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From: LeAnne Steinbeck, East Carolina Univ. grad student
Date: 10/21/01
Time: 9:53:54 PM
Remote Name: 66.26.186.103
Dr. Johnson, I am a little confused about using email as a type of therapy along with "regular" speech therapy sessions. I agree with the 12 ways for a teen to accept stuttering therapy, but actually, all of those points need to be addressed no matter what the age or pathology. As for using email, I do not see how a form of nonverbal, written communication can be a beneficial form of stuttering therapy. It seems as though it is giving the client an escape route to hide from the problem instead of really focusing on it. You mention in your article that email therapy is "spontaneous," "personal," and provides "spur of the moment needs." How can something that requires planning, talking to a computer, and receiving a delayed response be any of the above? You also mention that Eric has started relying on email therapy too much, which has resulted in loss of contact with his school's SLP. That would be my main concern. Building a rapport with your client is one of the most important aspects of therapy. By using email, the interaction is not "real." So my question is, "Is Eric relying on just the email therapy now or is he still continuing to see an SLP along with it?" Of course, I do not know Eric, but from reading this article it seems as though he would benefit from a more personal interaction. Second question, "Have you tried this form of email therapy with older clients, meaning those that are not teens?" "If so, what did they think/feel about it?" "If not, why not?" Thank you for taking the time to respond to my questions. You seem like a very positive person with a lot to offer your patients- be it through email or not!