huge orders come in and or you know these and like production schedules and I'm like yeah I know you ordered this a month ago for this done due date deadline where I need to deliver it. I also know I'm not going to make it in that month and you know it's going to be the day before. So I might as well just schedule out that day for production because it's not going to happen in the month and that's I just did that this week and I was like yeah I just know and then that day I'm like frantic and getting it done. But I knew I wasn't going to do it any day prior to that.

14:08.37

kitedart

Um, yeah.

14:20.90

kitedart

Um, yeah.

14:21.11

Sarita Parikh

So yeah I did then just know that that day is what I'm going to do because I have a delivery the next day of this big order and I've started doing the same thing because it's just 2 I am it's always been who I am yeah yeah.

14:30.47

kitedart

Yeah, yeah, which is great I mean that's a great lesson right? to get there instead of constantly because I used to constantly beat myself up for it like I was ah um I was an educator for a long time. An elementary school educator. So when you're talking about that paperwork. Oh my gosh that trip me up all the time and then it's like we're.

14:44.78

Sarita Parikh

Um, yeah.

14:50.00

kitedart

Cards. Oh my gosh you know, whatever the thing is it's like then it just like embracing it is like there's a lot of freedom I think in embracing the way you are and making the system work with the way you are instead of fighting fighting the way you are so.

15:04.89

Sarita Parikh

Right? right now.

15:09.40

kitedart

Um, you also brought up the balance. So I'm curious. Okay, so you also brought up the payment of health care I'm like I don't even know how to touch that 1 like that's just a nightmare like okay he yeah yeah, and.

15:15.20

Sarita Parikh

Um, I mean yeah, that's untouchable I feel like that is just a nightmare that you don't even want to like? yeah yeah.

15:28.88

kitedart

What a gift you are that you still took insurance because you know I do a lot of like um alternative health care kinds of stuff Eastern Medicine. Whatever so many of the providers I work with don't even take insurance right? and and that's fine and I'm privileged enough that I have ways to access that. Um.

15:34.76

Sarita Parikh

Um.

15:48.10

kitedart

And I get you know I'm sure it because of the ongoing nature of the work you're doing like those families really need you to take insurance in order to that's expensive. Um, So thank you for doing that and we'll. Say that for another conversation. Yeah yeah, it could and I'm not the expert on that. So I'm not I'm not going to toucht that. Um, so but but then you also brought up the balance right? And how even um for your clients.

16:06.20

Sarita Parikh

Yeah Health care Insurance Health care. That's a whole different like that could be a podcast all in its own. Ah.

16:26.43

kitedart

That you so there there I feel like there was maybe some that the first challenge that you brought up kind of to some extent has to do with balance of all the different hats that you have to wear um on the sort of backside of your business and then this other comment you made was about. Um, the balance or maybe even the boundaries I'm not sure if you'd say that around you know, client facing work and and how to maintain that balance um any insights or things you really learned on that.

17:00.30

Sarita Parikh

Yeah, you know it's so um, with what I was doing or still I am doing in some cases but um because you're the person that is in there the most then you know and. When you have a child when a baby with special needs. Medical needs. You know parents actually do go through almost the 7 stages of Grief. Um, because you lose this um vision. You know you're going to have this perfect child and healthy child. And then this child's born and that's not the case and you have to change your concept of what this life was supposed to be like um and so parents actually go through the 7 stages of grief and letting go. And so you're the 1 who's in there with them kind of processing all that um and then also teaching them how to in some cases even just hold their baby calm their baby play with their baby.

17:56.33

kitedart

Um, and.

18:08.68

Sarita Parikh

While also working through all the medical stuff and also teaching them how to help their child develop with their motor skills. There's just so much involved. So um, you end up becoming you know the health care provider. The. Therapist the counselor the social every all in 1 and and the resource provider because all of a sudden they're in need of so many resources and they don't know where to turn and and so in their advocate in many cases, especially depending on who the family is their level of education and. Um, their culture. All these things and so it just it does become very overwhelming and you know you're in there and you don't want to not do that because they are going through so much and um and it's also very difficult because when you're going through all that like. You're not hearing half of what the doctor's telling you and processing it or any of that right? because you're just so overwhelmed Anyways, so it's a lot and so you're really like especially for me like for me I couldn't not go.

