Individual Therapy

Most people who stutter say no, it’s not helpful because it’s empowering to say what you want to say. Occasionally someone will report it’s a relief when someone fills the word in for them. This is understandable, and is a short term relief that repeated over time has a long term consequence of increasing fear and making your world smaller.  Those who fill in words for people who stutter almost always have good intentions and are trying to help. It’s very natural for people who do not stutter to fill in words for others when we all have occasional word finding problems during conversation. During stuttering people know exactly what they want to say but just need more time to say it, so just be patient and wait. Those who stutter can learn to advocate for themselves in these situations.

No.  All clients pay out of pocket. Payment is due the day of service. I provide receipts with coding, if needed, to submit to insurance for reimbursement for any out of network coverage clients may have. Intensive courses require a deposit to hold your spot. The full payment is due one week before the intensive course is held.  

All therapy options are available only during weekdays.

Yes! For most people virtual therapy is not only convenient but effective. For very young children, I recommend finding a stuttering specialist who does in person sessions if possible. Parent consultations are effective virtually. Children with ADHD sometimes need to do half sessions and at times may need in person sessions instead. Booking a consultation can help determine if virtual therapy will be the right match for a client.  Direct eye contact cannot be worked on virtually but can be discussed and worked on by the client with others. My in person intensive courses for teens and adults have the added benefit of being able to practice eye contact by interacting face to face in public with strangers and in group with other clients. 

Do not bring negative attention to stuttering by saying, “slow down”, “don’t do that”, or “take a breath.”  These oversimplified solutions are not helpful and can be frustrating for children to hear and can also build a belief that they are doing something wrong or bad, which is the opposite of what we want. Treat difficulty with talking as you would other difficulties your child may have.  Be open to discuss this with your child in a supportive manner or to acknowledge the struggle in a positive gentle way such as, “wow, that was a tough one but you got it out!”  Ignoring something that is not going away can make a child feel as if they are doing something that is so wrong it cannot even be discussed.  On the other hand, if a child has only been stuttering for a few weeks and shows no signs of awareness or frustration then I may recommend not mentioning anything.  When in doubt, find a stuttering specialist with experience treating children who stutter and get their advice.

Be sure to give 24 hours’ notice so you are not charged the full session fee. Consistent sessions are a key to seeing change.  If you are attending a one week intensive course, you must attend all days, there are no make-up days.