Hello, I'm Miya

Camellia Speech Therapy was founded on the belief that language is deeply personal and inseparable from culture, identity, and lived experience.

​

I am a bilingual Japanese-English speech-language pathologist whose clinical work is shaped by a lifetime of navigating multiple languages and cultures. I grew up living across several countries, learning to move between Japanese at home and other languages in academic and social settings. From an early age, I understood that communication is not just about words, but about access, belonging, and being understood.

​

Before entering the field of speech-language pathology, I built a first career that allowed me to work internationally and engage with communities across cultures. Through these experiences, I became increasingly aware of how uneven access to services can be, particularly for children and families who do not fit neatly into monolingual systems. That awareness deepened when I became a parent and struggled to find culturally and linguistically appropriate speech-language services for my own family.

​

These experiences led me to speech-language pathology as a second career and continue to inform my clinical approach today. I specialize in working with bilingual children, multilingual families, and adults who require thoughtful, culturally responsive care. I approach therapy with respect for each client’s linguistic background, family values, and communication goals, using evidence-based practices tailored to the whole person.

At Camellia Speech Therapy, my goal is to provide a space where clients feel seen, supported, and understood. I believe effective therapy begins with listening and that progress happens when care is individualized, culturally informed, and grounded in trust.