 About the Author:My name is Catalina Valer García, I am a Speech – Language Pathologist and I live in Lima-Peru. I studied Special Education at the Women’s University of the Sacred Heart in Lima, almost 30 years ago, with the specialty of “Disturbances in Communication”, later I studied a Master’s Degree in Speech Therapy with a mention in Oral Motor, Voice and Stuttering and I have made national and international presentations in relation to Research carried out around Stuttering. Currently almost 100% of my clients have stuttering and I enjoy working with them. |
Listening, listening to patients when they come to the consultation, seeking help to overcome stuttering.
Listen to the feelings behind the words.
Listen to the anguish they express, the need to communicate better, to be able to work, to be able to talk on the phone and to better control stuttering.
Listen to the need to speak better at university or college, to communicate with classmates, to talk to friends, to be able to say their name without fear.
Listening to the mother’s anguish when she says that the stuttering appeared for a month, then left and reappeared and they don’t know why; hearing the fear of a father when he says that he has a stutter and notices that his daughter also has it and this scares him because he does not want the same thing that he went through to happen.
Every time I listen to these stories, I have learned and I strive to have the ability to listen, to listen to the gaze, the tone of voice, the expressions of the face, of their body; listening to their hearts’ desire, their negative and positive experiences as well; to listen to their hope, their pain, their personal stories and their desires.
I need to have the necessary attention to listen to the feelings behind the words; I have learned that I need to take care of my mental health and have the peace of mind to receive each story and be able to help in a practical and effective way at the same time, always giving a light of hope. First thanking each family or person with a stutter for the opportunity they give me to listen to their deep, intimate and very personal needs, which perhaps they do not dare to tell anyone.
In my personal history, a year ago my mother went through a process of thyroid cancer, which according to doctors is the least aggressive cancer; on the way we found different doctors, some were like angels sent by God, a balm of hope and others were also indifferent to our pain and anguish, who perhaps could have guided us a little more, did not do so and left us without direction.
This experience marked my life and my professional work as well. I ask myself today: How do I want to listen to my stuttering patients and their families?
I want to be that balm for them, I want to always have the right attitude and words to guide them and help them in this process.
I want to have” THE POWER OF LISTENING”.
I like how you mentioned your mother’s doctor visits. Some doctors were human and helpful, while others were not. A great example of how we can all be like the good doctors and pay attention to the feelings and emotions behind the words (in all aspects of life).
Hi Daniel, thank you for your comment. I agree with you, since that experience I became more aware of my reactions and how I listened and served my customers. Currently I take great care of my mental health and try to balance my activities to always have the best attitude to attend to families and people with stuttering.
Greetings Daniel, I appreciate your work very much. I like Franky Banky.
This is a very impactful article. It is so important to listen to all of these things, but I loved how you specifically mentioned taking care of yourself so that you are able to take on all of these scenarios. I am a current SLP graduate student and I feel this is so important because we want to be there for our clients, but we can’t do that and understand if we don’t make sure we are good first.
Hi, thank you so much for your comment.
I agree with you, we cannot give what we do not have, I think that sometimes we think that doing many activities is to be successful but sometimes not having a balance in the activities makes us stressed, in a hurry with little patience and that is reflected in our life and also work with our clients.
A hug
This post is so beautifully written, Catalina. As a graduate clinician, your words resonate deeply with me. The emphasis you place on truly listening to both the spoken and unspoken words of your clients is a powerful reminder of the importance of empathy in our field. Your personal story and reflections on how you want to support your clients, not just through therapy but by being a source of hope and understanding, is inspiring. It’s a reminder that our role goes beyond just helping with communication; it’s about being there to guide and support our clients in their personal journeys. Thank you for sharing your heart and your wisdom!
Hello, thank you for your beatiful words.
I think communication is total, everything communicates, not only the words but also the look, the voice, the intonation, the gestures, the body language, also averting the gaze communicates something and I think we need to be attentive to it.
On the other hand, about the experience with my mother, I think that when we need help, we not only need a good professional but also a good person, a good human being.
A big hug
I truly appreciate your perspective in “Listen To The Feelings Behind The Words.” As a graduate student in speech-language pathology, set to graduate in May, your emphasis on listening to the deeper emotions and experiences of people who stutter really speaks to me. It’s a reminder that beyond the therapy techniques and goals, it’s essential to create a space where clients feel truly heard and understood.
Your story about your mother’s journey with thyroid cancer also highlights the importance of empathy in our profession. It made me reflect on how, as future clinicians, we can balance being a “balm of hope” while still guiding clients and their families through their challenges.
