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From: Alan (to Nicole)
Date: 13 Oct 2009
Time: 15:47:50 -0500
Remote Name: 84.68.113.233
Hi Nicole, Thank you for reading my paper and contributing to the threaded discussion. You wrote, “You had mentioned in the beginning of your story that you met someone who overcame his stuttering and he became your role model. I was wondering if you or this person attended any speech therapy sessions or stuttering support groups? Where did you learn all of the new techniques and tools you used to overcome your stuttering and fears? “ I didn’t go into specific details in my paper because I felt it would have been improper of me to use this international platform to ‘promote’ the specific stuttering management programme that I utilised. However, as you have posed that very question, I shall (of course) enlighten you. :-) In 2000, my wife drew my attention to an Open Day that was being held (in England) on behalf the McGuire Programme. I had never heard of the Programme and had absolutely no intention of attending. Throughout my life, I had suffered considerable heartache by being given a degree of fluency in a controlled environment and then having it cruelly snatched away when I returned to the outside world. I vowed that I would never again place myself in a situation where I might subject myself to such disappointment and despair. For so many years, I had simply drifted along (without help or guidance) – coping with my stutter by whatever means I could. I had not subjected myself to mainstream therapy for more than 30 years, I was so sceptical – but my wife persuaded me to accompany her to a church hall where I saw people who had previously passed through the McGuire Programme speaking about their experiences. The positive manner in which they spoke had a huge impact upon me (so much so, that I even remember the date – April 1, 2000) ;-) One, in particular, had developed into a successful public speaker. At the time, I had long given up on my stuttering. I was resigned to the fact that it would remain a problem for the rest of my life. Everything changed when I heard him speak. When he addressed the audience, he was so assured, so confident and so in control of the situation. When he made reference to his public speaking activities and successes, I became even more interested. I wanted to be like him - I wanted to become a public speaker. He became my role model. For the very first time in my life, I believed that it was possible to deal with my stuttering difficulties. He was living proof of that `dream'. A few weeks later, I attended my very first McGuire course in Wales. It lasted for four days and those four days changed the course of my life. As I intimated in my paper, I confronted my stutter on two fronts. Acquisition of new techniques/tools enabled me to control the physical aspects of my speech, thus giving me the confidence (and means) to address the cognitive and emotional issues. Following that initial course, I was afforded access to further courses, support groups and an extensive support network, all dedicated to that Programme. The new techniques and tools that I acquired allowed me to achieve (in a controlled environment) a high degree of control over my speech. During my initial course, I was afforded numerous opportunities to speak in front of large groups, and undertake a host other speaking roles, with a great deal of success. I gained hugely in confidence and started believing that I could speak well in that supportive environment. However, I suspected (from past unsuccessful therapies) that it might be difficult to transfer those gains into the real world. The Programme also provided me with opportunities to speak to members of the public, whilst accompanied (and supported) by persons who had previously passed through the programme. I found that more challenging, as there were still elements of fear present, but I still enjoyed considerable success. I relished having spoken well in a multitude of different situations – I wanted more of the same. :-) I was seeing a different side of me – I was discovering a wide array of talents and abilities that I never realised I possessed. These experiences demonstrated to me that I was capable of so much more than I had previously believed. I knew that I had to change my belief system to permanently incorporate these new roles. I had role models in abundance. On my first course, there were more than 100 people in the room – the majority of whom were returning for the second, third, fourth, fifth (and more) times. That’s the way the system operates – they come back to assist the new clients. Many had made immense progress - I wanted to emulate their achievements. I also came into contact with these role models at subsequent courses/support groups and via the international telephone support network. The rest is history, as they say. :-) Nicole, quite obviously, I cannot elaborate further on this matter in this threaded discussion. I’ve written far too much already. :-) There are many other posts that require my attention. If you are interested in gleaning a more comprehensive insight into my experiences, you may wish to read some of following articles that I have written: (1)STUTTERING IS NOT JUST A SPEECH PROBLEM http://www.mnsu.edu/comdis/kuster/Infostuttering/badmington.pdf (2)STEP OUTSIDE: Why expanding comfort zones can improve our stuttering and lead to more fulfilling lives http://www.mnsu.edu/comdis/isad6/papers/badmington6.html (3)HOW I CHANGED MY STUTTERING MINDSET http://www.mnsu.edu/comdis/isad8/papers/badmington8.html (4) TECHNOLOGY : A friend or foe of someone who stutters http://www.mnsu.edu/comdis/isad9/papers/badmington9.html I hope that you find something of interest midst my lengthy ramblings.:-) Kindest regards Alan PS You will also find further information regarding techniques etc on the following website: http://www.mcguireprogramme.com