Stutter? | We can help! | McGuire Programme

by Allan McGroarty

Nijmegen is situated near the border with Germany and is the oldest town in the Netherlands. Easily reached from inside and outside the country, it’s a fashionable student town with good accommodation and friendly people. You might say it’s ideal for a McGuire course.

People who stutter from 9  countries attended this one: Scotland, Denmark, Ireland, England, South Africa, USA, Belgium, Sweden and, of course, the Netherlands.  We also had a Dutch speech and language therapist in attendance. The  course was run mainly in English with key material translated into  Dutch. Some of the English speakers tried their hand at the Dutch  language and this added an element of fun to the presentations. We all  have the difficulties of stuttering in common, but the differing  cultural backgrounds brought some diverse perspectives and so we  learned a lot from and about each other over the 3 days. One of the new  students summed it up by noting that this course was "multinational,  multicultural and multilingual".

Wednesday evening included a session on the dynamics of stuttering. As well as looking at aspects of physical struggle, we discussed stuttering as an  approach-avoidance conflict, the iceberg of stuttering and the cycle of  anxiety / panic. This background content is necessary to fully  understand the programme objectives - learning a physical technique,  overcoming avoidance, increasing self-acceptance, developing initiative  and confidence to tackle feared speaking situations, and eventually  letting go and having some fun speaking. It was made clear that all of  the course activities were aimed at meeting these objectives.

Throughout Thursday and Friday, the 4 new students engaged with the course material and exercises in a way that was inspirational to the  rest of us. It was a reminder of what can be achieved in a relatively  short period of time. Credit goes to the new students themselves and to  those who worked so supportively with them in the early stages.

Working to overcome stuttering requires a high level of concentration and disciplined effort and the sessions were designed with this is mind.  Particularly in the early stages, it can be very hard work. However,  it’s possible (too easy?) to take a spartan regime too far. There are  clear limits to human endurance and attention spans - push too hard and  for too long and the law of diminishing returns is evident. For this  reason, we aimed to strike a good balance between disciplined effort  and some lighter moments and I believe we succeeded.

Like  the Irish programme, the Dutch courses run to a 3-day schedule. Debate  will continue, I’m sure, on whether this is preferable to the standard  4-day format. A growing number of us on the programme have experience  of both now and this allows us to draw comparisons. (I’ve been around  long enough to remember the original 5-day schedule…) The 3-day format  requires tighter scheduling and a somewhat faster pace to cover the course content, but that can be a positive. Indeed, the 3-day schedule  brings a focus that might sometimes be absent over 4 days.

On Saturday morning, we moved  into the Harrison workshop session. John Harrison’s public speaking exercises, originally intended for the National Stuttering Project, play a central role on  McGuire intensive courses. John argues that “many people who stutter  are terrific speakers. They’re alive; they’re electric; they establish  excellent personal rapport with their audience. They get their audience  to feel good about them, because they feel good about themselves.” He’s  right. My vantage point as facilitator of the Harrison session let  me see the room come alive with energy and self-expression.

Despite the gloomy predictions, the rain held off on Saturday afternoon and,  following a successful street contact session, everyone returned to the  Hotel Mercure for a brief rest. During the feedback session, it was  clear that the students had gained a lot from their self-disclosures  and had experienced very positive feedback from the general public.  (Joseph Sheehan was right – given the right circumstances, it is  possible to have fun working on your stuttering). The final sessions on  Saturday were spent orienting the new students towards the follow-up  support network and the activities that will maximise their chances of  ongoing success. The message, I hope, was clear – what we do beyond the McGuire courses is really what makes the difference in the long term.

Thanks again and dank u wel to the graduates who prepared and ran sessions:  Danny Stienen (Directions, Relapse Mechanisms), Mikael Crona (Laws,  Self-Actualisation, Harrison coaching), Juul Kampstra (Overkilling),  Kenny Scheerlenck (Rules), Michael Schiffelers, Derek Johnson (Harrison  coaching); Sheila Denny (Mantras, graduate session), Alan Rogan  (Hexagon, Harrison coaching), Mads Terndrup (New student/refresher  checklist), Cindy Bolger (graduate session), and Stephen Harte  (graduate session, Checklist).

Finally, Frits Boshuijer (Regional Director) ran his first course in November 2005, so  this course marked the 1st  anniversary of the ‘modern’ Dutch programme. With 22 returning  graduates, it was the largest Dutch course to date. Gefeliciteerd  Frits. As the region continues to grow in future months and years, it will help more and more people who stutter in the Netherlands and surrounding areas. This course in Nijmegen was, I believe, another firm step in that direction.

