Helping tomorrow's therapists gain a greater insight into stuttering

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Re: Helping Tomorrow's Therapist

From: Alan (to Julie)
Date: 13 Oct 2010
Time: 16:03:33 -0500
Remote Name: 95.144.69.224

Comments

Hi Julie, Thank you for your generous comments. I appreciate you taking the time to read my paper and participate in the threaded discussion. Our beliefs and self-image create the script by which we act out our lives - they set the boundaries to our accomplishments. Throughout my life, everything I did was in accordance with what I believed about myself and what I thought I was able to do. These views restricted me from undertaking many things that I considered lay outside my scope. The majority of our belief system is established during childhood and adolescence. So, regardless of your current age, the beliefs that dictate the way in which you live your life today were largely developed during those formative years. That hugely critical period will continue to dominate our current lives, unless we reassess our long-established opinions and self-worth. Account should be taken of more recent and relevant information that challenges those views, or has been acquired from experiences that bring them into question. If we fail to confront our disempowering beliefs, they can imprison us. I admired (and had dreams of emulating) those who appeared at ease in front of an audience. Yet, I always shunned public speaking, justifying my avoidance by the fact that I stuttered. I could never envisage successfully fulfilling that role. What we believe about ourselves moulds the way in which we perceive the world. It influences our educational and employment paths; it determines our relationships and social interaction. But, most importantly, when we believe that we cannot do something, then it's almost certain that we will not do it. Many of us have difficulty letting go of the past. We cling onto our old self-image because we (and those around us) derive a sense of security from the familiar face that it presents. Self-concept is at the very core of our life experience - it can cause us to resist attempts to embrace change, even though it may be to our advantage to do so. The moment I relinquished my old self-image, I discovered incredible opportunities for growth. If you have a moment, you may wish to check out three of my past ISAD online conference papers which provide a greater insight into the point that you raised: 'How beliefs and self-image can influence stuttering': http://www.mnsu.edu/comdis/isad12/papers/badmington12.html '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 ‘How I changed my stuttering mindset’: http://www.mnsu.edu/comdis/isad8/papers/badmington8.html Thank you, once again, for your valued feedback. Kindest regards Alan


Last changed: 10/13/10