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From: Walt Manning
Date: 17 Oct 2005
Time: 16:14:55 -0500
Remote Name: 141.225.97.231
Judy- I've been thinking about your question since I saw it this morning but I'm still not sure how to respond. Is it therapy if we don't meet fact-to-face? Is it therapy if I'm not being paid for my services? Is it therapy if it is helpful and we can show that with outcome measures? As you noted I thought it was a good idea to state that from my perspective I thought of our contact as correspondence rather than (traditional)therapy or counseling. But clearly something was happening. // One key issue, as you pointed out, is that many people around the world (as well as in the US) have few other choices. They can get to a computer and ask for help but they can't find a clinician they can physically get to. // I especially liked your comment that the "written communication starts to open the conversation about stuttering". I hadn't thought of it quite that way before. Maybe Mickey can respond to that aspect of our conversation about stuttering. Now that our correspondence has resulted in some success and he has some alternative possibilities about himself and his speech a face-to-face meeting with a professional clinician might be more beneficial - assuming he could locate one. // Your final point about the commitment of time such correspondence requires is also an important one. Few people who make their primary living via private practice could justify the time and cost of treating by correspondence. Maybe there is a way to purchase portions of time on a web site manned by professional clinicians and obtain helpful feedback based on individual needs.