Stutter? | We can help! | McGuire Programme

Hi Dave,

I just found your posting regarding golf - it was last Thursday. I introduced my use of Golf in 2001 at either Swindon or Bristol and it takes the form of an interview between a well know golf pro and a golf commentator;

Commentator: - Well Tiger, why do people refer to you as the luckiest golfer?

Tiger: - What do you mean, Barry?

Commentator: - Well, every time you find yourself in the ‘rrrrrough’ you put yourself back on the fairway with just a simple shot. You pause - - - to assess the situation and decide which club or iron to use, you swing a few p p p p practise shots (block release) then with your eye on the ball, draw the club right back and assertively hit the ball and follow through (eye contact, long hit and hold, and assertive first sound and keep moving forward, no holding back) and each time your ball lands back in the middle of the fairway. The same thing happens when you land in a bunker, you pause – assess the situation, choose a wedge, swing a few p p p p practice shots (block release) then with your eye on the ball you draw the club back and assertively but controlled you hit the ball with follow through (eye contract short hit and hold, keep moving forward, no holding back), your ball lands on the green next to the pin/hole. That’s what I mean. It always looks so easy for you, no matter what difficulty you have it doesn’t seem to worry you. You just take your time to put it right. You must feel very lucky.

Tiger: - Well, I must think about this (pause - resist time pressure) Well Barry, all I can say is this, the more I practise luckier I seem to get. A club could be used to demonstrate the various points.

Regards,

Geoffrey

Here is an email from a McGuire Grad, Ricky Nelson…
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Hi all,

Wanted to let you know I was successful in gaining a job up on Hamilton Island… sitting nicely within the Great Barrier Reef region in Queensland, Australia. I had to go through an interview process and they called me yesterday to say ‘We would love to have you up here in Hamilton Island with us’. :o)

Its such a great feeling… knowing that just under two years ago I wouldnt of ever dreamed of doing something like this! Going to live and work (…and play :o)  away from family and friends to an island where I only know one person! Putting in the hard work and staying within the McGuire network has been an incredible trip. Many grads helped me with mock interviews over the phone and in person… invaluable.

Expanding my comfort zones and rewriting what can be achieved have allowed me to have the opportunity I have now… taking ACTION! Meeting a whole bunch people on the island is going to to be great. No expectations on me. I be can be myself up there and start dissolving my iceberg… hopefully with the tropical weather my iceberg might even melt a little quicker ;o)

3 weeks to go.

Supreme thanks to everyone for all your support..

Ricky

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 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)

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