Finding your own way

This is a threaded discussion page for the International Stuttering 
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participants. Thank you very much for your participation!!



That cry for help


From: Bernie Weiner
Date: 10/1/01
Time: 10:08:10 PM
Remote Name: 152.163.195.209
Comments

Thank you for posting your article to the ISAD on-line conference. How 
amazing that M. was able to keep the journal and seek some help for 
herself. Pretty brave thing for a 15 year old to do. Hopefully, M. is on 
her way to controlling her stuttering, and if necessary, to maybe accept it 
as a part of her, if only a small part.

Re: That cry for help

From: John Tetnowski
Date: 10/2/01
Time: 1:36:11 PM
Remote Name: 134.29.30.79
Comments

I agree that it was a real tribute for M. to keep this journal, but in her
 situation it was an even bigger tribute to share it with someone. I would 
also like to complement her teacher for even suggesting such an interesting 
project.

You go, girl!

From: Sara Boyer, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC
Date: 10/2/01
Time: 5:04:20 PM
Remote Name: 63.162.206.241
Comments

I am so proud of M. I commend her for seeking help on her own terms. I wish 
that kind of courage could be bought. How do you think that we can educate 
parents to be more aware of simple stuttering behaviors?



Re: You go, girl!

From: M.
Date: 10/12/01
Time: 7:20:02 PM
Remote Name: 152.163.213.179
Comments

Dear Sarah, Thank you for your post! It took a lot of courage (and about 2
 weeks) to finally tell Dr. Tetanowski, or my mom that i wanted help. So, 
the courage was built up over time. As far as my mom goes, i really dont 
think she notices anymore. She's been around me every day since i started 
stuttering. Its like a child with a lisp, after a while, the parents 
probally don't notice anymore. I was very frustrated with her at first for
not noticing, but when i started thinking about it, i wasnt mad at her; i 
was mad at me for waiting so long. It was easier to blame her for not 
getting me help than it was to blame myself. But, i definitely think that 
my mom should have looked more into it when i was younger at its early 
stages. But, that also can't be blamed totally on her. She did, in fact, 
consult my peditrician who wrote it off "that i thought faster than i 
thought, and that it would go away when i learned more words, and became 
older." I also think that that is probally true for some children, and that
 i just wasnt one of them. Every child is differnt and parents should be 
aware if a problem exists, but i dont think they should rush to the speech 
therapist the first day they notice it. give it time, and it might just be 
a stage. Thanks again for your letter! i really appreaciate the kind words! 
M.


Re: You go, girl!

From: John Tetnowski
Date: 10/14/01
Time: 2:52:42 PM
Remote Name: 130.70.137.156
Comments

M.,

As I sit here in my office on a Sunday afternoon, I just can't say how 
impressed I am with you. First of all you came to peace with a very 
difficult problem, then you opened up to me, now you are responding to the 
rest of the world! Thank you for sharing your story with those who may need
that kind of encouragement, but I also thank you for EDUCATING ME. I learn
so much from people like you. I could not be the type of "teacher" that I 
hope I am without the input that I receive from you and others that have 
shared their innermost thoughts. I can only hope and pray that my own 
daughter will have the courage, enthusiasm, insight and intelligence that 
you show so often. Thank you again (and keep up the great work!).

John Tetnowski


Re: You go, girl!

From: M.
Date: 10/14/01
Time: 11:06:41 PM
Remote Name: 152.163.207.201
Comments

Doc, now what are you doing at the office on a sunday?! You over-achiever 
you! Thanks a lot for what you said, it means more than you know. As far as 
coming to peace with my stuttering, I think its more that im less psychotic 
about it now, than it is "peace". But, I know that without you and everyone
 else at the office, I would still be afraid to speak, to answer the phone, 
and especially to go to therapy. So, I should really be thanking you, and 
not the other way around. Even though im not a "student" of yours, I have 
learned more in the few months that I've been in therapy than I have in 
some classes that I've taken. You've taught me techniques and strategies, 
but more improtantly you taught me that its ok that i stutter and that 
you're there to help. Never doubt that you're a great teacher because I've 
learned more about myself because of you than I probally ever would have 
without you. Just knowing that one day I will speek with ease and 
confidence makes me want to keep working and keep striving to reach the 
goals that YOU made me realize are attainable. As far as your daughter 
goes, I have NO doubt that she will grow up and have all of the qualities 
you see in me. Thank you again for everything, it means the world! :) M.


