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From: Sarah Bryant
Date: 08 Oct 2011
Time: 20:11:44 -0500
Remote Name: 96.253.114.105
Shana, Thank you, that really means a lot. That is a great question. Instill in your client that what they have to say is important. Tell them (over, and over) that what they have to say IS important, and WHAT they have to say is just as important as anyone else. They probably haven’t heard that often or ever. When people finish my sentence that comes across to me as saying, “what you have to say isn’t important.” When you get that type of reaction over and over you tend to start to believe it, and that it is fact. Even though, I realize now that most people do it trying to be “helpful.” At first, I really did not think stuttering was okay. I started self-advertising when making phone calls as speech assignments (asking what time stores closed) because I would block so hard that I wouldn’t make any noise. I start off my saying, hi I stutter so you might hear some pauses in my speech, and then I’d go on with my question. I was surprised when the person would say something like, ok no problem. My success in that assignment was in doing the assignment (picking up the phone dialing the number and talking) Just the act of picking up the phone used to be almost impossible. I used to avoid it at all cost. I would pretend I didn’t hear it, throw it across the room on the sofa (so I couldn’t reach it), and run to the bathroom just to avoid the phone. That was the first of many small steps towards feeling self worth and self confidence. I was like oh, they are actually going to listen to what I have to say even though I stutter. They are actually going to give me time to talk. I had to start doing things that really scared me. Face the fear, and see that I won’t die from it. I still have to tell myself that I if I do blank, I won’t die from it. I will still be here breathing. I had a college professor tell me, you have so much to give the world it would be a crime to deny it your thoughts. I hope that helps some. Please feel free to ask more questions.