[ Contents | Search | Next | Previous | Up ]
From: Kristin Chmela
Date: 07 Oct 2012
Time: 09:54:54 -0500
Remote Name: 24.13.161.204
Hi Voon, So great to hear from you! I started speech therapy when I was 19 years old with Carolyn Gregory. While we did focus on a speak more fluently-stutter more fluently approach, I focused mainly on easier relaxed approach and phrasing. We practiced voluntary disfluency but to be honest I wanted nothing to do with it. At the time I was also struggling with fairly severe anxiety. For about ten years until my early thirties I WANTED to be fluent and that is what I focused my energy on. At about the time that my children were starting preschool, I realized I was very ashamed of my stuttering and I had a fairly significant relapse with my speech. What a great experience that was!! My colleague Bill Murphy was instrumental in helping me realize that I could stutter a little sometimes, and that is when I began facing as Dr. Gregory always said "The other side of the coin." It was a hard and painful journey. I know we discussed this often at camp, and I do feel so strongly about the need for professionals to understand the unique experiences, perceptions, and feeling of each of their clients. When we do anything with a client, we need to ask ourselves "why" are we doing this, "why" are we doing this now, and what has the client gained from this experience or activity. As all is well that comes to a balance, in the end, I think by working on each of those side of the coin (speech and attitudes) I was able to come to such a balance. But, it was at the right time in the right ways with the support that was appropriate for me. All the Best, Kristin