Journal

From: Tamika Lucas, Southern University
Date: 10/5/01
Time: 7:30:16 AM
Remote Name: 64.12.102.167
Comments

You recommend that stutters keep a written record of their feelings. Is 
this because it is harder to deny what is right in front of you in black 
and white?


Re: Journal

From: John Tetnowski
Date: 10/5/01
Time: 11:31:19 AM
Remote Name: 130.70.137.156
Comments

M's journal was kept as a class project in her High School English class. 
It was not set up to deal with her stuttering, however, M's journal entries 
allowed her to express her feelings about her stuttering, that eventually 
lead her to doing something about it. In addition to stuttering, there are
 many other issues discussed in her journal that needed a great deal of 
thought on her part. The journal just makes allows you to "think about" 
issues in your life. I believe this is a good idea for all teens, plus it 
helps develop writing skills (something almost all of us can benefit from). 
As part of a comprehensive therapy program, journal writing a good 
idea.....if needed. My personal philosophy of intervention involves 
implementation of all strategies that are required for the client to 
improve, but nothing more. Having clients completing tasks just because 
they sound like a good idea, or because they are part of a "canned program" 
is not a good idea. Careful assessment of a client prior to intervention, 
along with ongoing assessment will tell the skilled clinician whether 
journal writing, or some other form of coming to terms with their feelings 
about stuttering is required.


Re: Journal
From: M.( Date: 10/12/01( Time: 7:28:18 PM( Remote Name: 152.163.213.179
Comments
Tamika, No, I dont think that is the idea behind the journal. it helped me 
to reaize my problem to be deeper than just stuttering. Its not just a 
speech disorder, it is a mental problem too. Keeping the journal brought me 
more in touch with my own feelings on stuttering, instead of just having 
generic "i hate it" thoughts. Sometimes when i was writing i would somehow 
transition into writing about my speech, not even realizing i was doing it. 
That is how i got to writing about it in the first place. I was writing 
about a trip to D.C. for the National Youth Leaders Conference, when before 
i knew it, i was talking about how scared i was to get up there and have to 
say something about my self, where i was from, ect. So the journal was not 
to stop me from denying my speech disorder, but to bring me in touch with 
it. Thank you for your post. M.


getting there
From: Abbie Kateley( Date: 10/5/01( Time: 11:47:50 AM( Remote Name: 137.28.184.141
Comments
I am working with an adolescent fluency client who I think would greatly
 benefit from keeping a journal similar to M's. However, I think we have
 some work to do before he is ready for this. There are still times when he 
denies he stuttered, or that he avoided, etc. Do you have any suggestions 
for getting through this so that we can more openly discuss situations that 
are more difficult for him (and then keep some type of journal)? Any 
suggestions related to treating adolescent fluency clients would be great.
 Thank you.


Re: getting there
From: John Tetnowski( Date: 10/5/01( Time: 12:39:03 PM( Remote Name: 130.70.143.201
Comments
Dear Abbie (sorry, I just couldn't resist that), I think that teens are one 
of the most difficult groups to work with because of all the other 
pressures that they must deal with on a daily basis. If you look at a 
Demands and Capacities type of model, the demands of "fitting-in" as a 
teenager can really have an effect on fluency. I have seen many, many, many 
teens for intervention right at the time that they are ready to enter high 
school. Many of these clients asked their parents to take them to therapy 
at that time (rather than parents or teachers forcing them to go). This 
personal motivation should be capiatlized on. Start working with these 
clients ASAP because the motivation can subside quickly. A few anecdotal 
"tips" that have worked with my clients include: getting them to talk with 
other teens, or young adults that have been successful in therapy; make 
intervention interesting, i.e., learn to talk about things that they are
 interested in (for one client years ago, I had to learn about Nirvana, 
learn the names of their musicians, their songs, and even listen to their 
music......which I eventually began to appreciate), and make tasks 
functional as early as possible. I also give these clients a lot of 
responsibility for their success. They have input in scheduling (times, 
frequency,etc.), assignment completion, and goals for success. I also feel 
that your knowledge of stuttering is really tested with teens. They want to 
know why you are doing things, and how they worked with other clients in 
the past. A strong theoretical knowledge of stuttering (and experience) 
really pay off with this group.