RD: Tommy Pettersen
CO: Ditte Aagaard Norup
CCI: Henrik Thygesen
CII: Peter Bollerup Andersen

On this course held in Oslo, it was Peter Bollerup Andersen’s turn to do his internship supervised by Henrik Thygesen. Peter did a great job by being much disciplined added with a great sense of humour. That, indeed, rubbed off at the new students and old grads as well.

Thursday: 14 new students and about 35 old grads and refreshers were ready and excited in the course room at 9.00. Half of the new students were from Norway, the others from Denmark and a single girl from Sweden. It is funny to observe the new students’ attitude; even though they are looking forward to the course, almost everyone seemed repressed and had sad eyes with lack of self-confidence. As the day went by, the light was switch on in many of the new students’ eyes. That, they think, was amazing on the first day already. A huge smiley face was also pictured on the blackboard too to remind everyone how important it is to smile.

Friday: One decided to leave the course. The rest of them went happily but excited out to take contacts with the old grads Friday afternoon. The new students were surprised by people’s friendly reactions, even though when the old grads were making a disclosure. In the evening, the old grads had a split session, where we were going to discuss issues in a foreign language which was a challenge to everyone.

Saturday: The new students found it fun to correct the old grads in their technique, when we went through the checklist, and they were quite good at pointing at the voluntarily mistakes made by the old grad. As always, Harrison’s workshop was a success both to the new and old students. In the afternoon, the new students found the sport mentality in taking contacts, and everyone had good experiences. The climax of the course was of cause the public speeches. Generally on the course, the new students stood in line to be the first to report including on the box in the middle of Oslo in a sunny weather with lots of curious people, who likes listen to the new students. Saturday evening lots of feelings found expression. You could see the light in everyone’s eyes. I caught myself in smiling lots of time. On the Saturday evening’s split session the old grads rehearsed and performed parts from famous plays and movies. A great experience for the actors and good fun for the audience. In another session, the old grads were going to "picture the reality" through discussion and interruption when telling a story from their heart and keep focusing on the technique, without drawing attention to the interruption, questions etc. That too, was a huge challenge. Both the split session Friday and Saturday evening got positive feedbacks.

Sunday: Every new student had a feeling of happiness and relief. Their eyes were shining, they were filled with self-confidence and they were ready to go home, telling the world they now were recovering stammers. The refreshers and all the old grads did a very good job and remained disciplined. Without them coaching the new students so well, the results for the new students wouldn’t have been that good. Thanks to everyone that make the course such a huge success again.

Kind regards
Ditte Aagaard Norup
Course Organisator

The McGuire Programme

Course Report – Melbourne October 2006

By Geoff Johnston, Regional Director, Australia

The last course in Australia for 2006 was held in late October at the Victoria Hotel in Melbourne. It was our first course at that hotel and it suited our purpose extremely well. The course was attended by 28 new students and up to 30 graduates participated in the course at various times. Without the returning graduates, conducting courses would be impossible. Thank you for your ongoing support.

Instruction on this course was shared by many people with Chris Gerraty, Rob Lucas, Andrew Harris, Ray Welchman and Geoff Johnston playing leading roles. Other senior graduates were given the opportunity to instruct modules and run split sessions. It was encouraging to the new students to see so many recovering stutterers in leadership roles and speaking so well.

New students and returning graduates met on the Wednesday night and the nerves and anxiety quickly dissipated. It’s quite empowering to be in a room of people who have been through the same experiences that you have; people who understand the daily struggle and anxiety!

First day videos were conducted on the Wednesday night. Students ranged in age from 13 to 53. The videos over, students looked forward to the next four days with hope and optimism, especially after hearing the returning graduates introduce themselves and speak with such confidence and eloquence.

Thursday sessions lay a strong foundation for recovery. As Rob Lucas says, it’s like laying the reinforcing rods before you pour the concrete slab on a building site. The strong breathing and speaking technique taught on the first day, is a strong basis for moving forward with confidence.  All students were able to stand up in front of the group and say their names without any problems by mid-afternoon.

Friday sessions maintained the focus on technique that was continued throughout the entire course and beyond. Overcoming the psychological aspects of stuttering and taking charge of your mind and thoughts when feeling fearful and anxious were topics covered on day two of the course.
During the afternoon old graduates showed the new students how to do contacts with people in the streets of Sydney. They all realised that speaking to strangers rather than being a fearful experience, can be a lot of fun. Friday night was given a choice of split sessions Problems in the Real World, Assertive Communication and The Self-Critic.

Public speaking workshops were conducted on the Saturday morning followed by students doing contacts. Public speeches were held at Federation Square, a new location for us in Melbourne. Everyone spoke with great confidence and eloquence and started to challenge their “I can’t do that” beliefs. On Saturday night participants had a choice of three split sessions, Self-discipline, Phone Call Practice and Letting Go.

