Australian graduate Ian Stevens recently completed a live radio interview on ABC, completing a huge personal goal and helping to raise awareness of stuttering across Australia. Below is the interview and an article which appeared on the ABC website. Well done Ian!

Listen to ABC Radio Interview (right-click and Save Target As)

“Three years ago Ian Stevens would not have even entertained the idea of coming into the station to be interviewed on radio. Ian had stuttered ever since he learnt to speak.

For more than 40 years Ian’s life was completely controlled by his stuttering problem through embarrassments including the inability to ask for anything other than Coke at a bar or not using the Drive-Thru at McDonald’s.

Ian’s life revolved around fear.  He feared going to the station on Monday to buy a train ticket, he would not go to a gym, and even refused to make a speech at his son’s 18th birthday.

It was not until one night in 2006 when Ian and his wife Jane attended a SIDS ball that the stutter became a problem.

Ian realised that his stutter was embarrassing Jane and was holding him back from enjoying life.

After hours of searching online for something that might help Ian’s speaking problem, Jane found the McGuire Programme and they signed Ian up straight away.

The McGuire Programme teaches its students to be more assertive and confident with their speaking, and forces them into situations they would never have done before the program.

Through these teaching methods, students must face their biggest fears and learn to control those fears to overcome them.  One example is on day three of the course, Ian made a speech in the middle of Queen St Mall.

Before the program Ian suffered from high blood pressure, low self-esteem at work and in social situations.  After completing the program, Ian’s blood pressure was at a normal level and has maintained that level ever since.

As a sought after senior project controls engineer, Ian now has the confidence and ability to get any job he desires and is in a position to demand his own salary.

“I used to go to job interviews just for the sake of going to practice my speaking and within 12 months, I doubled my salary”, he said.

The program is run by former stutterers and now Ian has joined the teaching staff through his desire to help other people in his situation.”

Many McGuire graduates develop an interest and passion for public speaking and raising awareness of stammering. In this story, Ray Worster tells of his most recent experience speaking to a women’s group.

“On the 6th March this year, I auditioned to become a guest speaker with the Women’s Institute. My topic was “Stammering awareness” and I had to speak for 45 minutes in front of 88 members all with pens and marking sheets at the ready. No pressure then!

I based my speech around my life as a person who stammers, moving through childhood and teens into adult life. I spoke about my sessions with speech therapists from the NHS and how they attempted to give me fluency and a cure. I explained that my parents were told that I “would grow out of it”. Well, 57 years on I am still growing out of it although now I rather like to say that I am controlling my stammer.

I spoke about my life within Royal Mail for 25 years, having to pass a communications skills exam before I was allowed to apply to become a manager, and my career within a training team delivering training courses as a “covert” stammerer. That gave me the chance to fully explain the differences between overt and covert stammering and to point out some famous people who have stammered.

That led me on to speak about the McGuire Programme and the realisation that there is no cure for stammering. I demonstrated some speaking techniques to the women in the hall and explained that the programme has a lifetime membership and great support, i.e. everyone has a personal coach, an international contact list, and access to as many courses as they wish.

After my talk, I was interviewed by a judging panel. Their feedback was really good. They said I did well, kept to time, made everyone laugh and added that everyone must have enjoyed the talk because they asked so many questions which apparently is always a good sign.

I was told that I would receive a confirmation letter in due course to invite me onto their list of public speakers. That evening, I received a telephone call asking if I would like to deliver the same talk in March 2010. My response was a resounding “yes, I would be delighted.” My confirmation letter arrived on the 20th March and I have been advised that my details are on the list and that an announcement will be in the May edition of the monthly newsletter.

My reason for doing this was to promote an awareness of stammering. Why did I pick the Women’s Institute? Because it is vast and with time I hope to be able to speak to almost every WI member in Essex and promote a better understanding of stammering to mothers, grandmothers, friends, wives and partners of people who stammer.”

Well done Ray.

People suffering from stuttering often have seemingly very small goals. They would desperately love to order their favourite drink at bar, make a phone call to their dentist or pluck up the courage to chat to that certain pretty girl at lunchtime. the fluent among us rarely give any of the above a second thought.. well, except maybe the last one. However, for many stutterers, these goal seem pretty much impossible but with a little hard work, there are very achievable as Rich explains…

“Since going on the programme my life has changed in a big way, I used to work mainly alone on a farm despite an economics degree from a good uni, after my first course in June last year I got myself into a masters in a subject I love (Environment and Natural Resource Management), nailed the interview to get in and things have been going great with presentations etc and I’ve made a load of friends (as opposed to my rather insular uni experience first time round); however I was still having difficulty just in social settings, introducing myself, being relaxed and having the confidence to use really good technique, even though I had disclosed to many of my friends.