Thanks for the question.

If you want some free advice later on, please feel free to contact me by 
e-mail at tetnowski@louisiana.edu


Journal
From: Ruth Becraft, Mankato, MN( Date: 10/5/01( Time: 3:32:29 PM( Remote Name: 134.29.13.206
Comments
I think that journal writing is an excellent way for teens these days to 
have the opportunity to express their feelings. When I was in High School, 
I also had journal assignments that allowed me to write my feelings without 
that pressure of being judged. In the case of M., did she continue to write 
in her journal during therapy, and if so did it help her dealing with the 
emotions?


Re: Journal
From: John Tetnowski( Date: 10/8/01( Time: 2:36:44 PM( Remote Name: 134.29.30.79
Comments
M. does still do some journal work with us. I hope that she keeps a 
personal journal for her own life as well. I think it helps. I will get her 
to respond to this question and many others this week. Normally I don't ask 
her about her personal journal. It is so private. The fact that she shared 
her previous writings with me is a mark of trust. As clinicians, we have to 
respect that trust, and never violate it. Thanks for the question.


Re: Journal
From: M.( Date: 10/12/01( Time: 7:46:18 PM( Remote Name: 152.163.213.179
Comments
Dear Ruth, No, I'm embarassed to say that i dont keep a journal anymore. at 
least not like i did last year. I still do a little journaling in class, 
but nothing like i use to. This is mostly because i dont have the same 
teacher as i did last year. My english 2 teacher doesnt require 10 pages a 
week;therefore, i dont do it. the little bit that i do in class sometimes 
is about my stuttering, but not as often as it use to be. i think this is 
mostly because i don't think about it as much since i got myself help. I 
use to sit and think about it in class, at home, at night, ect. My grades 
started to suffer (probally not entirely because of my stuttering, but 
beacuse it was the end of the year and i was tired of school). I think that 
i would benefit from still journaling, but i just dont have the time 
anymore. I'm planning to make a concious effort after volleyball season, 
which takes up most of my time these days. To answer your second question 
about it helping me deal with my emotions; the answer is yes. My freshman 
year was a very trying year; my dad remarried, i started therapy, i was 
just getting acclamated to high school, and i stuttered. My journal was 
certainly not just about my speech, but all aspects of my life are 
connected in some way, so my speech was part of the problem in most 
situations. I think that i let it run my life too much though, and i can 
honestly say that if you know of someone who thinks about it constantly; 
get them help, and make them write. Most teenagers (especially boys) will 
oppose a journal about their speech disorder, so tell them NOT to write 
about speech. I dont know of any teenager who stutters that will be able to 
keep a journal and not have some part of it about stuttering. In 
conclusion, yes the journal helped me in ALL emotional aspects of my life,
 but mostly in realizing that help was there and that i needed it. Thanks 
for your question! M.


Journal:a travel log of life
From: Judy Butler( Date: 10/6/01( Time: 5:53:49 AM( Remote Name: 208.244.111.121
Comments
Hi. Thank you for sharing an example of the inner life of a teen who 
stutters. I believe your article will help listeners appreciate that this 
kind of inner struggle can be going on inside of kids, whether or not there 
is any outward indication of it. As I revise "Making My Own Way" this 
winter, I want to add more information about the whole process of what 
journal writing is about. Also, there needs to be more in depth guidance 
about how to help a child with the information she has taken the risk of 
sharing. A journal needs to be respected as a very private piece of work. 
And when we as adult helpers are invited into that private world I feel we
 need to be grateful, careful, and strong in our support. So, I would love 
your ideas for learning more about these two issues: journaling and adult 

guidance.


