[ Contents | Search | Next | Previous | Up ]
From: Gunars K. Neiders, Psychology Doctorate, Licensed Psychologist
Date: 15 Oct 2012
Time: 12:08:19 -0500
Remote Name: 98.247.240.81
I am glad to see so many familiar faces among the professionals. Finally I have completed a phase of my pursuit of the Holy Grail: To have modern psychology included in the treatment of stuttering. Like in cancer therapy, there has been a resistance on the clients and clinicians part to address the psychological needs that the distress of stuttering has caused, because in their minds they think going to psychologists and/or having speech pathologists utilize CBT/REBT techniques implies that the client is some kind of mental case. In dealing with cancer patients we have overcome the stigma by forming teams between medical doctors and psychologists. NOW THE QUESTIONS: Really this is not meant to be an interrogation or know it all attitude (although it may sound like it), but honest curiosity: How many of you have integrated Cognitive Behavior Counseling and Exercises (such as shame attacking exercises, such as intense, intense voluntary pseudo-stuttering) in your practice? How many of you directly challenge the idea that most people with stuttering hold that stuttering somehow (magically) makes a person less worthwhile? Do you use the General Semantics/REBT approach (may Wendell Johnson lie easily in his grave) that persons are all of equal value (at least to themselves) just because they are alive? I really believe that unless a person with stuttering either by direct means (as by disputing or challenging his or her attitudes) or by indirect means through the general process of stuttering therapy, the environment, the ambiance, the acceptance of the therapist changes his attitudes about stuttering and him or herself the stuttering therapy is incomplete and relapse is highly likely. The main attitudes that need changing are: 1) That one needs perfect fluency; 2) That there is something awful about stuttering; 3) That it is too hard to keep on working on ones attitudes and speech; and 4) Conditional self-esteem tied to speaking success instead of unconditional self-acceptance whether one stutters or not.