Australia - course report
Brisbane, 14 May 2009
The Wednesday night started with meeting a group of nervous new students in the Foyer of the Hotel Carindale. After a brief introduction by the Regional Director Geoff Johnston and some input from the returning Graduates the first day videos were held. There was the usual mix of overt and covert stuttering behaviour. Course Instruction by Ray Welchman, Rob Lucas and Geoff Johnston was supported by Ian Stevens as well as brief instruction by Peter Doolan, Barry Fraser and an appearance by Scott Macintosh for the maintenance session on the last day.
Wednesday night was an early night for everyone ready for an 8am session on Thursday morning.
On Thursday morning Rob took the old graduates through the checklist, laws and directions and paired many of them up to go out making contacts for an hour. Geoff and Ray discussed concepts to the new students including the Iceberg, Approach-Avoidance conflicts and why correct breathing is necessary to avoid blocking in the diaphragm, vocal chords and articulators. This made way for the need for a new way of speaking. We started the new breathing technique later in the morning. I must say, this was one of the fastest groups I have seen doing the breathing correctly using the costal breathing method. Later that day every student was able to say their name and address using the new method of speaking.
Friday laid the foundation for learning and applying the checklist to our speech. We looked at stuttering from both a physical and mental perspective. We addressed topics such as fear and how to reduce it. We looked at how we must accept ourselves as recovering from stuttering and the mental attitudes we need to cultivate. 14 people signed up as members of the programme. It was the recovering graduates turn to take the new students out on doing contacts around the adjacent shopping centre. The stories of the new students after this affirmed the change in perceptions that they were feeling about their speech and the reaction of listeners.
Saturday morning started with the use of Harrison Workshops. The change in the faces of the new students armed with their new way of speaking brightened up the whole room as some of them for the first time really enjoyed speaking to a group.
By lunchtime the new students were ready to go out and make contacts paired with a graduate. After making contacts for around an hour they fronted up to make their public speeches. They all did remarkably well – all living the moment. From this point it was more contacts and then later the new students returned to lead their own checklist review. Saturday night split sessions were held by Geoff and Barry addressing questions from the new students and Ray taking a session for the graduates.
Sunday morning started off, as with every morning, drilling between rows and setting up good speech patterns for the day. Teaching was shared with Ian Stevens, Brett Doolan, Barry Fraser and Scott Macintosh. Sunday after lunch support people, such as family and friends, came along to hear a summary of the course – what to expect with regard to the new graduates after the course and of course the final new student graduation speeches.
In summary a great course with a very close bonding of the group many vowing to keep close contact with winners in the group to assist with the journey to eloquence and their new found freedom of speaking.
Again special thanks to all supporting graduates, the courage of the new students and the guidance and instruction from the Instructors of the course.
Ray Welchman