Coping strategies and why they can backfire

Anyone who stutters wants to get through the moment, so finding ways to do that is natural. In our approach, we look at what these strategies do over time.

Strategies are understandable

There is nothing wrong with wanting to avoid a difficult moment. Many people who stutter avoid certain words or situations. (NIDCD; ASHA) These strategies are a normal response, and they are never a sign of weakness or lack of effort.

Common examples

• Avoidance: skipping phone calls, not ordering what you want, staying quiet in a group.
• Word swapping: replacing a word you expect to get stuck on with another one.
• Tricks: starter sounds or phrases, sudden changes of speed or rhythm, or tensing up to push a word out.

Why they can backfire

Strategies often help for a moment. In our approach, we see a catch: every strategy is also a movement or a behavior that gets repeated, and repeated behaviors are trained. A trick that is used again and again becomes part of the routine, and the original pattern usually stays underneath it. In our experience, the body is then trained into even more patterns on top of the first one, and the whole picture gets harder to see.

Avoidance has a second effect. Each avoided word or situation means one less chance to speak freely, and attention shifts further toward the stuttering itself. Many people who stutter describe feeling anxious about speaking or held back at school or work. (ASHA)

What helps instead

The way out is not more willpower. In our approach, it starts with identifying the patterns, including the strategies that have become part of them. Recognizing your own patterns is the first step, and pattern-based training then works on them in a targeted way.

In our coaching, strategies are part of your stutter profile. You do not have to change anything on your own beforehand.