After the recent Swindon course I’ve really been making an effort to rectify that, introducing myself to someone new
every day. It is a really small thing, but yesterday I was working in the computer lab and saw a girl come in with a squash raquet (I play squash), and had the confidence to strike up a conversation with this (quite hot) girl, introducing myself, having a chat then exchanging numbers and arranging to play next week.

What was great about it was that I felt really relaxed, advertised that I wasnt a fluent speaker, and felt comfortable doing it, lots of smiles and I could see in my listener that meant she was relaxed and smiley as well.

I havent been able to keep a smile off my face since, doing something that even my fluent friends wouldn’t do, and really feeling those two circles coming together; being relaxed and confident, as I was previously in everything except speaking!

It just made me think that as well as big achievements it’s the little things that really make us glad we sent that first e-mail to get on the programme and really hit home about changing out self-perception and making the most of life; and I thought it would be pretty cool to hear if any other people have just had little things like that which have really made them smile?”

Many graduates of the McGuire Programme find themselves empowered when leaving the programme to achieve many life long speaking goals. However, there are alot of graduates who also discover that a world of opportunity is opened up to them when the obstacle of controlling their stutter/stammer is removed. Ian Ladds was one such graduate who, upon completing the McGuire Programme, started his own business. His local paper, Peterborough Today, took an interest and published his story. I’ve reproduced it below or you can read it here.

A Glinton man whose stammer made him too embarrassed to pick up the phone has set up his own business after successfully beating his speech impediment.
Six months ago, Ian Ladds (38), from Glinton, near Peterborough, felt unable to tackle the simplest of tasks such as ordering a taxi or even introducing himself, because of his stammer.

Mr Ladds said: “I have been on a couple of other McGuire courses since my first, and it is fantastic to see the progress some people make over such a small amount of time.”

Well done to Ian and many thanks to Peterborough Today.

By Kari Sotamaa
All my life I have been a person who stutters. I thought my stutter was always going to be a hindrance in my life, until I decided differently.  This is a story about breaking limiting beliefs by giving them new meanings.

This journey started on the 13th December 2007 when I arrived in New Zealand from Finland. I had almost totally lost my capability to speak, and could not work or socialize for five months. That was devastating, so it was time to break another limiting belief in my life.

I’d already had successful experiences of overcoming depression, anorexia, suicidal tendencies and many phobias and fears. So I asked myself, “Why should stuttering be any different”? I knew by my previous experiences that it was going to be a rough and bumpy ride, “But life as a stutterer is rough and bumpy anyway”, I thought.

As far as I am concerned, faith and attitude are two of the most important ingredients when it comes to breaking limiting beliefs. After five months’ humiliation I was ready to make a change. A person at a dinner party recommended the McGuire Programme to me, when he heard and saw the difficulty I was having with verbal communication. At first I considered the Programme too expensive, but after a few more bad speaking experiences I thought that if the programme made even the slightest improvement to my fluency, then the benefits would be priceless.

On the 1st May 2008 I arrived in Melbourne.  I am one of those stutterers whose fluency fluctuates extremely, depending on the day, the people I am talking to, the situation and my relation to my comfort zone. In Melbourne I was amongst fellow stutterers, and my speech was almost totally fluent. I met Wendy O’Hagan, Rob Lucas, Geoff Johnston and other sufferers who seemed to be almost fully recovered from the dreaded affliction. I had found the last piece for my faith puzzle and saw a welcome bright light at the end of a long dark tunnel. I decided to leave no stone unturned in my quest for self-development.

The course was a great success, but as a former athlete I knew that man cannot master a new physical skill and the required psychological change overnight. I decided to give it maximum effort for a year. If after one year I had not noticed a major improvement in my speech, I would quit and try something else. After the course, I practised my new speech technique for 1-2 hours every day.  I extended my comfort zone by making many phone calls and joining Toastmasters. I think breaking limiting beliefs is ineffectual unless new positive beliefs & attitudes are generated and enter our daily life. I changed many routines. I started to think from a different stance. I now think from the point-of-view where the stuttering is not limiting my life.  I chose to be a person who sometimes stutters, but who can and will deliver a public speech, rather than pretend to be a normal fluent speaker who cannot & will not speak in public.  I think the actual stuttering behaviours are not a problem. Much more important is what meaning or meanings we give to those behaviours in each particular situation.

