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From: jerry johnson
Date: 10/21/01
Time: 6:19:22 PM
Remote Name: 205.188.200.43
Hi Shelagh & Sarah: Why make a mountain out of a molehill? Yup, telephone is the boogieman, but how about tackling it this way: hold it in your hand, cuss it out, wack it around, throw it up in the air, and caress it. Talk to IT. Make a few, non-hook-up calls. Then make a ton of calls that really don't matter. Try to keep the person on the phone as long as you can. Have some fun. Who cares! Then move on to calls that only matter a little bit, and so forth. Work your way up the ladder. Do NOT forget about your speech helpers. Use these helpers on every word that you say. Start this with those calls that don't matter and DON'T forget to use them up the ladder. Desensitization is the term. How impossible is it for a student clinician who can't use the phone in a therapy situation? Break the rules then. How about going outside in the parking lot, or park and make celphone calls. For all: stand tall and don't back down for anyone! Why deal with the EXPECATATION that the telephone is GOING to be difficult. Why give in to the anticipatory negative power of "here we go again." You do have the power to overcome, use this power NOW and stop dealing with so much negative thinking. Approach this activity with a positive outlook. Saturate yourself with it. A little bit of effort will pay off. Good telephoning!