Janet Courtney, MS, CCC-SLP

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A CALLING FROM GOD:
 

Janet Courtney, MS, CCC-SLP, didn’t just fall into her present career. While she had been a practicing speech-language pathologist since 1994, and had a demonstrated history of working in the e-learning industry for over nine years, it was a calling from God that led her to found Lighthouse Therapy® (LHT) in 2018.

 

Lighthouse Therapy® is an online therapy company specializing in teletherapy for speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and behavioral and mental health services to schools. They assist students from early intervention through 12th grade, and in the 21-22 school year alone, they reached over 2,100 students. Under Janet’s astute guidance and the support of her talented and determined staff, since their inception, nearly 4,000 children have been served through Lighthouse Therapy®. “I built LHT with the mission of being a therapy company run by therapists for therapists for the betterment of students,” Janet shares. “What we do allows school administrators to effectively meet their testing deadlines, achieve manageable student/therapist ratios, and increase access to therapy services. This leads to better team morale, less turnover, and helps to increase students’ performance.”

 

LIGHTHOUSE THERAPY® SERVICES:

As a contract company, LHT helps schools reach more students than they could otherwise. To accomplish this objective, LHT provides online therapists who work directly with their students. This is especially valuable since many schools cannot hire all the therapists they need, or their budget doesn’t support hiring a full-time therapist. “That’s where we come in,” Janet adds. “We’re one of the only companies that will contract to serve a single child, rather than require a minimum number of students. We’re open in all 50 states. We want the students to be the best they can be and have a bright future.”

 

FAITH AND CONVICTION:

 

From the onset, Janet put her faith in God. “This wasn’t something I did by myself. God filled my life and LHT with amazing, mission-driven people. They have a passion for what we’re doing— helping kids—and they make me look really, really good,” Janet states. “As CEO, access and opportunity allow me to be successful, but it’s also about making the right choices and taking advantage of them. God gives those to me. If you do the things you’re called to do and fight for what you know is right, then God blesses it.”

 

SAYING YES TO GOD:

 

“I said ‘yes’ to God, and my family’s, 2200 kids’, and 120 therapists’ worlds were impacted, all because I said, ‘yes’ to Him on that pivotal day.”

 

Janet was working as an independent therapy contractor when she heard God’s voice saying, “I want you start your own company.” At the time, Janet thought it was crazy, but God knew better. She heard God say, “You’ve been asking me what you should do, and I’m telling you.” After speaking with her husband, Mike, and receiving more guidance from God, she quit her part time job to focus on starting LHT. Four days after she let go of the safety net of outside work, her husband was unexpectedly laid off. It was a challenging time that left Janet wondering, “Lord what are you doing?” The experience humbled her, but Janet continued to follow God’s instructions and forged ahead. “I believed in what God called me to do and I would not give up,” she adds. In its first year in business, LHT served 49 children, despite difficult circumstances. Now, just four years later, they are in what Janet calls “a beautiful place” in life and in business.

 

THE REASON FOR IT ALL:

 

“In simple terms,” Janet says, “I love what I do. God’s given me a servant's heart to help people. As educators, when we see students succeed, it’s the most beautiful and rewarding thing in the world. Lighthouse Therapy has touched the lives of 2,200 kids this year. We do that through God’s calling. He has taken it beyond my imagination, and we aren’t done yet. This excites and fires me up to leave a legacy. People need to know that God loves you. It doesn’t matter if you have a disability because God doesn’t think you’re broken.”

 

WE'RE BRIGHTER TOGETHER:

 

Special education in America is “woefully” underfunded. We want to spark a conversation and nationally shine a light on the needs within our schools. We're hoping LHT’s story will inspire you to get involved by watching our video Brighter Together at lighthouse-therapy.com/brightertogether.

 

Janet holds a master’s degree in speech-language pathology with a minor in audiology from Purdue University, a Bachelor of Science degree, summa cum laude, from Mercy College, and she received the President’s Award, graduating at the top of her class. She was also nominated for Success Magazine’s Top 50 Women of Influence.

 

Contact:
Janet Courtney, MS, CCC-SLP

CEO & Founder

Lighthouse Therapy, LLC

Website: lighthouse-therapy.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/33219451
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lighthousetherapy18
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lighthouse.therapy/