I did my second 4-day McGuire course during June in Adelaide and a third course 3 months later in Sydney. In Sydney it was time to break another limiting belief. I participated in a Tony Robbins’ seminar where I performed the act of fire walking for the very first time. I could feel the heat from 20 metres away, since the coals were 600–1000deg Celsius. I heard that some people burned their feet in previous seminars, but some did not. I decided not to burn myself. I decided to make fire my friend and gave it new meanings: fire is energy, love is energy, fire is love, and I am love. From now on, fire is a symbol of warm nurturing love. Love may burn a little bit, but it is not bad.  Ask yourself, “Is it”?

“Go, go, go” the spectators and the instructor were shouting!!! I walked calmly to the other side and didn’t even get a single blister. I did it again, and again, and again. Altogether six times without a single blister! The experience was very empowering. I asked again: “Could I do the same with the stuttering”? Could I give a different meaning to my stuttering? I would not have been there with those people if it were not for my stutter.  I would not have received so much love, sympathy, and attention etc., without my stutter. I can respect myself so much more if I am able deliver a public speech as a person who stutters. Other people have given me quite a lot of praise and positive feedback, which I find very encouraging.

I decided to use my overcoming limiting beliefs process as a learning experience and to share my knowledge with other people. I decided to apply for a position as a workshop facilitator. I got the job and have now facilitated one workshop about dealing with fears and phobias. People wrote on the feedback forms that there was an amazingly open atmosphere in the workshop, because the facilitator shared his stories and had no inhibitions about his weaknesses. I became even more convinced that people love the imperfect human being, since nothing in this world is as boring as a person trying to present themselves as perfect.

I gained more self-confidence and decided to offer my own workshop about authentic happiness and love, and another about fears and phobias, a thing that I could not have imagined doing a few months ago. I also started my own private psychological practice. I used to be very fearful about speaking on the telephone. Now I often practise speaking on the phone using the Skype programme on the computer. I am engaged in, and totally committed to, coaching other people to help them turn their lives around and break through fear barriers, to find their real purpose in life and to make sure they reach their full potential.

Looking back at all this, I could not help other people in the way I want to, without my stuttering. You cannot learn these things just from books, you need life experience. Don’t get me wrong, I still have many limiting beliefs, but I have gained more faith and hope, and have a positive attitude. Today I am closer to my goal than yesterday, but still tomorrow is a new challenge. The journey is never finished, so I have decided to enjoy the ride. I hope that you will enjoy your journey through life as well, whatever your goals may be.

About the writer:

Kari Sotamaa is 29 years old and lives in Melbourne. In the past year he has been working as an author and journalist for a Finnish publishing company and various magazines. Today he is running workshops and runs a private practice. Before coming to Australia, Kari worked as a psychologist in a Psychiatric Clinic, and as a Communications and Marketing lecturer for a Business College.

You can read more of Kari’s stories at www.karisotamaa.com (English) and at www.elamysseikkailu.fi (Finnish).
Contact: kari.sotamaa@gmail.com

Stuttering and stammering is indiscriminate. It affects 1% of the world, spanning all cultures, races, creeds and ages. For many people who have suffered from stuttering all their lives, they are resigned to the fact that they will forever be trapped by their speech impediment. However, this is not true, and there have been many graduates from the McGuire Programme who have achieved their life long speaking goals in their later years.

These 4 veteran graduates at the Melbourne intensive course in November 2008 have a total age of 280 years and this was Dave Simpson’s 50th course! These gentlemen prove that it’s never too late to start working on improving your speech.

As those of you who stutter will know, it’s always nice to hear some positive encouragement regarding our speech. Many people in everyday life receive praise for speeches/presentations/toasts, brush it off and never think of it again. Yet, for those of us to struggle with stuttering, such praise is always a lot more meaningful.

A McGuire Graduate, Adam, recently posted to our internal discussion list regarding one such experience. Eighteen months into the programme, he had met a lawyer in private practice. Fifteen months later, he met the same lawyer and after speaking with him for some time, the lawyer remarked;

“Last time we talked, your speech was so bad I was seriously worried [about your ability to practice]. Today, I wasn’t sure I recognised you.”

Adam has worked tirelessly at his speech since he joined the Programme two and a half years ago and is continuing to reap the rewards for his efforts.

here are some of my experiences over the holidays that maybe some of you can
relate to…

.. it was my first ‘real’ Christmas in decades complete with a house full
of relatives including young kids, Christmas tree, outdoor lights, parties,
etc. and was quite a change to my usual holiday routine (mr. Grinch,
scrooge, bah humbug). The newness of this made it even more challenging.