Re: Journal:a travel log of life
From: John Tetnowski( Date: 10/8/01( Time: 3:59:09 PM( Remote Name: 130.70.137.156
Comments
Judy,
I agree strogly with your comments about the trust that clients expect when 
they share personal issues like their journals. It is always held in the
 strictist confidence.

As for the difficult questions that you propose. A guide on how to keep and 
elicit a journal....I can't do that yet. However, I have some ideas about 
encouragement. Trust plays a big role. Trust comes from the feelings of 
empathy and understanding that we show for our clients. In addition, I have 
found that knowledge plays an important part in building trust as well.
 Sharing information about the complexity of stuttering, sharing 
information about my past experiences with other PWS (anonymous clients of 
course), and committing to meet the needs of my clients (through 
scheduling, attendance at support groups, etc.) go a long way towards 
geeting that trust. We must also understand the feelings that stuttering 
might evoke. Most clinicians know the guilt, hostility, anger emotions that 
Van Riper talked about, but stuttering of course can bring out many more 
emotions that need to be understood by the client (and their clinician). 
These include grief (I have seen many parents cry when they see how severly 
their children stutter), inadequacy, vulnerability, confusion, and so on. I 
have read extensively on these topics, and can recommend David Luterman's 
Counseling book to help understand potential feelings by the PWS and their
 family, the chapter on "fluency disorders" in Thomas Crowe's counseling 
text to help understand potential problems associated with stuttering, and 
the book "Flow" to help the PWS move towards a better understanding of 
themselves and the "self-help", "self-motivation", and "self-enjoyment"
 that can come out of any self improvement task. I'll get the author of 
that book to you....just contact me off-line (tetnowski@louisiana.edu).
As I ramble on with my answer, I realize how difficult this task is. Your 
writings are quite helpful and I often refer my clients to your work as a 
source. I think that for now, my recommendation to those in the field is to 
learn more and know more about the power of descriptive techniques and 
qualitative research/clinical techniques. These include a wide variety of 
tasks and tools that have been talked about as if they were "unscientific"
 until recently. The 1992 compilation "Best Practices in School Speech-
Language Pathology" is a good beginning (even though it does not 
specifically address stuttering).

Thanks for your contributions. Let's talk again soon when I can digest your 
questions more.

John T.


Re: Journal:a travel log of life
From: Woody Starkweather( Date: 10/9/01( Time: 4:58:30 PM( Remote Name: 155.247.229.193
Comments
Hi John and M:
Thank you for sharing those details with all of us. It is always helpful to
see exactly how a person is feeling from day to day, and as therapists we 
don't always get that chance.
I have been recommending daily journaling to my clients for about five 
years now. Some want to do it and some don't. When a client keeps a daily 
journal of their feelings and experiences about stuttering, it helps them 
clarify their thoughts about a slippery topic, helps them stay honest with 
themselves (always a key to good recovery), and keeps a record that allows 
them to look back, which provides perspective and a sense of growth. All of 
these things are benefits of journaling. IN addition, there are special 
forms of journaling, which can also be useful, such as left hand - right 
hand journaling, which Janet and I have demonstrated so many times, secret 
journaling, which is specifically for self-honesty, and the quasi-
journaling form of writing letters that never get sent, for dialogue with 
people that you can't actually have dialogue with because they are dead or 
unavailable in some other way.

Congratulations on bringing this valuable therapeutic tool to the 
foreground.

Woody


A paper which was joy to read
From: Gunars K. Neiders( Date: 10/9/01( Time: 7:04:16 PM( Remote Name: 12.13.226.16
Comments
John,
Reading this paper was pure joy. You say in one of your answers "...plus it 
helps develop writing skills (something almost all of us can benefit from). 
It appears that you must have written a journal yourself, your transitions 
and use of inclusion of quotes would do an English major honor.

