Warner van kersen

I joined the McGuire Programme in August 2015, shortly after graduating from university at the age of 25. At that time, my stutter was very overt; everyone around me was painfully aware of the struggle I faced while speaking. If I wanted to make the most of my new diploma, and become happy with myself, I needed a way to reliably work towards improvement. After having tried so many therapies that worked
for a while, McGuire clicked with me because the inevitable mistakes and setbacks are an integral part of the method.

A few months after my first course, my old fear of stuttering crept back in when I was waiting in line at the supermarket. After paying, when asked for the receipt, I found myself avoiding saying “No thanks” and instead opted for “Yes, please” feeling that would come out easier. Here I was, having spent a lot of money, put in a lot of effort practicing with the method, and I still I was holding a receipt that I did not want.

After the initial moment of dread, I realized I could still apply what I had learned to do whenever I felt that I could have done better: just do it again. So, I got back in line, waited for my turn, explained what had happened to the cashier, and handed back the receipt. I still remember the high five the cashier gave me, and the tears of happiness running down my cheeks: I could turn setbacks in opportunities, I had found my steady way forward!