“Every human being on the face of the earth has a steel plate in his head, but if you lie down now and then and get still as you can, it will slide open like elevator doors, letting in all the secret thoughts that have been standing around so patiently, pushing the button for a ride to the top. The real troubles in life happen when those hidden doors stay closed for too long.” (from The Secret Life of Bees, p 170 by Sue Monk Kidd)
One of the most important components of overcoming chronic stuttering is learning to deal with the feelings and emotions that build up as a consequence. To cope, many people who stutter have learned to suppress many of their emotions. Letting the 'secret thoughts" out can be an initial step toward overcoming them.
This section attempts to assist clinicians in understanding the feelings and emotions commonly experienced by those who stutter. While each person experiences stuttering uniquely, the explanations offered are intended to provide basic constructs of emotions. As part of the counseling role of therapy, the clinician and client work together to discover, understand, and facilitate changes which lead to a more satisfactory resolution of the problems associated with stuttering.
Among the most common problems associated with stuttering is anxiety. The work of Reneau Peurifory in helping clients to better manage anxiety is abstracted to help clinicians understanding how to work with anxiety; applications of Peurifory's work specific to stuttering therapy are also offered.
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Overcoming Anxiety  (required reading) |
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© Rentschler, 2004