The question and answer part of this paper has also was quite informative. 
A couple of questions:

1) Do you know where one can obtain a copy of David Lutterman's book, since 
it appears to be out of print?

2) I assume you are referring to "Flow : The Psychology of Optimal 
Experience" by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (Paperback - March 1991)? I found 
the book also very enlightening, although rather a sludging :-) read. 
Nothing compared to your easy-to-read prose. :-)

3) Just when you think you got off easy, let me ask you advice about a 
preteen who stutters AND has dyslexia. A hard copy journal appears to be 
such a user friendly medium. Both writing and reading. Do you have any 
experience/suggestions with an audio journal? Is there a way to make it 
user friendly?

Gunars


Re: A paper which was joy to read
From: John Tetnowski( Date: 10/10/01( Time: 9:42:04 AM( Remote Name: 130.70.137.156
Comments
Gunars,
Thank you for your wonderful comments. I sometimes wish that all the 
journal reviewers had the same opinion of my writing! The question about 
the dyslexic individual is a real interest of mine. I think that if this 
person shows signs of dyslexia (which of course brings up another issue
 relating to tretament, identification, and even the very definition of 
dyslexia) we should encourage him even more to generate tasks related to 
his/her literacy skills. I think you have a wonderful opportunity to help 
this person with more than just the stuttering. I think that a written 
journal is perfect for him/her. Of course, you will have to become a 
language/literacy specialist beyond your skills as a fluency specialist. I 
didn't know that the Lutterman book was out of press. I'll see if I can 
find an extra copy laying around someplace. If I do, consider it yours.
 Send me an e-mail address. I'm glad that you read "flow". I read it last
 year and really enjoyed it, and of course immediately thought about the 
implications for therapy. (It also helped in my own life).

Thanks again,

John T.

Re: A paper which was joy to read
From: Gunars K. Neiders( Date: 10/22/01( Time: 2:48:33 AM( Remote Name: 206.63.38.128
Comments
John T., My e-mail address is neiders@halcyon.com I hope to hear from you. 
Gunars


For M.
From: Stefan Hoffmann, International Stuttering Association, Beijing( Date: 10/13/01( Time: 2:13:38 PM( Remote Name: 134.29.30.79
Comments
M., fine to hear your story. 2 comments: - when I was 18, had the address 
of the local Self Help Group in my drawer for 1 year, only then I had the 
courage to go, and it proved to be THE therapy for me. So everyone has his/
her own pace, but I wish today I had had the courage and insight to look 
for help earlier than with 19.

- Your teacher apparently read your journal once in a while. Did she make 
other remarks about your problem besides the one quoted in this article?

Thanks and good luck!


Re: For M.
From: M.( Date: 10/17/01( Time: 10:07:11 PM( Remote Name: 205.188.196.56
Comments
Stefan, I'm sorry that it took you an entire year to find the strength to 
go to that group, but as the old saying goes, better late than never. It's 
great that you're getting help and i hope you're finding results! Yes, my 
teacher picked up the journals every once in, while pretty much to make 
sure everyone was ok, and that we were actually doing the assignment. Yes,
 she did comment at more than one occasion, mostly just side comments about 
famous people who stutter and overcame it, (marilyn monroe, winston 
churchhill,and john stossel) and that i could speak to the guidance 
counselor if i needed to. She didn't go into a big conversation about it 
probally because she knew it made me uncomfortable. But, just yesterday, I 
wrote her a note thanking her for assigning the journal and making me write 
it. If she would not have done that I would not be part of this conference, 
nor would I have been so determined in finding Dr. Tetnowski. So, to answer 
your question, yes, she did write more, but nothing very significant. I 
suppose the world works in mysterious ways (even through 10 pages of 
journal a week). Good luck! M.


