Can Speech and Language Therapy help adults who stammer?
This article was written by Chloe Hastings and Kezia Lawson - Speech and Language Therapists at TalkCoach.
What is stammering, can it be cured, and where can you go for help? In this post, we’ll explore what stammering is, how therapy can help, and what you can expect when working with us at TalkCoach.
What is Stammering?
To define stammering, we need to acknowledge the different terminology that may be used. Depending on the country and region, the terms stammering, stuttering and dysfluency are used interchangeably. For the purpose of this post, we will use the term stammering.
Stammering is a difference in the way someone talks. It may present as:
A repetition of a sound “f-f-f-f-f-fish”
A repetition of a word “how how how”
A prolonged (stretched) sound “shhhhhhhhhhoe”
A block, where someone may feel stuck and no sound comes out.
These behaviours are examples of ‘overt’ stammering, which is where stammering is visible to others.
We also work with people with a ‘covert’ stammer, where someone works hard to hide their stammer through ‘avoidance behaviours’ (more on this later).
Most people at some point in their life will have times where they have moments of stammering or occasional dysfluency. However, for a person who stammers, these behaviours are persistent. This can have a huge impact on confidence and identity in relation to communication.
Why do people stammer?
Despite many misconceptions, stammering is NOT due to anxiety, and is NOT any reflection of ability or intelligence. Anxiety can exacerbate stammering (including for people without a stammer!), but is not the cause.
There is no known cause of stammering, however research from Stamma (2024) tells us that 1% of the adult population stammers, and as many as 60% of people with a stammer have a close relative that also stammers.
Stammering can appear in different ways:
Developmental Stammer: A stammer that is present from childhood.
Acquired Stammer: Sometimes a stammer can develop later in life, often due to a neurological event, trauma or Functional Neurological Disorder (FND).
At TalkCoach we offer support to all adults with a stammer.
Can stammering therapy stop someone stammering?
There is a common misconception that Stammering Therapy aims to make someone ‘better’ or ‘fix a stammer’. So sometimes people find us because they are looking for help to stop stammering.
So can stammering be ‘fixed’?
There is no clear answer to this. The aim of Speech and Language Therapy at TalkCoach is not to eliminate stammering but to change the way you think about and respond to your stammer.
How does TalkCoach help people who stammer?
We know how hard it can be to live with a stammer, especially in a world that often prioritises fluency.
At TalkCoach, we take a ‘neurodiversity-affirming’ approach to stammering therapy. This means…
Recognising that stammering is not a flaw or something to hide
Supporting you to embrace your unique communication style
Focusing on your strengths and helping you communicate confidently and authentically
Our goal is to help you feel empowered to communicate in a way that reflects who you are, without masking or avoiding. We aim to help you feel confident and authentic in your communication and feel more comfortable accepting yourself as a person who stammers.
We also weave Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) into our stammering therapy.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a psychological approach that focuses on helping individuals build flexibility in how they think and respond to difficult emotions or situations. At TalkCoach, we often use ACT techniques to support clients in aligning their communication with their values, building confidence and reducing the emotional burden of stammering.
For instance, ACT might help someone recognise and let go of the urge to avoid a feared speaking situation, instead focusing on expressing themselves authentically in line with their values.
Will this approach improve the fluency of my speech?
Greater speech fluency is often a by-product of this increased confidence and self-acceptance, but it is not the primary goal. Instead, we focus on helping you align your communication with your values and develop the confidence to communicate freely and say what you want to say, regardless of fluency.
If increasing fluency is a priority for you, we can explore techniques to support this as part of your therapy. Strategies such as adjusting speech rate, breathing techniques, and techniques to help manage moments of stammering can be helpful tools. However, we strongly encourage working on these alongside building confidence, reducing avoidance, and developing a more flexible, values-aligned approach to communication, rather than as a standalone focus. This ensures that any fluency gains are sustainable and that communication feels natural and authentic, rather than effortful or restrictive. Our goal is to help you feel comfortable expressing yourself in all situations, whether your speech is fluent or not.
