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From: Gunars Neiders, Psychology Doctorate Student
Date: 10/3/03
Time: 8:38:10 PM
Remote Name: 12.242.136.6
Stephen, Congratulations for a very interesting article. Most of what you have written I agree with. Right now I am evolving a hypothesis that I am testing on myself and, when I start seeing clients and if it is successful, on my clients. Where we differ in approach is that I intend to focus on the emotions of stuttering anxiety, stuttering fear; stuttering shame; and stuttering guilt first. To do this I focus on the A x B = C paradigm Where C is the consequent emotion; B is the belief or attitude; and A is the adversity (for example) stuttering. After teaching the client an unconditional self-acceptance (instead of conditional self-esteem) I tackle the emotions of stuttering anxiety and speaking urgency. The skill training in speaking consists understanding that the real enemy is not repetitions but FORCED, TENSE or BLOCKED speech. Easy repetitions are taught as a SKILL instead of being eliminated through pull-outs, etc. The sequence of skill training consists of: a) voluntary repetitions, b) cancellation with an easy repetition, and c) turning a block into an easy repetition. Of course, other therapists may opt for pull-outs, easy onsets, vowel elongations, etc. As long as one has also in their permanent repertoire easy one syllable re-repetitions of one or two repetitions each, the relaxed forward moving speech is preserved. As for myself, I think that this is a complication. I posit the hypothesis that this is in line with Joseph Sheehan’s and Wendell Johnson’s theories. Giving the client the permission to do easy repetitions will send the client into remission. If and only if all the negative emotions are reduced via Cognitive Behavior Therapy or Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy. In a few years, when I get my dissertation done, we will see if I am right. FOCUS ON REDUCTION OF STRESS AND TENSION. J Do you see any fault with my logic that this could be another way of treating stuttering? Respectfully, Gunars