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From: Ellen-Marie Silverman
Date: 21 Oct 2010
Time: 12:27:11 -0500
Remote Name: 205.188.116.197
[[I find it interesting that not only do people of society see people who stutter as labeled "stutterers", but the person who stutters can also have this as their self concept of them self which can make their stuttering worse. Have you found any strategies you feel work well in trying to alter a client's self concept from negative, to a concept of achievement and success during moments of fluency?]] Thank you for this question, Erica. I am most happy to address it because how we view ourselves is critical to how we live our lives, whether or not we have a stuttering problem. Recognizing who we are is more than what we do is key. Some may begin to see this is so if they compose a list of all their attributes. Of course, most of us when asked to do so will list all our good qualities, the onese we like. But to do this task well, I find it important to also make a list of our challenges, those things we know to be true about ourselves that we are not so proud of, such as jealousy, impatience, a quick temper, and so on. Altogether our strengths and challenges comprise a significant portion of who we are. Reflecting on this composite self, or the construct we may refer to as our self-concept, we see that we are more than what we do. In fact, when we look deeply, we see that what we are leads to what we do! /// So, when we stutter --- No Big Deal! When we do not stutter --- No Big Deal! Our stuttering does not name us. /// We, of course, can choose to stutter with less effort and with greater ease, but we do not have to do so. Whether or not we do is up to us. In either case, we are not our stuttering OR our non-stuttering!!! /// Thank you again, Erica, for raising this issue. It is something we can all benefit from considering time and again. My best wishes to you. Ellen-Marie Silverman