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From: Alan Badmington (to Sachin)
Date: 05 Oct 2010
Time: 15:53:11 -0500
Remote Name: 95.144.69.192
Hi Sachin, Thank you for taking the time to read my paper and provide feedback. It may surprise you to learn that I have received very little professional therapy during my life – the last occasion being more than 40 years ago (about the time that the wheel was being invented). :-) The limited treatment that I experienced occurred entirely within a clinical environment and dealt solely with the mechanics of my speech. The sessions were extremely brief (if my recollection is correct, I was allocated 30 minutes every two weeks) and conducted by several different therapists. Consequently, I did not enjoy any continuity, nor develop any kind of relationship with the clinicians. In your post, you wrote “...most of us have a secret desire that we should be treated more as a friend and less as a ‘clinical case’.” I think that there are many different factors that would have a bearing upon such a relationship. I’m thinking of such things as the respective ages of the clinician and client, as well as the latter’s social standing. For example, an adult to adult relationship would differ considerably from a situation where the client happened to be a child. However, even when both parties are adults, a wide age difference could well impact upon their interaction. Another contributing factor might be the quality of the client’s interpersonal skills. I’m not talking about fluency – I’m referring to the art of conversation and the ability to communicate effectively. Although many persons who stutter are, understandably, deficient in this area, the nature of my employment; the expansive lifestyle that I followed; and the fact that I wore a prosthetic device for more than 20 years, allowed me to acquire useful communication skills. Were I still to be receiving therapy today, I feel that these skills (together with my greater maturity) would enhance my interaction (and relationship) with the clinician. Perhaps I should qualify my comments by saying that any such relationship must be conducted in accordance with the appropriate code of conduct applicable to that profession. Kindest regards Alan