Can Speech and Language Therapy help someone who has been hiding their stammer?
Yes! This is called covert stammering. Often, when someone has felt as though they need to hide their stammering behaviours, it becomes internalised. This may even lead to people around them not knowing they are a person that stammers.
People with a covert stammer can become very adept at avoidance (this is also true for people who stammer overtly).
Avoidance behaviours can include…
Avoiding saying specific sounds, words or phrases
Changing words mid-sentence
Avoiding certain situations, like public speaking or social events
While avoidance is a very common response and may reduce immediate discomfort, it often comes at a high cost. In fact, working hard to disguise a stammer can take a huge toll when speaking.
Avoidance can limit communication freedom, increase anxiety, and reinforce negative feelings about speaking. The stress of constantly concealing a stammer can feel overwhelming, even for those who appear outwardly fluent.
At TalkCoach, we understand just how difficult it can be to face these fears.
Our approach to therapy focuses on helping you reduce avoidance behaviours in a very safe and supportive way, working at a pace that you feel comfortable with. By reducing avoidance behaviours, therapy helps you gain communication freedom, making it easier to navigate social, personal, and professional interactions.
This process allows you to embrace your unique communication style, increasing your confidence and spontaneity in everyday conversations.
What to expect in your first session
Starting therapy can feel daunting, especially if you’ve had negative experiences in the past or felt misunderstood. We have found that often, people don’t know what to expect in an initial Stammering Therapy session, and this can lead to apprehension or anxiety, so by answering this question, we hope to help!
At TalkCoach, we take a compassionate and personalised approach to ensure you feel comfortable from the start. We see people face-to-face but also offer Online Stammering Therapy, which is convenient and flexible.
Here’s what a typical first session may include…
A collaborative conversation to understand your stammer and your goals for therapy:
This is your opportunity to share what’s important to you, and there are no right or wrong answers. The conversation is likely to include:
a detailed history of your stammer – which may involve questions about your childhood, the way your stammer affects you, past medical histories, and your social and professional life.
Past experiences with therapy or support
Your goals and what you hope to achieve through working together
You are always able to decline to answer a question if you feel uncomfortable.
Your first session may also include:
we may ask you to read something aloud or talk about an event or hobby - this allows us to capture a sample your speech. We are aware it is just a snapshot and it doesn’t matter if you do or don’t stammer during it!
we may use tools like questionnaires or self-rating evaluations which will give us more information on how your stammering impacts your life
we may want to look at the muscles in your mouth and face. This is non-invasive and involves you doing actions like sticking out your tongue or moving your jaw; this can give us an idea of any weaknesses and is particularly useful if you have any other conditions.
This is a rough example, and depending on the person and therapist, your first session may be slightly different. Our priority as your Speech and Language Therapist is that you feel comfortable. Our goal is to create a supportive space where you feel safe to explore your communication style and take the first step toward greater confidence.
A therapy plan tailored to your needs
Together, we’ll develop an ongoing intervention plan that reflects your goals, whether that’s reducing avoidance, increasing confidence, or embracing your stammer.
Therapy is always flexible and adapted to your needs, and we’ll go at your pace to ensure you feel supported throughout the process. We understand that no two people with a stammer are the same; they will have had different experiences, perhaps tried Speech and Language Therapy in the past, and may have different views on their stammering.
We usually recommend starting with a block of 6 or 8 sessions but we will always happily work within your budget and preferences.
What next?
In this post, we have discussed what stammering is and looked at some presentations and definitions to give you a clearer understanding. We hope we have given you the information and confidence you may need to move forward with private speech therapy.
If you’re ready to take the first step toward more confident and authentic communication, we would love to help.
If you would like to work with us, the quickest way to book an initial appointment is to download our Services and Pricing Guide:
then complete our online referral form:
