My experiences in the Successful Stuttering Management Program (SSMP)

My experiences in the Successful Stuttering Management Program (SSMP) I went through the SSMP a couple weeks ago and thought it was, by far, the most helpful speech therapy program in my life. If you haven't heard of it, it's a joint program between two universities (EWU and WSU) and is about a week long. It doesn't attempt to "cure" your stutter, but rather focuses on the side-effects of your stutter: the shame of the stutter, the anxieties and stress of stuttering, and the secondary behaviors. It does this by taking an exposure therapy approach, with some cognitive behavior therapy. It was vastly different than the speech therapy I had in school (IEP) and outside of school. I'm in my late 20s, but there were participants aged 13 to 63, so it really is meant for everybody... I initially had some hesitation going in because I thought it was mostly a kid's program. We're each assigned 1-2 clinicians, who are some of the most caring people I've met. They really push you beyond your comfort zone, but in small steps, so everything felt very achievable. We conducted surveys, did lots of phone calls, talked to hundreds of people over the course of a week. I'm able to make eye contact when talking, have no problems on the phone, and feel like I can present to anybody. If you feel like your stutter is holding you back, or if it's sometimes all you can think about, I would __highly__ recommend it (especially if you're in the Pacific Northwest!!). I saw dramatic improvement in all of my fellow stutterers there and I was amazed at the courage of everyone there. I wish I had done this years ago, or had the opportunity to do this as a teenager. I feel like it would've significantly impacted my life for the better.