Sunday sessions focused on what to do when people left the course including modifying the system that is you, assertiveness training, followup provisions and allocation of coaches. Family and friends attended at 1:00pm and were provided with a course summary. Closing speeches followed with presentation of graduation certificates and encouragement awards.

Melbourne was a larger course than normal but had an energy and support often not found on small courses. Many new graduates have already joined Toastmasters and are challenging their previous speaking lives and beliefs. The changes required for long-term recovery have started for those people. 

The McGuire Programme

Course Report – Sydney September 2006

By Geoff Johnston, Regional Director, Australia

The September course in Sydney was held at the Hotel Y on the Park just adjacent to Hyde Park in the middle of Sydney. The course was attended by 27 new students and up to 30 graduates participated in the course at various times. Many thanks to those returning graduates who believe so much in the programme they want to come back to help other people who stutter.

Instruction on this course was shared by many people with Scott Harper, Rob Lucas and Geoff Johnston playing leading roles. People who had participated in the Sydney staff training several weeks earlier were given the opportunity to instruct modules and run split sessions. They all conducted themselves in a confident and professional manner.

Thank you to all graduates who travelled from interstate to attend the course. I wish to say a special thank you to recovered stutterer Wendy O’Hagan who continues to inspire us all. I also welcomed Elaine Blumgart, Speech Pathologist from Sydney and John Steggles, President of Australian Speak Easy Assoc., both attending the entire course. 

New students and returning graduates met on the Wednesday night and the immediate rapport and empathy was obvious. Students found comfort being with a group of people who understand completely the feelings and emotions associated with stuttering.

First day videos were conducted on the Wednesday night and we found the usual mix of overt and covert stutterers ranging in age from 15 up to 79. Four students were under the age of 18 and were accompanied by parents. Students came from SA, ACT, QLD, VIC and NSW. The videos over the new students looked forward to the course with excitement and a little apprehension.

Thursday sessions consisted of learning and drilling the breathing and speaking technique. Also covered were goals and objectives of the programme, psychological and physiological causes of stuttering and the checklist. By mid-afternoon all students were able to stand up in front of the group and say their names without any problems. From people almost afraid to speak in the morning to public speakers in a few hours demonstrate the importance of a powerful breathing technique.

Friday sessions included fear reduction tools, overcoming the psychological aspects of stuttering and taking charge of your mind and thoughts. Decision time Friday lunch-time and all 27 students decided to stay and joined the programme. They realised in a day and a half that this programme was the way forward for their recovery.

During the afternoon old graduates showed the new students how to do contacts with people in the streets of Sydney. Many funny stories were related when reporting back about the contact session.  Friday night everyone was given a choice of split sessions Positive Thinking and Problems in the Real World conducted by Lisa Brune (nee Moore), a past instructor on the programme.

Public speaking workshops were conducted on the Saturday morning followed by students doing contacts. Unfortunately our public speeches at Darling Harbour were hampered by rain and wind but were completed. Our plan to conduct them on stage with PA system was not possible and the crowd was not great but everyone had a go and spoke with great confidence and eloquence.

On Saturday night participants had a choice of three split sessions, The Self-Critic, Expanding Your Comfort Zone and Phone Call practice. During this session our oldest new student fell seriously ill and an ambulance had to be called. Fortunately among our new students we had two doctors who were able to take charge until the ambulance arrived. Their patient spent the night in hospital but was back on the Sunday to make his closing speech and graduate. He didn’t want to miss a thing!

Sunday sessions included modifying the system that is you, assertiveness training, followup provisions and allocation of coaches. Family and friends attended at 1:00pm and were provided with a course summary. Closing speeches followed with presentation of graduation certificates and encouragement awards.

This course was perhaps the most committed and powerful course I have ever attended. Lasting friendships were made and I’m delighted with the progress of ALL new graduates since the course. This course has indeed been life-changing for many of the graduates.

by Geoff Johnston

The annual course in Perth was held 26-30 July 2006 at the Kings Hotel, Hay Street and attended by 15 new students and 15-20 old graduates at various times during the four days.

Geoff Johnston RD from Australia was the primary course instructor assisted by Geoff Martin, Frank Cook and Perth graduates. Joe O’Hanlon from South Australia also helped.

Wednesday night provided the opportunity to introduce the programme and for people to meet each other. Nerves were soon gone as everyone realised they were amongst friends. Coaches and course instructors had all been out of control stutterers and the empathy shown to new students is always honest and genuine.