Finding your own way:  A teenager's self-realization of stuttering through 
a personal journal
From: Leigh Mears ( Date: 10/14/01( Time: 5:38:10 PM( Remote Name: 66.26.181.103
Comments
Dear John Tetnowski and M.,
I am a graduate student in speech-language pathology at East Carolina 
University in Greenville, NC. I enjoyed reading your article and I was 
wondering if you feel that keeping a journal should be instilled in speech 
therapy? Also, in regards to M's case, what are your opinions on her mother 
and friends avoiding or not acknowleding her stuttering as much as she did? 
Do you believe that people that stutter may stutter less often if not 
called attention to the problem, or if that has no effect. Also, them not 
calling attention to it if that may cause her to doubt herself and cause 
more anxiety and in turn increase her stuttering?

If you could e-mail me your responses, I would greatly appreciate it! 
lam0728@mail.ecu.edu
Thanks,
Leigh Mears


Re: Finding your own way:  A teenager's self-realization of stutt...
From: John Tetnowski( Date: 10/15/01( Time: 5:55:43 PM( Remote Name: 130.70.137.156
Comments
Leah,
Keeping ajournal is a good idea for all of us. It helps us organize our 
thoughts and concentrate on some details of life that we can so easily move 
to the back of consciousness (and then later wish that we had acted on 
them, or even remembered what they were!). I started keeping my own journal 
(something like one, anyway)a few years ago, and write down research ideas 
and other reminders and reflections. It is amazing how much insight is 
gained through the activity. Despite my comments here, I still say that the 
only people taht we should require to keep a journal are the people that 
"need" to keep one. I really believe that making clients do something just 
because it's "part of a program" is not warranted. The next question might
 be, "Who needs to keep a journal?" My answer would be anyone that needs 
more insight about themselves or their problem (that does sound like all of 
us). You also asked my opinion about parents that don't acknowledge 
stuttering in their children. I believe that this is a problem relating to 
education. The old school of thought said "don't say anything about 
stuttering, and they might outgrow it". This old Johnsonian theory just 
doesn't hold true with what we know today. Despite that, these tales have 
been passed around and are still used by many so called authorities on 
child behavior (pediatricians, etc.). In defense of the parents, we all do 
what we think is best for our children. I believe it is the job of the SLP 
to let parents and others know what is best.

Thanks for the questions and comments.
John Tetnowski


Journal
From: Melissa Crockett, Southern University-Baton Rouge, La.
Date: 10/14/01( Time: 8:30:51 PM( Remote Name: 205.188.192.29
Comments
Do you feel that M. would have ever addressed her issues about stuttering 
if she had not engaged in a personal journal? To M.: Acknowledging the 
problem is hard part, everything else is smooth sailing. Continue the good 
work!


Re: Journal
From: M.( Date: 10/14/01( Time: 10:25:21 PM( Remote Name: 152.163.207.201
Comments
Dear Melissa, Yes, I had addressed my feelings about my own stuttering long 
before the journal was assigned. Those feelings hadnt been put on paper, 
but I obviously knew how i felt because I was able to write it. I think the 
journal did bring out things about my speech and things about myself that i 
didnt know I had. When i was writing about my speech or whatever the 
subject matter was, i wasnt writing to "understand" anything; I wrote what
 i felt, and thats what made it so real. The things that I wrote didnt have 
the same meaning then as they do now. Dr. Tetnowski pointed things out and
 asked why i felt that certain way, and by re-opening those topics, I 
realized things that i had never thought about before. So, in conclusion,
the journal was just a small step to my realization of anything about 
myself. No conclusions were made because of it, and the issues brought up 
in the journal were already addressed in my head, just not anywhere else. 
Thanks for writing! M.


Thanks
From: Lynne Shields( Date: 10/18/01( Time: 11:11:44 AM( Remote Name: 199.217.208.162
Comments
M. and John,
Thanks for your article. I suspect that it may serve as a motivator for 
others who stutter, espeically any teen readers, to think about their 
situation, whether or not they ever keep a journal, as described in the 
paper.

Well-done paper, and congratulations on pursuing getting help, M.! I think 
that the determination you showed in looking until you found help is 
admirable.


M.'s Story
From: Dawn Boven, Central Michigan University( Date: 10/20/01( Time: 12:21:51 PM( 
Comments
M., Thanks for sharing your story. As a graduate student of speech language 
pathology, it reminded me that feelings and attitudes are as important to 
address in therapy as the speech problem itself is. With your determination 
and courage, I know you'll do well in politics.