19:06.50

kitedart

Um, move.

19:20.26

Sarita Parikh

And just be like well I'm just the P T and this is the only thing I'm in here for um and so it balancing all that and um and I do it all the time and you know I truly believe in creating relationships and that's the foundation of Evan anything and to this day like I'm still.

19:40.30

kitedart

Um.

19:39.58

Sarita Parikh

You know friends with families I saw 20 years ago so and it's not but it does get overwhelming and it's ah something that like at the end of the day you're exhausted. So so.

19:51.40

kitedart

Um, yeah, yeah, and it's it's so what? I really am hearing and I get like it's it's interesting again because because some of what I'm hearing from you like. I I talk of people about this all the time right? I've kind of like the the creep of I work with a lot of consultants. So like Scope creep is a real thing right? And so how do you kind of maintain that boundary and I'm hearing so much for you. Because of the nature of the work that you do with the little ones. Um that that really it's about having that empathy and how can you be there for them. Um, even if it isn't your traditional hat that you're supposed to be wearing and that you've just really. Um, tried to tried to really be there for your clients and and hold that space for them. Even if it's overwhelming for you.

20:53.20

Sarita Parikh

Yeah, and I think you know and it's something I think long term over time I think probably became more overwhelming. You know you can do it and then like slowly it just becomes more overwhelming. Um. Or I think in some cases like you just take on more and more because you're like well now I can do you know or is somehow like you just varies on time like what the needs of your caseload at that time happen to be um in your case list varies from time to time right? So It's just um.

21:18.96

kitedart

Um.

21:27.55

Sarita Parikh

And depends and sometimes you have higher need case loads than at other times. Um, so I think that also makes a difference and yeah, definitely you know boundaries and where that those boundaries should be or could be um. But then when you're looking at you know the health of a child or like and when you're looking at the health of a child. Really the family dynamics plays such a big role in that or the resources of the family play such a big role in that you're kind of like well I'm going to help you out here because it has to in order for that.

21:57.20

kitedart

Um.

22:04.17

Sarita Parikh

Treat you know to be more effective for the child and so and I think that's probably me personally like I Just like I can't like separate that. So yeah.

22:07.14

kitedart

Um, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah, Well again I'd say what a gift. Um I'm sure you've been to your clients. So I'm curious then you mentioned earlier that you're transitioning some or pivoting a little bit in your business I'm I'm making a guess that potentially. This this that balance and overwhelm. Maybe that's part of the the pivot. Maybe it's not but I'd love to hear a little bit more about the pivot that you're looking at making.

22:39.50

Sarita Parikh

Yeah I think it is I think part of that balance part of that overwhelm and just part of like where I am in my life um to take a step back from a lot more that level of intensity and and. In some ways merge it a little bit more with what we're doing with glow and gather and so we're doing more. Um, so I'm doing more of um more age range more adults as well. A larger age range and doing more targeted Mobility functional mobility more active lifestyle and holistic wellness and so an education like how do you really take care of your body and how do you do that for the long term especially in colorado we have such an active lifestyle but are we actually doing it correct.

23:33.53

kitedart

Are.

23:34.44

Sarita Parikh

Like and we get all these injuries like how could we maintain our body. How could we do this functionally? Um, and how do we like live this wellness lifestyle and do a lot more education. Um, and then a lot more healthcare policy work as well.

23:49.84

kitedart

Got Ah, yeah yeah, and do you have any particular challenges around that pivot that you're grappling with.

23:51.68

Sarita Parikh

So that's kind of where we're pivoting to.

23:59.81

Sarita Parikh

Um, I Think how to put these programs together and you know just like putting more of the um programming together and have some really um, we'd love to do some structured programming around it and then I do have my individual. Therapy clients that I still see and continue to see and take on um and that like just um, ah what's the word I'm looking for like getting the word out there that this is kind of where like what therapy I'm doing now I guess and and like just you know taking on.

24:36.94

kitedart

Um, yeah, got it got.