We conducted the first day videos on the Wednesday night and found our new students had the usual mix of overt and covert stutterers ranging in age from 18 up to 78. Students came from Perth, regional areas of Western Australia, Melbourne, and Queensland, one from Weipa which is on the western side of Cape York in far north Queensland, almost the other side of the earth to Perth. The videos over the new students looked forward to the course with excitement and a little apprehension.

Thursday sessions consisted of learning and drilling the breathing and speaking technique. Also covered were goals and objectives of the programme, psychological and physiological causes of stuttering and the checklist. Before lunch on the Thursday, all students were able to stand up in front of the group and say their names without any problems. Again this success reinforced the belief that a powerful breathing technique is so critical.

During Thursday and again Friday returning graduates were given 1:1 training so providing a chance to re-establish technique and confidence quickly. One young man, a covert stutterer, was full of fear of speaking and left Thursday lunch-time without speaking to the leaders of the group. It is hoped that the time might be right for him next course in Perth.

Friday sessions included fear reduction tools, overcoming the psychological aspects of stuttering and taking charge of your mind and thoughts. Our oldest student Norma at 78 fell in her room on Friday morning and broke her wrist. Thanks to Geoff Martin for taking Norma to the doctor. She returned later in the day with her wrist in a cast determined to complete the course. They don’t make them like that anymore :o) … tough and determined!

All remaining students recognised the worth of the programme by continuing after the Friday decision time. During the afternoon old graduates showed the new students how to do contacts with 100+ contacts. Friday night everyone was given a choice of split sessions Assertive Communication, Who’s Driving Your Bus and Problem Solving Workshop for old graduates.

Saturday sessions included public speaking workshops, facing your fears and becoming an eloquent speaker. We then had contact sessions with everyone doing very well. Public speeches were held in the Murray Street Mall in front of perhaps 80+ people. All new students accepted the challenge and spoke extremely well with great confidence. The change in two and a half days still amazes me! On Saturday night we viewed a recovery and maintenance video.

Sunday sessions included modifying the system that is you, assertiveness training, followup provisions and allocation of coaches. Family and friends attended at 1:00pm and were provided with a course summary. Closing speeches followed with presentation of graduation certificates and encouragement awards.

Thanks again to Geoff Martin and all graduates, and a special mention to Joe O’Hanlon from Port Augusta (the jewel of the north) in South Australia and Sam Allen from Sydney.

by Gareth Gates

06:00 hours. BEEP BEEP! The Alarm sirened persistently like a ‘Guards’ car! A couple of snoozes later, I was up and in the shower! And so began the journey from Hell! But to be concise; Delayed Flight + Delayed Train + Broken Down Train + STRESS = a 13 hour journey from London - Galway! Urgh!

I arrived at the hotel completely differently to how i’d envisaged. I wanted a couple of hours to get familiar with the place, have a warm up, have a shower… It was completely the opposite. I walked in at about 7:55pm and we began the first day videos at 8pm! The course had begun…

It became very apparent, from the first day videos, that we were dealing with a whole mix of different stammers; A nice mix of overt and covert. Michael Hay did a fine job of getting the new students leg slapping, coin jingling, b-b-b blocking on their feared words… mission completed! The students did well and I admired their courage. Shortly after, I gave my introduction speech; highlighting the key elements of the course such as; Course approach and Goals, Physical locations of a block, Approach Avoidance, and generally giving the new students an insight into what a stammer is. We broke to have an early night.

I didn’t sleep easy on wednesday night. A mixture of excitement and nerves kept me from falling asleep. I certainly could have done with a few pints of Guinness to help assist, but I refrained! …and felt better for it in the morning!

All 11 new students turned up to the first session on the Thursday morning. All eager to beat the habit that had tormented their lives for too long now. You could really see this in the eyes of the new students. With this attitude, it wasn’t long before we started to see results. From then on in, the course went swimmingly and by the time thursday evening came all new students were able to stand up and recite their names and addresses. A very emotional evening… and again an early night for me!

The majority of Friday was filled with the older Grads taking sessions to which they’d prepared prior to the course. I felt it was important to give as much responsibility to the grads as possible. It not only stretches and challenges them, but it’s healthy for the new students to hear other peoples view and perspective on things.

When assigning responsibility, I’d asked all grads to deliver their presentation in a new / fresh manner. A way that the older grads may have not seen or heard before… but still highlighting the key facts. This way it keeps the older grads on their toes as I’m sure they get a little bored with hearing the same old lists, said in the same old way, presented in the same old way. Most grads stepped up to the challenge. Some grads really excelled… Ger McGrath was one to name but a few. His session on the Rules and directions with his pre-prepared sign post was fantastic …and Diarmuid Dorney with his full judge attire will most probably stick in peoples minds for a long time to come. Well done guys and thank you.