Thank you for sharing such a thoughtful and heartfelt message.
Hi, thank you for your comment.
Exactly, I think it is necessary to combine techniques to increase fluency but also to consider the emotions, feelings and all the emotional load that people with stuttering present, which in most cases is the greatest. “Sheehan’s Iceberg”. As specialists we need to have an integral view.
That’s right, the experience with my mom was very difficult but I believe that God allows some things to happen with a purpose, that experience also made me reflect on the way I was working and now I can share it in the virtual conference.
A big hug
Hi Catalina,
Your wonderful piece is a steady reminder just that clinicians need to take the time to listen, be present and in the moment to truly listen to their patients. I appreciate how you mention that you thank each and every patient for sharing their personal stories. I think this kind and thoughtful gesture goes a long way to make them feel safe and above all, valued. Listening to their concerns is the foundation of putting patients first. Thank you for your insight!
Yohana
Hello, thank you for yor comment.
I think that for people who have stuttering sharing their personal experiences, frustrations, fears, etc. must not be easy. I believe that each young person or family that comes to the office chooses you to help and attend to them; they make themselves vulnerable to open their hearts and tell us what hurts them; That is why we have the responsibility to guide them properly and appreciate the trust they are having with us.
A hug Yohana
Hi Catalina, I really admire your work and the impact you are making on others lives. In all the conversations and interactions you have with patients I see that active listening is something you spoke heavily on. You stated you have to take care of yourself to be all in and super supportive of your patients. What are some important advice/tips for things you do that you think would be helpful to SLPs/future SLPs in taking care of themselves so they can be their best selves for patients?
Hello, thank you for your beatiful questions.
I think one important thing is to maintain a balance in life and set priorities. When we have a lot of things to do and we are very busy all day and with many tasks, we also get stressed, we worry and that can alter our way of responding, talking, reacting.
In relation to people with stuttering, theory tells us that an overload of activities can impair fluency. I believe that maintaining a balance is also necessary for specialists who care for families and people with stuttering.
Another aspect that has helped me a lot is to take care of the space where I study, where I work because that is one of the powerful places for me, that is the place where my ideas flow, where I organize tasks, etc. and I try to make it a quiet space, with little noise, orderly, respectful. That helps me to be calm and feel comfortable.
A big hug.
Catalina
Your story made me a bit sad. in the first place for your mothers illness and the people she met who ignored her needs. Secondly for the words you used. Many people who stutter don’t feel anguish (maybe more frustration), many are succesful in life and at work. Many don’t feel the need to overcome stuttering, but just to get some tools understand, speak with less struggles and find self-esteem. Many don’t feel the need to speak better, but others to listen better, who understand, not laugh, not fill in words, so that there is no need to feel fear. I also wish for parents to get to know succesfull adults who stutter, so that they don’t have to feel anguish, and instead are proud of their children for what they are good at and for who they are, and see a future, regardless their child’s speech. As a parent who stutters, instead of being afraid, be the rolemodel your child needs. Let’s change the narrative from fear and anguish to pride and hope. Yes stuttering is tough, but there is therapy, support groups in person and online, camps for kids and their parents, and lots of people who GET it and who listen. Let’s listen to all the stories, and change the narrative into hope and pride. I’m so happy you’re listening to your clients.
Thank you for your valuable comment dear Anita, from which I learn a lot as well.
I believe that each person and family perceives stuttering in a different way, what I have written is only what I have heard from my clients; I think that the perception of stuttering can also be influenced by our culture, in South America maybe there are still a lot of prejudices, maybe we give importance to what the other person thinks of ourselves; etc. I think we still have a lot of work to do on desensitization at all levels, with parents, children, young people, therapists, etc., to see stuttering in a different way.
Conferences like this one, for example, are very useful because they allow us to share ideas, experiences, testimonies and together learn from each other.
What I have shared with you are only testimonials from clients who live in Lima (the capital of Peru), there are even more testimonies from the provinces (which are the other cities of my country) where we need to teach about stuttering and change in many cases many myths, prejudices and beliefs. We are making an effort to do so and I think that every year, with more campaigns like this we are teaching the population. I know that there is much to be done and I will continue to strive to fulfill the task entrusted to me.
Thank you very much Anita and your beautiful team.
A hug
Catalina Valer
I’m so happy the narrative is changing, dear Catalina, and I hope there will be many more clinicians like you. Together we can make a difference. <3