24:36.90

Sarita Parikh

Ah, different type of clientele like us and which I've been having so much fun with though. Um, you know I see this couple that um are in their Seventy s now and they are just like wanting to like you know they have that problems and um. Mobility issues and range issues and we've just been having so much fun like we're like on the horse and we go out and like do therapy while they're riding a horse that it's just been so fun and they just like are enjoying themselves doing physical therapy just in a different way. Yeah.

25:06.66

kitedart

Nice. That's super cool. That's super cool. Um I Love how your how how glow and Gather is sounds like influencing this transition in your therapy business. You know, just as um.

25:17.65

Sarita Parikh

Yeah.

25:24.59

kitedart

Looking more holistically and bringing you know, bringing in these different pieces. Ah as you as you make the pivot and you know if I could offer I mean I think a couple of I've got some I've got some. People that I work with who are who are trying to make those you know, kind of similar types of pivots and 1 thing I do see is that there tends to be sort of this like you know, gradual increase decrease. Although it's probably not as smooth as that. It's kind of this like you have to trust and drop.

25:42.56

Sarita Parikh

The her.

25:52.20

Sarita Parikh

Um.

25:57.95

kitedart

You know the old a little bit to make space for the new and sometimes you end up doing maybe a little you know before you're maybe ready to drop enough of 1 you pick up extra in the other or just that it's kind of it tends to be lopsided that it's not like this but that it can kind of be like.

26:01.59

Sarita Parikh

Aha.

26:17.29

kitedart

You know and kind of offset like that. So I don't know if that's helpful in terms of as you think how you progress but just that sometimes you have more than you may want or need and but that other times you have to like take that step back in order to create that space for the new.

26:17.96

Sarita Parikh

Ah.

26:34.70

Sarita Parikh

Right.

26:36.44

kitedart

Um I think also that you know like from ah getting the word out and that messaging standpoint I would imagine that glow and gather is really helpful in terms of that right? because you've got this whole other business that you're out there. Talking about I mean I knew about glow and gather first I didn't even know about the therapy. But as you talk about Holistic wellness. Um, and and you know just constantly speaking that message of holistic wellness and and all of the different things that that can mean. Um, and that so often then the people who really resonate with that message will then be like oh well I want to learn more about what you do you know? and then you've got the therapy and the glow and gather and you can kind of bring in whatever it is that would be helpful to them. Um.

27:25.99

Sarita Parikh

Yeah, and I think that's slem something that I need to start thinking about doing more of and you know it's funny because you're right for a long time like it's funny I Just didn't even talk about the therapy business because it was. You know for many many years like it was just this thing like automatic like you know I just get the referrals from the hospital and the doctors and so it it was never something that I um had to advertise or talk about it just was on this like. You know it was just autopilot like just kind of happen and I didn't really have to work that it or not work at it. But you know what I mean it just kind of like and and so now as we're changing as I'm changing what it is and and. I Think it's different right? and like I just have to change that in my head that oh this isn't like you know I'm not doing that anymore. I'm not taking the referrals from the hospitals and the doctors because that's not what I want anymore out of it. Um, you know because we're pivoting what the whole model is. And so oh yeah, I am supposed to start talking. It's just a different concept Now. So yeah.

28:40.24

kitedart

Yeah, yeah, yeah, so true. Well and I think the other part of that is is that I think in our culture um like traditional business practices are very transactional right? And it's it's It's very much about like what you sell.

28:57.30

Sarita Parikh

Yeah.

28:58.84

kitedart

Right here's here's your problem. Let me poke at your pain point and here's how I can sell you something to fix it and I think that a way that that would probably be more holistic with both businesses and as you make this pivot. Is the talking about the ideas talking about what it is that you care about and that you care about this whole idea of Holistic wellness and um and that there's a lot of different facets to how you get there. It can be the products that you use it can be the way that you move your body. It can be. You know? um. The exercise you do the way you eat like it can be all of these different things and and I I think that for people who really care about contribution which you clearly do that.. It's so much easier to be talking about those ideas than just like hey let me sell you some therapy or let me sell you.

29:51.45

Sarita Parikh

I Hate to? yeah.

29:54.97

kitedart

Right? And and it's just a much more natural way to go about it because you're here to be of service to people Obviously so talking about things that are of value to them and that you care about which I've seen you do for glowing gather. So It feels like it could be this. Kind of easy way to just like broaden that conversation a little bit. So Maybe that's helpful.