Friday night: A select few decided we’d push out our comfort zones in the bar. I introduced a little game titled ‘Ibble Dibble’ ! And in case anyone was wondering what the hell the black cork marks were on people’s heads… they’re called ‘Dobbles’.'Ibble Dibble’ is a speaking game that challenges the formulation of both fluent and ‘non-fluent’ speakers alike. I must say, us recovering stammerers certainly did better than you fluent speakers… didn’t we monica?! …well apart from Mark Spiers (aka bob aka britney!) who really let the side down and ended looking like he’d spent a whole afternoon down’t pit! I pity the fool!

It was this night that a few of the McGuire girlies took the liberty to teach ME a song! Or at least a phrase from a song… it went something like ‘Hey baby let the free birds fly’ ! I can’t get it out of my head… I just hope I don’t sing it in the wrong company! Thanks Girls. After a few glasses of champagne (to celebrate the Irish McGuire praogramme’s 10th year
anniversary) I retired, looking forward to the day that lay ahead.

Saturday came and it was time to put everything that we’d learnt to the test. The new students were physiqued about doing contacts. Most of them really couldn’t wait to get out there. So after a very well led Harrison Workshop by Michael O’Shea, we did it. People went at their own pace, but most secured 100 + contacts. Well done guys. This was followed by public speaking. Which again, went amazingly. The people of Galway really accepted us well and the new students excelled. Again, a very emotional afternoon.

A little more work led up to the goodbye speeches. Thank you for everyone’s kind words and well done to everyone who got up.

Thank you’s
I’d now like to take this opportunity to thank everyone. Without the older Grads the course just wouldn’t be possible. They do the coaching, not me. So thank you to all that turned up.

Thanks to everyone who took a session: Elizabeth Drummond, Sandra Kelly, Brendan O Carroll, Barry McGee, Ger McGrath, Aoife Corbett, Michael Donovan, Darren Benham, Brian Cornelia, Michael O’Shea, Gareth Meaney, Diarmuid Dorney, Sylvester Carruth, Sadia Bytyqi, Victoria Bell, Clairemarie McGrath, Mark Spiers, Oonagh Sheridan, Philip Reiley, Brendan Hyland, Colin Reddington, Michael Hay. And the Refreshers that read the pairings: Finbarr Farmer, Niamh O’Kane, Kevin Honer, Maggie Bloomer and Laura McKernan.

Thank you to all the staff at the Salthill hotel for their hospitality and doing things at the drop of a hat. It’s certainly one of the best hotels i’ve attended a McGuire course in. I’ll be back!

Thank you to my UK McGuire possee! Michael Hay, Jayne McElhone & Mark Spiers, for all your love and support. We’ve always been there for each other, and always will be. Thanks guys, you inspire me.

Joe - Instructing a course on my own was my next milestone in life. Thank you so much for giving me that opportunity. I didn’t realize how hard an RD works, but working closely with you over the past few months has really opened my eyes. I have allot of respect for you mate, thanks.

Dave McGuire- As i’ve said, It’s because of one man’s dream and desire to help people that we can now enjoy our freedom to speak. Thank you Dave, you inspire me and always will.

The list is endless…

Although, one person in particular really inspired me on this course. Sadia Bytyqi. Her charisma and eagerness to get more and more involved never ceased to amaze me. I think she should be an example to all of us in that it doesn’t matter what age you are, or how much you think you ‘know’, hard work and dedication is all thats required. Her discipline never fluctuated once. Well done Sadia, and thank you.

Final thought;

Stood there on Saturday afternoon, listening to the new students speak so eloquently was indescribable. A phrase that someone once said came flooding back to me; The new students didn’t get down off the soap box, they got up from it. And that summed it up for me. We don’t have to accept everything we’re given in life. Apathy stops us from moving forward. We do, however, have a choice. You make that choice. And you take ownership and responsibility of whatever decision you make. Because remember, only you can make a difference.

Gareth Gates
Recovering Stammerer

by Allan McGroarty and Stephen Harte

This was the first McGuire course to be held in Dundee and the Queen’s Hotel in the city centre proved to be a great venue for us. On Wednesday evening, after introductions from Iain Mutch and four graduates of the programme, John McIntosh and Iain Finlayson very skilfully and sensitively led the 7 new students through the first day videos. After a short break, we held split sessions for the graduates (thanks Dave Ayres) and the new students. By bedtime on Wednesday night, we had covered a lot of important ground allowing us to make a positive start on Thursday morning.

Thursday was devoted to establishing a strong foundation both in terms of technique and mentality. The new students received very supportive one-to-one attention from the experienced graduates. Unfortunately, one of the new students was not able to commit to the remainder of the course and left with our good wishes on Thursday night. The remaining 6 students stayed on and completed the 4 days. By end of play on Thursday night, there was a feeling of accomplishment and team spirit all round.

The good work continued throughout Friday with sessions on handling fear and challenging words (Michael Hay), Mantras/Affirmations (Iain Finlayson) and the 4 Fears (John McIntosh). On Friday afternoon, each new student accompanied a graduate on to the street for a personal demonstration of the speaking method in the ‘real world’. The coaches demonstrated the various components of the method including deliberate dysfluency and self-disclosure. As always, this was an excellent exercise in self-acceptance. Among the sessions on Friday night were Voice Projection (thanks to team captains David Ritchie and Peter Quigley) and a graduate session discussing follow-up support (Alan Rogers).

The early morning telephone calls on Saturday went very well with the new students displaying a strong grasp on what they had learned during the previous two days. Matt Smith took the graduates for a challenging split session based around knowledge of various concepts on the programme. Later on Saturday morning we had one of the most tightly run and lively Harrison workshop sessions I’ve witnessed. Everyone involved seemed really committed to stretching themselves and letting go. Thanks to Alan Rogan, Matt Smith, Martin Thomas, Sarah Johnson, and Hein van der Merwe for their excellent Harrison coaching.

By mid Saturday, the clouds and rain had disappeared and the sun started shining just in time for the contacts session. As we made final preparations to leave the hotel, the sound of bagpipes could be heard outside. A good omen!

The new students all achieved their target of 100 contacts and the satisfaction of attacking their feared and difficult situations with the support and encouragement of the coaches. Special mention must go to Matt Smith who completed 453 contacts on Saturday afternoon. He also distributed 45 McGuire business cards to members of the public who know someone who stammers. The public speaking session was attended by a newspaper journalist who will be writing an article on the programme and Stephen Harte’s recent personal achievements.

On Saturday evening, the new students, under the guidance of Sundip Marwaha, coached each other through the McGuire checklist and spoke to David McGuire on the telephone. Following a good spirited reporting back session, Alan Rogers took the new students for Positive Thinking. Big thanks to Alan for what seems to be his speciality. Meanwhile, Michael Hay overcame a host of technical adversities to lead the graduates in a very enjoyable split session. Plenty of speaking opportunities for all involved.

Like many McGuire courses, the Dundee course was an international affair. We were very pleased to welcome Liz Unwin from Australia and Hein van der Merwe from South Africa (not to mention Martin Thomas and Matt Smith from Wales). Following his experiences in New Zealand, and with the encouragement of Dave McGuire, Hein led a group of (male only) McGuire graduates through the Haka (Maori war dance). Ka mate! Ka mate! Ka ora! Ka ora! Very memorable.

One of the many graduate challenges was to recite, with passion, a William Wallace speech. It was eventually delivered by a Scotsman (Euan Massie) – before that, we had recitations from an English woman (Sarah Johnson) and a British Punjabi (Sundip Marwaha)! All great.

On Sunday morning, Iain Mutch introduced the new students to the McGuire support system and distributed and explained the follow-up support packs. In the main room, David Ritchie ran a disciplined Checklist session with the graduates. Stephen Harte and Michael Hay showed ingenuity in presenting the concept of Self-Actualisation and the importance of being oneself, and Dave Ayres delivered the Relapse Traps with typical frankness. The course ended following some excellent goodbye speeches on Sunday afternoon.

Thank you to all of the coaches who did such great work in the lines and out on the street. Stephen Harte is an enthusiastic McGuire coach with a natural instinct for effective course instruction and it was a pleasure to work with him during the preparations for this course and during the course itself. Final thanks go to David Ritchie for his great work in organising the course. Anyone who has organised a McGuire course will confirm that it is not an easy job. To his credit, David carried out the job with no fuss and a healthy sense of humour.

Intensive courses are important in getting people moving in their recovery. Of course, most important is what happens in the weeks and months following an intensive course. My feeling and my hope is that with the ongoing support of the programme, the new graduates of the Dundee intensive will continue as well as they started.

Allan McGroarty

———————-
This course was memorable for me in a number of different ways, I felt each of the new students really gave their all. It was a great size course of around 40 – 45 people, large enough to cope and small enough to ensure everybody really made a significant contribution in terms of the fantastic coaching that was coming from the lines and the great sessions that we received from the many presenters.
It was really inspirational to work with Allan McGroarty and introduce the small changes we agreed were important and seemed to work very well. Examples of these small but significant changes were, periodically allowing ‘one minute coaching’ (thanks to Mike Hay), giving new students more time to focus on demonstrating checklist by keeping them to a limited number of words for longer than usual and instructing them to feedback checklist headings only for all of Thursday, and also during voice projection exercise we added an individual challenge for each of the new students and managed to keep the ‘fun’ part of the exercise alive.
The size of the course meant everyone had to play a part and they certainly did, the old grads gave a fantastic response, which was the main reason this shall remain such a special course in my memory.
Finally my very sincere thanks to you all – YOU know who you are!

Stephen Harte

by Alan Badmington

The latest US course (instructed by Junior Tereva and Alan Badmington) was held in Washington DC, June 22-25. Once again, the Hotel Harrington proved to be an ideal venue, being centrally located within the heart of the tourist district, a short walk from both the White House and Capitol.

The new students (who included three females) originated from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, South Carolina, Boston and California, while the graduates (including five refreshers) were drawn from Washington DC, Pennsylvania, Virginia, New York, Chicago, and Canada.

During my many attendances on US courses, I have never failed to be impressed by the enthusiasm displayed by the returning graduates, some of whom travel considerable distances to be present.

Junior and I have always fully recognised that a course is not just for new students. We have a duty to assist with the development of all graduates, irrespective of the length of time that they have belonged to the Programme. By allocating tasks to everyone, and allowing them to take centre stage,
they become empowered. The resultant enhancement of confidence and self-esteem contributes greatly to their recovery. They discover that speaking in front of others can be a most enjoyable experience.

Throughout the latest course, we adhered to this principle, affording graduates (and new students) numerous speaking opportunities. Teaching others is the best way to learn. We witnessed some superb presentations by the graduates, some of whom were attending only their second course. One
had joined the Programme in San Francisco just two weeks previously and benefited hugely by returning at such an early stage. Another refresher, who joined in March 2006, took the opportunity topractice a presentation that he was due to give at an academic conference in Canada a few days later.

The new students also excelled and were leading the checklist on the first evening. They were not content to watch the graduates take the principal roles and had the confidence (and techniques/tools) to emulate them. Right from the very beginning, Junior and I explained that working on the mechanics of one’s speech, in isolation, is not sufficient to achieve recovery. In order to progress successfully along Freedom’s Road, we have to do a great deal more. Unless we expand our comfort zones; challenge our self-limiting beliefs; widen our self-image (to incorporate roles that we, hitherto, believed lay outside our scope); and deal with our avoidance strategies, we will never sustain the gains that we achieve in the safe environment of a McGuire course/support group.

We stressed that merely concentrating upon the technique will never be enough. Our speech forms just one part of the stuttering hexagon - there are, of course, five others. Unless we are prepared to work on other areas of our lives (including our emotional baggage), then the remaining components will seek to drag our improved speech back down to its former level. They are intent on retaining the status quo. The McGuire Programme is holistic in nature - we deal with the whole self and do not simply focus on the speech process.

In my course introduction, I even go as far as to tell the new students that they are wasting their money if they think that they can return home and continue doing the same things that they have always done. I leave them in no doubt that change is essential, and invite them to leave if they are not prepared to take that on board. I know (from past feedback) that they really appreciate such honesty.

The public speaking, once again, took place near the Museum of Natural History - a short distance from the White House. Everyone enjoyed basking in the limelight, as well as the glorious sunshine with which we were blessed.

The feedback sessions on the Friday and Saturday clearly illustrated that the new students (and graduates) had received many favourable responses during their contacts with members of the public. The reactions that they experienced had the effect of positively influencing their perceptions of what others thought about stuttering.

In one split session, the graduates were given a video camera and charged with the task of producing short documentaries. They went out onto the streets, where they conducted news-style interviews (adopting various roles) in full public gaze. The end products made humorous viewing.

It would be improper of me to single out anyone for special mention, as everyone contributed immensely to the success of the four days. The more experienced graduates and refreshers undertook their pre-assigned (and spontaneous) assignments with confidence and eloquence, displaying discipline and varying degrees of originality and flair. I have no hesitation in predicting that there were several future course instructors in our midst.

The sight of a 14 year old graduate presenting with such aplomb was most inspiring. It was also heartening to observe the substantial progress achieved by one of the refreshers who has made immense strides since attending his first course three months earlier. His discipline and technique were superb.

Whilst on the subject of discipline speech - Joerg (now residing in Canada) was also immense in this department. It is a great asset to have such persons sitting on the outside lines - the new students (and others) learn so much from their example.

The farewell speeches were particularly emotional, with several family members and friends present in the audience. I never fail to shed a tear on such occasions. It is, indeed, a privilege to be able to contribute to someone’s recovery and observe the transformation that occurs.

