Improving Confidence
How do you help clients build their confidence? Are there specific strategies that you can use to help a client come to terms with their stutter and embrace it?
Comments
Improving Confidence — 3 Comments
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Thank you for your question! Everyone is on a different journey with confidence, but I think two very important confidence boosters are knowledge and community. Clients need to learn about stuttering, and that they are not alone. I take my clients to the NSA website, where they can learn more about stuttering and resources for people who stutter. I also show videos for discussion (ex: Stuttering: For Kids By Kids, Transcending Stuttering, and Let Me Finish). And whenever possible, I link clients to other people who stutter, and local support groups. I appreciate your question. Building confidence is a key component to working with people who stutter.
Great question! I agree with my colleague, Derek, That these are excellent resources! Being a listening ear in itself can help boost confidence, but yes, knowing that one is not alone is HUGE. I also would like to add in addition to these resources Derek has listed, that meeting the client where they are at is huge in building speaking confidence. If the client wishes to complete a specific speaking task, completing role play activities for encouragement and preparation for that specific speaking task can help boost confidence. Also, if the client is comfortable with completing self-disclosure tasks, this can also help with speaking confidence during conversations. 🙂
I agree with Stef and Derek! I would add that success also builds confidence. Establishing a speaking hierarchy that moves from simple to complex–allowing for success at different levels– and working through those gradually while your client manages the thoughts and emotions in that moment, as well as the complex speech motor function that varies from one situation to the next. Anita Bloom talks about SOAL in her lovely paper, stop-observe-act-let go. I encourage my clients to observe/accept those thoughts and emotions, act by using a skill–whether it is thought defusion, self-regulation, disclosure (yes! this is a skill) or moving out of the tension in the block. Then, celebrate those successes!