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I'm afraid to say my name and you fear public restrooms! We both have social anxiety that can control the decisions we make and how we navigate our day! You won't attend concerts or go to the shopping mall. I made up a lie and skipped a wedding to conceal my stuttering. We are both scared to tell others how much we live in fear. I feel for and respect anyone with "shy bladder." The similarity between stuttering and paruresis is noteworthy! According to the International Paruresis Association, 220 million worldwide have a phobia of using restrooms. https://paruresis.org/

As a cognitive therapist I hear what I call "stuttering movies" all week long. People who stutter projecting thoughts, imagining judgement, and placing a "premium" on NOT stuttering with particular individuals. Examine your beliefs about stuttering to reduce your fear and anxiety.

If you fail to educate teachers, coaches, counselors, sitters, and other shareholders you roll the dice with kids who stutter. That is sobering but true.

People who stutter develop social anxiety (fear) related to stuttering. What explains the situations in which they cannot emply their"techniques" or "targets?" What are internal conflicts inside of stuttering therapy? Many pws report they have an internal conflict: they spent alot of energy and money on fluency shaping but deep down they think it bring more attention to their speech.

Stacy Bruce, PharmD is a pharmacist in Alabama. Listen to her list of accomplishments with speaking and how she got to where she is today. Her roles at the hospital place her in numerous public speaking situations. She is a member of two Toastmasters clubs. Stacy spoke with me at the SHAA convention in Birmingham in February, 2025. She recently participated in a panel discussion about stuttering with graduate students in SLP. We discuss a holistic approach using CBT and SLP.

Imagine, if you stutter, getting through military school, the Army, learning Japanese and now a premier MBA program!?! Kevin & Tim catch up after 12 years. Kevin vividly remembers his speech therapy with Tim. We discuss holistic therapy that integrated CBT and SLP. Listen to this compelling story!

Many adults who stutter struggle with a "flare up" or an "exacerbation" of stuttering and the feelings that come with it. Let's explore the anatomy of a flare up. How does it happen? What can I do about it? We need to explore the cognitive and the physical aspects of the flare up.

Listen to Courson share the victories from high school until now. Tim & Courson last spoke 11 years ago. Full-immersion and "trial by fire" are what we have in common. Courson is now 27 years old and he is thriving in sales. Stuttering will not slow him down!

Happy New Year! It is time to get rid of FOPO. FOPO stands for Fear Other People's Opinion. FOPO leads to so much anxiety and avoidance, doesn't it. Listen to podcasts by Michael Gervais to start your year. Watch or re-watch The King's Speech and When I Stutter. Check me out on Insta and TikTok at stutteringsolutionsatl SPEAK UP IN 2025! Your voice matters.

In the last 33 years of being an SLP I have lost track of how many people say "my stuttering is a burden!" It may be worded as "I will hold up the meeting" or "the partners in my presentation will resent my stuttering" or "the waiter is busy and I have to speak fast or he'll be upset." Because I integrate CBT into therapy, I help people find these cognitive distortions and toxic beliefs. These negative patterns of thinking create social anxiety/state anxiety and lead to blocking. YOUR STUTTERING IS NOT A BURDEN. We want to hear you share your ideas and contributions.

A fresh twist to my podcasts! Bhav Jain, a Stanford Medical student, interviews me. After listening to my podcasts, Bhav sent me an email with several questions intended to help him with his stuttering. Stuttering is a complex challenge and Bhav seeks the same insight as most adults who stutter do. Listen as he reads the questions to me. To see high quality video demonstration, check out https://stutteringadvice.com/

The Successful Stuttering Management Program (SSMP), started in 1962 by Dorv Breitenfeldt, PhD and Dee Lorenz, is powerful and relevant in today's stuttering therapy! Tim Mackesey, Joe Klein, Kim Krieger, Tom Gurrister, and Robbie Jackson are all SLPs who participated in this discussion recognizing Dorv Breitenfeldt's contributions to training clinicians and helping pws. I encourage graduate clinicians to consider attending the SSMP. You will learn about stuttering from the inside out! If you stutter, look into this life changing experience. To learn more about the SSMP open this link: https://www.ewu.edu/chsph/communication-sciences-disorders/ssmp/

If you stutter, you know that talking is like a road with speed humps. In your car, you approach speed humps be slowing down and easing over the hump. You'd never back up, right? When talking you will feel a stutter coming, maintain eye contact, slow down, loosen your speech muscles and ease the word out. Emotionally, you will hit humps of frustration or embarrassment. Investigate to find out what you were thinking or feeling at the moment of stuttering and "reframe" your thinking. Listen to previous podcasts: Look and Let it Out, Eye Contact, Rate of Speech, and the Top Ten Forms of Twisted Thinking.

For 32+ years I have seen pws stutter on the word stutter and tell me they fear the word! I used to stutter on the word stutter nearly 100% of the time. The bottom line is that we attach a strong negative meaning to stuttering on stutter- shame and embarrassment. Many people who stutter refer to it as "my speech" or a "speech impediment." Ironically, "speech" is a different /s/ blend word! But, we take stuttering on "speech" less personally than "stutter." Some pws are reluctant to disclose that they stutter because they fear stuttering on "stutter." Listen in.

Tomorrow, next week, or 60 days from now how will I know to fear or avoid very specific words, sounds, or situations? Did I download an App to my brain that controls me? Experiences on my timeline create these fears and avoidance habits. Pschologists talk about "one trial learning" when a phobia is created. We who stutter can create a fear of stuttering and then this "App" runs in the background of our communication system. Listen and learn.