30:18.50

Sarita Parikh

Right? Yeah, it is helpful. Actually yeah, it's just a different. Yeah I just have to like put that into my head and just like make that transition. Yeah, yeah, so.

30:27.37

kitedart

Yeah, yeah, yeah, totally okay, have 1 other thing I want to talk about too and I could keep talking about that for ages. But I we and if you have any questions we can always talk about it offline more in the future. But um I I Want to talk about so part Of. Idea of now and center right is is bringing in some some more diverse voices to business. Um and business experience and business practice because historically in our country I think it's really been very much a um white patriarchal able bodied Cis Gendered etc. Um, stage for who is sharing about business and so I you have previously shared with me. Um, that being a member of a historically excluded um Community has has been kind of a twofold experience for you. In terms of um, being the founder of a company and I would love if you don't mind for you to share a little bit about the 2 sides of that coin.

31:32.83

Sarita Parikh

Sure and I think what's interesting is we're gonna have 2 very different conversations when we talk about glone gather versus mind body and play therapies and so for mind body and play therapies I mean I'm indian so we're very expected to be in the medical field right? So like that's already like.

31:41.26

kitedart

Um, um, fun type.

31:52.84

Sarita Parikh

It's a very different conversation and so um, as a founder of mind body and play therapies and and being Indian like that's very easy like I'm physical therapist. That's you know, not a doctor so that's actually a little odd but um, as being Indian but.

32:10.98

kitedart

On it. Yeah.

32:12.32

Sarita Parikh

Still I'm in the medical field. So very accepted like it's like okay, no big deal like you're here like we'll give you referrals like I'm go in I'm your therapist people accept that because they accept you know Indians in the medical field. So That's very easy. Um, what. Was interesting is that we are a there. Ah Medicine is serviced performed from a very white bias. Um, and so I Treated. Saw a lot of families from a lot of different cultures. Um, when I was working with these kids so lot of Latino families lot of African families. A lot of Asian families. Um, a lot of families where English was not the primary language and um, culturally they had a very different way of doing things. Um. And so as the Pt I would go in and there was always like an occupational therapist a speech therapist sometimes nursing you know there's a caseworker all these so many people involved in this baby's life in this family's life and a lot of. Times they would go in with their this is the way you do things either people. The other providers were very uncomfortable in the home because they were speaking a different language and so they wouldn't connect with the families and didn't really want to go see them. Um.

33:48.38

kitedart

Are. Are the.

33:56.89

Sarita Parikh

Had families that would be like oh so um and also culturally most of those cultures they always offer you food and drink and it's kind of offensive if you don't accept it and so um I always did because I know that just being indian um, most other people. Used it which I'll already the families are like they don't like my food they don't you know and so like a lot of times like I would go in and they'd be like so the speech therapist is supposed to come in a low bile. So I need you to eat first because they don't they're not going to want my food and then like and then you can do the treatment you know or things like that like.

34:20.63

kitedart

Um, and.

34:35.19

Sarita Parikh

But um, high chairs were a big deal So most other cultures do not use high chairs I Even when my niece and nephew were young I barely use a high chair with them and I just put them like on my lap or on the floor I don't even know.

34:47.54

kitedart

Um, and can.

34:53.48

Sarita Parikh

And I was born and raised in this country but I still wasn't a big deal. Also I reverted back to feeding my niece and nephew in my hands because that's just like what I remember from growing up a lot of these cultures spoons and forks are not a thing these.

35:09.51

kitedart

Um.

35:12.60

Sarita Parikh

Therapists would go in and force food spoons forks and high chairs on these families and um so a lot of these families who didn't even have a lot of money would like feel forced into buying a high chair which would then just sit in the corner until the therapist would come.

35:16.15

kitedart

Um, throughout.

35:31.15

Sarita Parikh

Um, and so there was no connection. There was no like thinking about the cultural appropriateness of this and forced like oh they have to use a spoon they had you know all of these things like there were so many things wrong with all all of this going On. Um. Lot of these caseworkers and speech therapists would come in and tell them that they couldn't um teach their child their own language they had to use English because teaching 2 languages at once was detrimental.

35:59.78

kitedart

Um, yeah.

