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From: Pamela Mertz
Date: 04 Oct 2008
Time: 10:58:43 -0500
Remote Name: 24.195.241.203
Thanks Jenn for the wonderful feedback and comments. It is often hard to share such personal parts of my journey, but I have really come to learn that I am supposed to be doing this. Keeping these experiences to myself does not help me. What does help is looking at the emotions and recognizing them as real parts of me. For a long time, not only did I deny my stuttering and keep it hidden, but I did the same with my feelings. I never allowed myself to become vulnerable, for the same fears I had about stuttering. I was afraid of being perceived as weak and was afraid people wouldn't like the openess of my emotions.// Anyway, on to your question. The best encounters I have had with student clinicians have been when the clinician is able and willing to share the emotional stuff, and realize that often the "below the surface stuff" is much more important than the more obvious stuttering that is seen and heard. When a person shares their story, it means (to me) that they trust you enough to share that most personal piece. And that trust must be honored and almost held sacred, as (was the case with me) I had shared my story and true feelings with almost no one. That which is held sacred between client and clinician then becomes the grist for true therapeutic process and progress. When that happens, the client may be in a much better place to then move forward with other speech goals. So a new clinician should look for the client to tell his or her story, and recognize that as the starting point of a sound therapeutic relationship. Hope that makes sense. Again, thanks for the great feedback. --Pam