My Approach

The “Brave” approach

The nature of stuttering is paradoxical. The more we try to avoid stuttering, the more it controls our lives. In avoiding stuttering, it comes to dictate our thoughts, our emotions, and the choices we make about speaking and participating. Our brain tries to protect us: “Don’t talk, you might stutter!” Our emotions try to protect us: “If you stutter you’ll feel shame, so let’s avoid that!” Even our bodies try to protect us: “This is uncomfortable. Stop!” Often times, the results are speaking patterns and choices that reflect our struggle rather than our true, authentic selves.

The “Brave” approach is to work on saying what we want to say, when we want to say it, regardless of stuttering. That might sound radical, but this approach to stuttering is deeply rooted in counseling principles for reducing fear and avoidance. In therapy we call this approach "desensitization," the process of systematically approaching feared speaking situations to make them less distressing over time. We follow a hierarchy, practicing therapy skills in low-risk situations and progressing incrementally as you are ready. As fear decreases, confidence grows and speaking ultimately becomes easier even in the presence of stuttering. As speaking becomes easier, we communicate more effectively, more authentically, and more often. We begin to spontaneously say what we want to say, when we want to say it, without struggle and without thinking about stuttering. By learning to stop struggling with stuttering, we ultimately stutter less.

Most people believe that they need to improve their fluency in order to improve their confidence. In reality, freedom from struggle often works the exact opposite way. The “Brave” approach is to build confidence first so that easier communication can follow.

A values-based perspective

People who stutter can often think, “If I didn’t stutter, I would be more talkative/outgoing/funny/etc.” Thoughts like that reveal that our choices and behaviors in life are being guided by our fear of stuttering rather than our values. In therapy we work together to establish goals and strategies that align with your values so you can work toward being the “you” you want to be.

What about speech “strategies”?

The mental gymnastics people do to avoid stuttering can be exhausting. Many people who stutter develop “tricks” to work around their stuttering, such as switching words, tapping their foot, using filler words like “um” or “like,” and many other strategies. These “tricks” are manifestations of our struggle with stuttering, and they become patterns in our communication.

The field of speech therapy is moving away from use of traditional “fluency” strategies. There are many reasons for this, but in short, fluency strategies are “tricks” by another name. Both are used in attempts to avoid stuttering, and both are acts of struggle. It is a common phenomena for tricks and strategies to work well enough in low-feared situations but ultimately fail us when the stakes are raised.

For clients interested in practical strategies for improving overall communication, we take values-based approach. We work together to identify communication strategies that align with your values and how you want to speak. Strategies can come from a variety of sources. We may identify current strengths in your communication and build upon those. We may identify communication skills from speakers you admire and adopt strategies that are meaningful to you. We may draw upon traditional public speaking strategies for improving overall communication. In adopting strategies that align with your values and voice, you will become a better communicator while thinking less about speaking, not more.

Counseling-informed therapy

Stuttering is like an iceberg. The small bit of the iceberg above the surface are the stutters that people hear. The majority of the stuttering experience is unseen below the surface and is comprised of thoughts, emotions, and avoidance behaviors. These can include things like shame, anxiety, fear, self-criticisms, low self-esteem, word switching, avoiding people and places, and more. These thoughts, feelings, and avoidance behaviors often have just as big of an impact on our lives as the stutters themselves. I use counseling-informed approaches to help identify and address these aspects of the stuttering experience so they have less of an impact on your life.

The power of group therapy

Stuttering can be an isolating experience. Many people who stutter report not knowing a single other person who stutters. Groups provide a supportive, encouraging, and fun environment to work on clinical goals. Clients build connection, self-esteem, and confidence speaking in real-life social interactions with other people who “get it.”

Family involvement for children

For children, parents are an essential part of the process. I work closely with families to provide education, coaching, and practical strategies to support communication at home and in everyday life. Parents gain greater understanding of their own reactions to stuttering and confidence in their ability to support their child. Together, we work as partners to support your child across home, school, and extracurricular settings.

Collaborative and individualized care

Every client’s experience with stuttering is unique. I work collaboratively with each person to create goals that matter to them, whether that’s speaking up in class, participating in meetings, ordering at a restaurant, or feeling more at ease while talking.

My goal is simple: to help you (or your child) communicate more freely, participate more fully, and feel more confident being yourself.

Certifications and Trainings:

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC-SLP)

Washington Speech-Language-Hearing Association

Certified provider for Avoidance Reduction Therapy for Stuttering (ARTS®)

Training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for stuttering

Training in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for stuttering

Training in Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) for stuttering

Training in Motivational Interviewing (MI) for stuttering