Counselling can help. Counselling research suggests that counselling on its own is not enough to stop stuttering long-term. Counselling may help though by lowering your anxiety or helping you to concentrate on your speech. You can gain confidence to practise your new techniques with other people, which will help you to improve your everyday speech. You could think of it as:

Speech techniques + Confidence + Practice = Improved everyday speech

The Speech Pathologist can give you some counselling. However, if you are very anxious the Speech Pathologist may refer you to a psychologist or other professional counsellor for more help.

The Speech Pathologist can help you with problems related to:

• Using your fluency techniques
• Home life
• Friendships
• School, including teasing and bullying
• Feeling sad or 'down in the dumps'
• Negative thoughts about yourself

Changing Negative Thoughts

If you have negative thoughts and beliefs about your speech and coping abilities you may find it harder to make long-term improvements with speech treatment. However, you can learn to change the way you think about yourself. Whatever type of speech treatment is used, a person who stutters must develop some new ways of thinking about him or herself if the improvements are to last20.

If you're going through a real crisis or depression, you'll probably need more counselling than the Speech Pathologist can provide. If this sounds like you, there are people you can talk to, in person or anonymously. If you are already seeing a Speech Pathologist, he or she may recommend a psychologist or other professional counsellor to help you. Sometimes it's best to put stuttering treatment on hold for a while if there are other major issues to sort out.