1. Mindfulness and Stuttering
Barry Guitar
University of Vermont

2. History of Mindfulness in Stuttering Therapy
Wendell Johnson: “Don’t try to avoid stuttering”
Dean Williams: “Stay in the present. Feel what you’re doing. “
Charles Van Riper: “Become highly aware of the movements of your mouth.”

3. Current Concepts of Mindfullness & Stuttering
Silverman (2012):
Begin with mindfulness meditation
a. Focus of attention on breathing
b. Just be neutrally aware of natural breathing
c. When distracting thoughts & emotions arise,
observe them non-judgementally and bring
attention back to breathing

4. 2. Gradually become more mindful in daily life
as you continue mindfulness meditation
a. Become non-judgmentally aware of thoughts,
emotions, bodily sensations and movement
b. Become aware of thoughts and emotions
that are associated with stuttering—before,
during, and after stuttering.

5. 3. Work on “Shenpa” as part of mindfulness.
a. Shenpa is when you experience something
“BAD” and you tighten up and try to run away
from it.
b. Working on Shenpa means staying with the
negative experience and emotion.
c. Working on the Shenpa of stuttering means
staying with the experience of stuttering and
the emotions that arise.

6. Scott Palasik (2013)
Combines Mindfulness with “Acceptance &
Commitment Therapy”
Employs the “being in the present” and the
“acceptance” parts of mindfulness
Warns against too much attention on the moment
of stuttering, but instead be sure to Let Go of
the Shame after the stuttering.
Uses this approach with individuals of all ages
who stutter

7. My own observations
Mindfulness meditation is best as a daily practice
Meditation provides an experience of feeling time
slow down. Enhances sense of calmness
Transfers to speaking in daily life (when you are
mindful) of welcoming an opportunity to
stutter so that you can observe it and work
with feelings and behaviors associated with it.

8. Anbefalt Lesing Palasik, S., Hannan, Jamie (2013). The Clinical
Applications of Acceptance and Commitment
Therapy for Clients Who Stutter. SIG4 Perspectives
on Fluency and Fluency Disorders. November
2013, Vol 23,
Silverman, E.M. (2012). Mindfulness and
Stuttering: Using Eastern Strategies to Speak
with Greater Ease. North Charleston S.C.:
CreateSpace