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From: Ellen-Marie Silverman
Date: 16 Oct 2012
Time: 14:09:39 -0500
Remote Name: 76.228.192.184
Gunars, speech therapy does not work for everyone who has a stuttering problem. We know that. And we can read their comments on listservs and facebook pages. But speech therapy does help some communicate and live with greater ease. We know that, too. And there are quite a few individuals posting on listservs that I subscribe to and on facebook pages I view who report their satisfaction with the speech therapy they have experienced or are experiencing. >>> The paper I authored, "Why Seek Therapy," offers some thoughts that can be put to use to maximize the possibility that, for an adult with a stuttering problem, speech therapy may be effective, which is when that individual deliberately chooses to participate in therapy to change in specific ways and is willing to do what may be required aligns with a speech pathologist committed to cultivating the individual's power to do so. >>> I personally see no reason for anyone with a stuttering problem to be, as you put it, "discouraged" or "hopeless" about the possibility that they can change the way they speak and communication as long as they are willing to reflect on what they want to do in sufficient detail that they can use the information they collect through reading, interviews, etc. to decide what change practices they wish to adopt, which at any given time for any given person may be speech therapy or another growth-oriented practice, such as mindfulness or learning to speak before groups. >>> I am a speech pathologist not because I want to sell speech therapy to everyone but because I believe speech therapy can be very helpful for some when they are ready to utilize it. I know that when a skilled and able speech pathologist partners with an aware person committed to using speech pathology services to address their stuttering problem, that can make a great team! But so can the team of "me, myself, and I." That was the team that helped me and others I have known. >>> So no need for you to feel "discouraged" or "hopeless," Gunars. Most emphatically not, at least from my perspective. Ellen-Marie Silverman