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From: Alan (to Kerry)
Date: 16 Oct 2012
Time: 09:21:30 -0500
Remote Name: 95.144.97.127
Hi Kerry, Thank you for your generous comments. I’m delighted that your client appeared to benefit from what I have written. Recording our daily thoughts on paper is considered to have therapeutic value. It is viewed as an important form of communication with ourselves and can be unexpectedly enlightening. Some people report surprise at the personal insights that surface. I have certainly learned a great deal about myself as a result of the many thousands of posts that I have composed over the years. Re-visiting (and writing about) past experiences has enabled me to gain a better understanding of what happened – what emotions I felt; how I reacted; what I feel now etc. As mentioned in my paper, I also derived immense benefit from sharing my positive experiences with others. By bringing these occurrences back into my awareness, the memories have become strengthened. I have reaffirmed my achievement(s), thus further increasing my self-belief and confidence. Another factor that I touched upon in my paper is that many PWS find it difficult to talk about the issues that affect their lives, even with friends and family members. Yet, many who subscribe to online support groups confide that they are far more at ease when discussing such matters within that environment. Divulging even the most intimate details to "total strangers" can sometimes be less challenging than revealing them to someone you know. I didn’t find it difficult to “open-up” online. I guess I had arrived at a place in my life where I was ready to make such public disclosures. However, we are all different. Some of your clients may not yet have reached the stage where they feel comfortable in adopting a policy of greater openness. Some PWS join a group and refrain from posting for some considerable time. They lurk and remain (anonymously) in the background, observing events from the sidelines. Indeed, some members NEVER post. I recall meeting someone at the 2004 World Congress for People Who Stutter in Australia who confided that she had been a member of one mutual forum for several years but had never plucked up the courage to contribute. Despite her lack of participation, she added that she had learned a great deal from the exchanges. One final point – the composition of Internet discussion groups can be extremely varied. Inevitably, the group will include persons whose stutter has subjected them to extremely negative experiences. Whilst most members will be supportive of a new contributor, some may be less enthusiastic when the subject relates to specific techniques/tools or a particular therapy. As you know, an approach that works for one may not necessarily be successful/suitable for another. I mention this because (sometimes) the views/comments of these persons may not always be of a welcoming (or positive) nature. If someone has had a particularly challenging day, or life experience, then the tone of their response may not always be helpful. I belong to a group in which one member falls within that category. He is extremely vocal about ANY kind of therapy insisting that (because therapy did not serve him well) it should be avoided at all costs. It is, of course, his prerogative to express whatever opinions he chooses providing the rules of etiquette and courtesy are observed. It would be so easy for a new member to be wary (or reluctant) of posting again if her/his first post was greeted in such a manner. I apologise for ending on such a less-than-positive note but I thought you might wish to make your client(s) aware of the situation. Thank you for reading my paper and providing feedback. Kindest regards Alan