.. everything mentioned in the below email proved accurate, but I didn’t
expect the intensity. it was very much like surfing a huge wave, white water
rafting, skiing a steep mogul run, sky diving, combat firefight, etc. very
difficult to focus on technique, or get in that important practice/warm-up
time … just had to go with it and do my best.

… being aware of the dynamics and complications indeed helped as did
going into the (several day) situation having done extra work to toughen my
discipline beforehand resulted in reasonably good speech. not perfect, but
much better than had I entered this challenge with complacency. Such a
challenge requires much respect for the difficulty.

One of the highlights was at the big Christmas party of my fluent speaking
buddy, George, where he finally started helping me cancel when I would first
start being sloppy rather than waiting hours or the next day to say
anything. he’s learning!!

I’m now back into my pre holiday routine of morning warm-up calls with our
little group of serious grads, practice contacts, etc. and once again feel
very confident and proud of the way I speak. Now to lose those ten pounds
from the undisciplined holiday eating and drinking :-(.

dave

Here is a post sent to our international discussion group about why the holidays can result in more than usual stuttering blocks (aka ‘turbulence’) and what to do about it.

=========================================

(Sent Dec 20th, 2008. ” Happy Holidays, but watch out for turbulence …”)

I thought it would be good to remind everyone that this can be a tough time
of year for our speech. It seems to be full of many dynamics that can cause
turbulence and a trip to the swamp. Here’s a few things I spotted in my own
life as Christmas approaches:

… many more approach avoidance conflicts like what presents to buy, who to
buy for, who to invite, who’s invitations to accept, etc. Remember that
approach avoidance in one part of your life can lead to the old ‘fear of
stammering/desire to be fluent’ conflict.

… frequent social gatherings/parties which usually involves drinking
resulting many times in sloppy spontaneous, and not feeling like working on
speech the next day.

… this can be a very busy time of year cutting down on time and energy
available for practice.

… with busyness comes rushing which makes it difficult to resist time
pressure.

… with more social interactions, there’s more of a chance that certain
ones (introductions to strangers at parties, etc.) will be more difficult at
a time when we’re more vulnerable resulting in blocking and loss of
confidence.

… desire to spend vs. fear of the coming bad economic times (needing to
save).

… for people like myself who put on weight easily, it is difficult to stay
disciplined with a diet. poor discipline in one area can lead to poor
discipline in our speech. Putting on ten pounds during these holidays and
being back in the swamp is not good for the old hexagon.

 What to do? Most important for me is to just realize the above dynamics and
that this time of year is a tough challenge for my speech, and to not just
‘let it go’ because it’s holidays. Next is to make those warm up calls every
morning to drill the mentality and technique and to remind myself during the
day to show people I’m working on my speech and explain to my close friends
that this is a rough time and ask their help to let me know if they see/hear
me being sloppy.

Hope this helps, and hope you all have a great Christmas and prosperous,
happy, healthy, disciplined, New Year where you start doing more of those
things to realize your potential.

cheers,

dave

TESTING

Once you’ve gained some confidence in your ability to apply good technique to produce the shot you want in golf (skill), it’s time to test. My favorite test on the driving range is to hit at least 8 out of 10 shots with each club in my bag reasonably straight, with good contact and good distance. Short irions required to land within 15 feet of the pin.  It’s a bit of pressure in that if I don’t reach the 8 out of 10, I have to hit another 10 with that club with the goal of I don’t move on to the next club, or go home, until I’ve reached this goal which means spending the entire time, and possibly hundreds of balls, with the nine iron.

When applying “testing” to stuttering / stammering, your “driving range” is your support network — friends, family, primary coach, mcgp phonelist, street and telephone contacts. The difference here is the *standard (explained below)needs to be increased to 10 out of 10 (if under time constraint, 5 out of 5 will do).  I will do a series of 10 contacts with the first goal being of getting 10 out of 10* (see below) projecting through my chest without distortion/struggle in the articulators or vocal cords. Keeping track of successful and not successful contacts lets you know what stage of overkill you’re in as follows:

Panic stage: 0 -1 out of 10

Barely manageable fear stage: less than 5 out of 10

Exciting fear stage: 5 to 9 out of 10

Fun stage: 9 to 10 out of 10

Boring stage: 10 out of 10 (but do more to be sure)

Once in the boring stage with any and every possible feared word or sound, you can use contacts to refine your skills. Try 10 contacts focusing on good eye contact, then another ten with deep and breathy tone, etc. etc.

*There are a few reasons for the tougher standards with my speech (requiring 10 out of 10) here than in golf (requiring 8 out of 10). The biggest reason, arguably, is that golf is so much more difficult, technically, than speaking which was, although complicated, a skill aquired almost unconsciously in early childhood.