One of the new students accompanied me to Temple University, Philadelphia, (just two days after the course concluded) to address a class of speech-language students. She was simply awesome! I shall report further on this episode in a separate post to the group.

As on previous occasions, Junior and I prepared a blank sheet of paper for every member of the course. Each graduate/new student was invited to write positive comments about the person named. It is surprising what qualities others are able to recognise in us, of which we ourselves may not be aware. Graduates from past courses have mentioned that they have found it useful to read these favourable comments, particularly on those days when things may not be going as well as they had planned.

I am most grateful to Junior for inviting me to instruct yet another course across ‘The Pond’. We have developed a great understanding since we first jointly instructed in Washington DC back in 2002. Many of you will be aware that I have a great affinity for the US Program, having actively assisted with the holding of the first course in Nevada in 2000, just a few months after becoming a graduate. I am  lways overwhelmed by the warm welcome that I receive whenever I return across the Atlantic. It was a particular pleasure to meet those graduates with whom I had only previously conversed
by telephone.

Junior’s enthusiasm, commitment, dedication and integrity are immense. He is held in such high esteem by everyone, both within the US Program and throughout the international stuttering community. He inspires others by example and is a perfect role model. In addition, he is one of life’s
gentlemen.

G’day mate!

Kindest regards

Alan Badmington

by Geoff Johnston

From June 22-25 2006 we held the first Brisbane course for over two years. Because of the A Current Affair television segment we had a great response with 16 new students and at various times during the course, 30 returning graduates. It was most pleasing to see several graduates from years ago getting back involved to help the new students.

The course was held at the Hotel Watermark and although a great venue, proved to be a little too far out of the city centre and not easily accessible to eating places.

We held our usual introductory session on the Wednesday night with an opportunity to introduce coaches and course instructors. The principal instructor on this course was Barry Fraser. It was the first course Barry had instructed for at least two years and it was great to see him back in action having lost none of his skill, knowledge and wit. We conducted the first day videos on the Wednesday night and found our new students had the usual mix of overt and covert stutterers ranging in age from 15 up to 65. The mix was a little unusual in that we had perhaps 50% male over the age of 40. The worst over, the new students looked forward with excitement and a little apprehension.

Thursday sessions consisted of learning and drilling the breathing and speaking technique. Also covered were goals and objectives of the programme, psychological and physiological causes of stuttering and the checklist. All students were flying by mid-afternoon saying their names and address without difficulty. Again a little unusual that everyone was so strong and solid so quickly. This of course provided coaches with a challenge in trying to bring them back continually to technique so that a solid foundation was established. Our visitor from South Africa, Hein, took groups of returning graduates out of the room on a rotation basis to drill the checklist and directions so providing a chance to re-establish technique and confidence.

Friday sessions included fear reduction tools, overcoming the psychological aspects of stuttering and taking charge of your mind and thoughts. We had one new student fall ill first thing on Friday and subsequently withdrew from the course. Another new student was flying high and decided that he’d learnt enough to overcome his stuttering and left Friday lunch-time. We wished him well but emphasised that you don’t overcome stuttering in a day and a half. During the afternoon old graduates showed the new students how to do contacts with a great effort by everyone. Friday night everyone was given a choice of split sessions Positive Thinking, Listening Skills and Assertive Communication. All were well attended.

Saturday sessions included public speaking workshops, facing your fears and becoming an eloquent speaker. We then had contact sessions with everyone doing very well. Public speeches were held on a stage in the Queens Street Mall with mike and professional PA system courtesy of the City of Brisbane. The Brisbane Chamber Orchestra played before and after us so we were assured of a seated captive audience of about 60 with another 50-100 standing around. All new students, some who declared on the Wednesday night that they wouldn’t be making a public speech, spoke wonderfully well. Give a person who stutters eloquent speech and it’s hard to shut them up! Split sessions on the Saturday night were Using the Hexagon in Your Recovery, the Dysfunctional Attitude Scale and the Self-critic. These sessions are conducted as "learning conversations" with discussion and exchange of experiences and ideas encouraged.

Sunday sessions included modifying the system that is you, assertiveness training, followup provisions and allocation of coaches. Family and friends attended at 1:00pm and were provided with a course summary. Closing speeches followed with presentation of graduation certificates and encouragement awards.

So completed a very powerful Brisbane course with renewed interest by many old graduates and a commitment by new students to use the support provided by the programme. A measure of this was the 22 new and old graduates who attended the first support group in Brisbane since the course.

Special thanks to Barry Fraser and the returning graduates. Thanks also to Gerry Hill and Andrew Harris for their tireless efforts in supporting Queensland graduates.

Geoff Johnston
Regional Director
The McGuire Programme (Aust)