The Why and the How of Voluntary Stuttering

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Re: voluntary stuttering

From: Peter Reitzes
Date: 06 Oct 2005
Time: 09:28:27 -0500
Remote Name: 165.155.160.151

Comments

Thank you for your kinds words Jenny. You are absolutely correct on both counts - voluntary stuttering is not easy and it does really challenge both the client and the clinician to consider if they really believe that stuttering is allowed. This is a good time to mention that even though we may understand intellectually that stuttering is allowed, we should also remind ourselves that stuttering is still allowed to hurt. What I mean is that some stutterers and some clinicians end up believing that people who stutter are not supposed to experience any pain at all in regards to their stuttering. I have a different view. Practicing voluntary stuttering, attending self-help meetings, and working with a speech pathologist are significant steps that should really help reduce the negative emotions and feelings that have accumulated around stuttering. But I also like to remind folks that being a stutterer is hard and it often involves years, if not decades, of negative feelings and experiences. I would never expect that clients feel one hundred percent better about their stuttering, but I would expect that after committing to hard work and making difficult changes that they feel significantly better about stuttering and about being a person who stutters.


Last changed: 10/24/05