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From: Walt Manning
Date: 16 Oct 2008
Time: 09:49:18 -0500
Remote Name: 141.225.97.59
linamenj, You have received some thoughtful responses and I'll just add a few additional comments. It's often useful to ask the speaker, ever at or near the outset of treatment, a question like "How will you know when you don't need to see me any more?" The point of our assistance, of course, is for the speaker to become independent of us and placing at least some of the responsibility for making the decision on them. It also helps to focus all involved on the finite nature of the time we have together in the therapy process. Often people respond to this question by saying "You're the expert, you tell me." That provides a good opportunity to point out that this is their journey and that they are in charge, even during therapy and certainly following it. I think it's also important to leave the door open for additional sessions, maybe group therapy, maybe supportive booster sessions. Coming back for additional therapy simply means that they are wise enough to ask for additional help and, as others have pointed out, is not a sign of failure. I also think that the people who make the most progress following therapy are those who are involved with with support groups and advocate for others who also face fluency problems. That, by the way, is a final step in in many (e.g., 12 step)programs.