Interiorised stammering

Course Dates: 09/10/24 - 19/03/25
Time: 18:00 - 20:00
Location: Online
If you often manage to conceal your stammering (also known as stuttering), this course will help you to understand your particular type of stammering, reduce negative feelings, learn strategies to speak more easily and develop self-confidence.

If you're wondering what it's like to be on this course, read Susanna's story on our blog.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
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Full fee £249.00 Senior fee £174.00 Concession £50.00
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Interiorised stammering
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  • Course Code: XS302
  • Dates: 09/10/24 - 19/03/25
  • Time: 18:00 - 20:00
  • Taught: Wed, Evening
  • Duration: 22 sessions (over 24 weeks)
  • Location: Online
  • Tutor: Carolyn Cheasman

Course Code: XS302

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Started Wed, eve, 09 Oct - 19 Mar '25

Duration: 22 sessions (over 24 weeks)

Call us to check your level and to discuss other suitable courses 020 4582 0419 (depart num)

Please note: We offer a wide variety of financial support to make courses affordable. Just visit our online Help Centre for more information on a range of topics including fees, online learning and FAQs.

What is the course about?

Stammering, also known as stuttering, is not just about the physical aspects (such as repeating sounds or words, blocking on a word or stretching out a sound). It’s also about how you think and feel about stammering and the impact stammering has on your everyday life. This course is specifically for people with interiorised stammering. Interiorised stammering is characterised by high levels of avoidance, often high levels of fluency and strong negative thoughts and feelings. On this course you’ll learn more about your particular pattern of stammering, how to manage negative thoughts and feelings more easily (this will include some work on cognitive therapy) and ways to reduce the things you might do to avoid stammering, such as changing words or saying less than you want to. We’ll also teach you tried and tested ways to reduce the physical tension in your speech so that you can speak more easily. In addition, you will be introduced to mindfulness and learn how it can support your work on stammering.

This is a live online course. You will need:
- Internet connection. The classes work best with Chrome.
- A computer with microphone and camera is best (e.g. a PC/laptop/iMac/MacBook), or a tablet/iPad/smart phone/iPhone if you don't have a computer.
- Earphones/headphones/speakers.
We will contact you with joining instructions before your course starts.

What will we cover?

The course will cover:
- Identification of the overt (physical stammering behaviours) and covert (hidden thoughts and feelings about
stammering) aspects of stammering
- Becoming less sensitive about stammering; this includes exploring:
- difficult thoughts and feelings about stammering and learning how to manage them more easily as well as gradually reducing some of the things you do to avoid stammering
- Speech work: this is aimed at helping you change your stammering towards an easier, more fluent pattern of
speech.
-you will also be introduced to mindfulness and learn how it can support your work on stammering
.

What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...

1. Identify at least 3 overt and 3 covert stammering features in yourself
2. Reduce at least 2 avoidance behaviours within the group
3. Reduce at least 2 avoidance behaviours outside of the group
4. Speak in a previously identified challenging situation outside of the group
5. Reduce your stammering behaviour within the group.
6. Reduce your stammering behaviour outside of the group in a number of situations.

What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?

This is a course for people who have an interiorised stammer, i.e. high/fairly high levels of fluency and high avoidance of stammering. You may or may not have had any previous speech therapy. To access the course you will need to have an adequate level of English to:
- Express your opinions and feelings
- Follow discussions and make relevant contributions
- Make use of handouts with some assistance if necessary
Before joining the class you will need to speak to one of the Speech Therapy team.

How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?

There is a large component of practical work. Visual aids including video and handouts are used. Work will be undertaken both in the whole group and smaller sub-groups using a wide variety of communication activities. You are encouraged to extend therapy into working on your speech outside and to take an increasing level of responsibility for your learning.

Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?

There are no other real costs although you are asked to bring a notebook to sessions. We recommend you read
the book Self-therapy for the stutterer by Malcolm Fraser alongside the course which can be downloaded free of charge from the Stuttering Foundation website: http://www.stutteringhelp.org.

When I've finished, what course can I do next?

You can do a Stage 2 stammering therapy course or a theme based workshop (e.g. Mindfulness Meditation for people who stammer). A Refresher workshop is an excellent opportunity to revise what you have learnt on the evening course and will help you to maintain progress.

Carolyn Cheasman

Carolyn is a leading UK stammering specialist. She stammers herself and had life-changing therapy at City Lit. Following this she decided to train as a speech and language therapist (SLT) and feels privileged to have spent her career at City Lit. She helped develop what is probably the most comprehensive range of stammering therapy courses in the world. 2019 marked her 40th year as a City Lit tutor. She has a particular passion for working with people with interiorised stammering. In 2009 Carolyn qualified as a mindfulness teacher and has been a pioneer in terms of integrating mindfulness into stammering therapy courses. She is an experienced trainer and has helped to develop training programmes for SLTs in mindfulness, acceptance and commitment therapy and counselling skills. Carolyn has had many articles and chapters published and is a co-editor of Stammering Therapy from the Inside (2013). She has led training and therapy courses throughout the UK and has also taught in Europe, the US and New Zealand. In 2012 she was honoured to receive the International Fluency Association’s Clinician of Distinction award.

Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.