36:02.53

Sarita Parikh

And they were like just so and so I would advocate and fight for these families and then I would be blacklisted and I would be the 1 that was there but the families only trusted me and so the other um therapists they wouldn't like do any of the home Programs. They wouldn't really connect with them. Had families that would then refuse all other services but mine. So Overall it was detrimental to the child and the child's health care because they weren't getting the services they needed in the follow through um, but there was a lot of just this is the only way that's right. And no willingness to really connect with any families. The culture of a different culture and like to really recognize like hey maybe there's a different way or hey like maybe let's like try and connect with them and talk to them and sit down or eat their food. None of it. So I really had this benefit. Of understanding being from a different culture of being able to really connect with families and so at least get them effective health care from what I I needed done and then be able to add in other things because at least they trusted me. Um. But even from there like I would be the 1 then having to call the doctor's offices and I would be the 1 having to call you know for call medicaid for whatever they needed because they're like they won't listen to me or they I can't understand them or they won't you know? and so then I ended up having to do all that for them. Um, because they wouldn't get the service otherwise.

37:35.40

kitedart

Um, you know.

37:36.22

Sarita Parikh

Or they wouldn't get appropriate answers and so it was a really interesting place to be to see like the treatment that they were getting um and having to advocate for them and fight for them and like also being able to be the 1 at least to get them. Better health care I guess or at least treatment. Um, so yeah, it. It was a very yeah 2 sides I got both sides all of it.

38:02.96

kitedart

Yeah Wow! No Thank you for sharing that I mean it's it's I mean it just goes to show how important having culturally responsive care for anything really is right? and that. Feel like that maybe ties back a little bit to what you were talking about earlier about you know, needing to wear all of the hats for your clients and and that particularly in this case, maybe some of your need to do that was because these other providers were not. Respecting and Accepting. You know the client's culture and you know what was going to work for them and that it just had to come from this very white ah way of doing things so to speak So That's fascinating.

38:49.57

Sarita Parikh

Yeah, and that was just like that little piece that I saw so can you imagine like when you look at it at a bigger scale and the amount of research that's been done um like the mortality rate and I can't remember the exact and the percentage but the mortality rate.

38:55.27

kitedart

Yeah.

39:08.38

Sarita Parikh

Black babies treated by white doctors is so much higher. Um, like there's just like so many numbers out there and it's just insane and so we just have this white Centric Health care system and a lot of our um even our medicine medical trials.

39:28.10

kitedart

Um.

39:28.15

Sarita Parikh

They're all like very you know and so it doesn't put into account like the genetics of different races for sure. Um I actually so I have epilepsy and I was I really dug deep trying to find some. Evidence on just having a reaction to 1 of my meds and it just I couldn't find anything I couldn't find anything and I just kept digging and digging. There was like finally something I found so we're from gurat state in India that finally there was a study done that I found.

40:00.37

kitedart

Um, is that.

40:06.28

Sarita Parikh

On Guratis in India with this medicine that showed the reaction that I was having to this met and I was like there. It is like that like but like nowhere else and I was like that's why we need to have like different trials on different like population.

40:08.46

kitedart

Um, oh my gosh.

40:21.00

Sarita Parikh

Shit like you know and it was just so funny. But I had to dig hard to find that and I was like well there it is well no wonder like here. They're like no, you can't be. You know that reactionism but it is over here. So you know it just really goes to show like health care really needs to be expanding. Its um.

40:30.63

kitedart

Um, wow.

40:39.86

Sarita Parikh

Recognition of how to treat different cultures and that there are a lot of different cultural biases and you know yeah.

40:47.80

kitedart

Yeah, wow wow! That's amazing. Thank you for sharing that so impactful. Yes, and again back to kind of like ah health care like there are so there's I mean not that I you know it needs to be taken on. It's really important and that. There's so much that could be. We could go into there so um, for today I would love to just wrap it up by saying. Thank you so much saretha for being here. It was a pleasure to talk with you. Um I look forward to getting to talk with you again about glow and gather. But thank you for the difference that you're making for. For your clients whether they are young or old or anywhere in between I just really appreciate the difference. You're making for people. Yeah yep, thanks for being here.

41:27.90

Sarita Parikh

Thank you, Thank you for having me so fun.