Dawn


Journal
From: Chalsea Jones Graduate Student( Date: 10/21/01( Time: 11:07:13 PM( 
Comments
Congratulations M. for not only wanting to seek help, but actually finding 
someome out there to provide the services. That was extremely brave and 
mature of you to recognize the fact that it was time for something to be 
done and then presenting that information to your mother. Did you go on the 
trip to D.C. and if so how was it


Re: Journal
From: M.( Date: 10/23/01( Time: 10:01:13 PM( Remote Name: 64.12.101.163
Comments
Dear Chalsea, Thanks for the kind words. It took a lot more for me to talk 
to my mom than to ask Dr. Tetnowski for help. I wasn't sure how she would 
react, so thats probally why i avoided the conversation for almost 2 weeks. 
No, I haven't been to DC yet... I'm kind of hesitant with everything going 
on lately. (and you're supposed to be a junior...but sometimes they let 
sophomores go!) I guess I'll see pretty soon if I'm going or not. Thanks 
again!
M.

reflection diary in therapy
From: N. Bayer-graduate student( Date: 10/22/01( Time: 5:24:50 PM( 
Comments
I love the idea of incorporating a reflection diary into therapy. I think 
it is a good way to work on emotions of the stutterer. The slp can review
 the diary with the client in order to fully understand the emotions he or
she is experiencing. thanks


personal journals
From: Susan Kenney( Date: 10/22/01( Time: 7:43:44 PM( Remote Name: 206.131.149.11
Comments
Journal writing has been part of my therapy practices for a while now. Not
 only do my students enjoy doing it (will maybe not at first) but when they 
take time to reflect, their understand of themselves leads to tremendous 
growth in many areas of their lives.


Re: personal journals
From: John Tetnowski( Date: 10/25/01( Time: 10:41:29 AM( Remote Name: 130.70.137.156
Comments
Whenever I ask my clients to keep journals, they seem to discover an 
insight about themselves and their stuttering that is a little broader and 
deeper than when they just talk about it. I think that having to expressing 
their feelings every day (rather than just the days that they come to
 therapy) becomes helpful.

Thanks for the comments.

John Tetnowski

Article 36
From: Colleen Franklin( Date: 10/22/01( Time: 9:54:38 PM( Remote Name: 216.74.202.150
Comments
What made you think that you had a stuttering problem when no one else had 
mentioned anything to you and why do you feel you wanted to speak out about 
it?


Re: Article 36
From: M.( Date: 10/23/01( Time: 10:19:17 PM( Remote Name: 64.12.103.163
Comments
Stuttering isn't something that someone needs to tell you that you have. 
It's a feeling inside of fear and avoidance. I didn't need someone to tell
 me "hey, you stutter" to know that I did. In fact, my 8 year old 
stepbrother probally brings it up more than anyone else ever has. That is 
only because he knows that it bothers me. I spoke out about it mostly 
beacause Dr. Tetnowski asked me to. I probally wouldn't have ever said 
anything to anyone if he hadn't offered it. Most people dont even know that 
I take speech therapy, so I'm pretty secretive about it. I just don't want 
to bring more attention to the fact that I stutter than is absolutely 
necessary. I hope that answers your question. If not Email me at 
Malgusa@aol.com. Thanks again. M.


Daily writings
From: Melia Danielson( Date: 4/21/03( Time: 12:38:48 PM( Remote Name: 134.29.13.126
Comments
I believe keeping a daily journal is a great way for someone to express 
their feelings. They can also look back and see what progress they have 
made.


Helpful for every one
From: Sanjan Rahman( Date: 4/30/03( Time: 10:56:03 PM( Remote Name: 134.29.50.67
Comments
A 15 year old child dealt with her stuttering problem by keeping journal.
The journal gave the child insight of her emotional aspects of stuttering. 
M. s journal example is effective for speech language therapy. The journal
 will inspire not only the teen agers but also the young and old population 
with stammering problem.