Understanding Stammering: Support for All Ages and Needs

Lauren is smiling and sitting on a bench, outside on a sunny day, holding a cup of tea.

Business card reads Specialised in supporting children and adults who sssstammer.

For the longer version, please click here.

Whether you are an adult who stammers looking for support, a parent seeking therapy for your child, or a therapist looking into stammering supervision, I hope this page helps you understand how I work and whether my approach feels right for you.

What I Believe About Stammering

Stammering is a neurological difference, not a disorder that needs fixing. There is no cure for stammering and there is no single technique or strategy that guarantees fluent speech. I have realised that many of the challenges people who stammer experience are shaped not only by the stammer itself, but by social expectations and how others respond to a speech difference.

When working with children, I focus on supporting them and their families early on, so parents can access clear, evidence-based information and feel confident in how they respond. Early support isn’t about eliminating stammering; it’s about building confidence, reducing any anxiety and helping children feel good about themselves as communicators, whether they continue to stammer or not.

A graphic illustrating therapy aims on stammering, featuring an adult and a child in conversation. The text includes key beliefs about stammering as a neurological difference and emphasises communication confidence, reducing shame, developing self-advocacy skills, and feeling empowered.

What Therapy Might Look Like

I pride myself in offering therapy that is tailored to exactly what you need. There isn’t a one size fits all approach. Everything we do is discussed and agreed together, so you always know what we are working on and why.

Graphic illustrating different aspects of stammering therapy, including Education and Understanding, Reducing Fear and Shame, Building Self-Advocacy, Reducing Physical Tension and Effortful Speech, Communication Skills, and Psychological Support.

Some areas we might focus on include:

1. Education and Understanding
Learning about stammering as a neurological difference, understanding the social and medical models of disability and exploring how society shapes our feelings about “normal” speech.

2. Reducing Fear and Shame
Desensitisation work, voluntary stammering and processing difficult experiences to reduce anxiety around communication.

3. Building Self-Advocacy
Learning to explain stammering confidently, requesting accommodations and developing responses to reactions from others.

4. Reducing Physical Tension and Effortful Speech
Learning stammering modification tools to make speaking feel easier and more comfortable, rather than aiming to eliminate or hide stammering.

5. Communication Skills
Exploring what helps communication feel easier and more authentic across different situations that matter to you.

6. Psychological Support
Processing experiences such as bullying or discrimination, and supporting the whole family system when working with children.

What Success Looks Like

In my practice, success isn’t measured by fluency percentages or counting stammers.

Person standing on a snowy mountain with arms outstretched, wearing a black jacket and a scarf, against a foggy background.

Success looks like feeling more confident, participating more fully in life, advocating for yourself or your child, and feeling okay (perhaps even good) about how you speak. For children, success also means thriving socially and academically, and feeling supported by the adults around them.

If you are interested in working with me or have any questions at all, please contact me here.

For a more detailed explanation of my approach (which also includes further reading and research articles) please click here.

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