Thank you for sharing so honestly. What you're experiencing is something many people go through, and you're absolutely not alone. Reaching out to a speech therapist takes a ton of courage to do so kudos to you! What you’re describing sounds like a form of anticipatory anxiety, where the fear of stuttering creates more pressure, which can unfortunately make stuttering more likely in that moment. It’s a very real and frustrating cycle. Here’s a bit of encouragement and advice from an SLP’s perspective: * **Self-kindness is key**: One moment doesn’t define your ability to communicate. That phone call doesn’t mean you’ve failed, it means you're human. * **Start exploring your relationship with stuttering**: The goal isn’t always fluency, it can also be about reducing the *fear* around stuttering, and finding confidence in your voice, even when it’s bumpy. * **Consider mindfulness or breath strategies**: Not to “fix” the stutter, but to help regulate the nervous system when anxiety creeps in. A calm body supports a calm voice. * **Practice saying your name in low-stakes settings**: Over time, this can help desensitize the fear loop tied to that specific moment. And most importantly, working with a speech-language pathologist who understands the emotional side of stuttering through a compassionate lens (not just the fluency shaping techniques) can be life-changing. You've taken a powerful first step just by speaking up here. You deserve to feel confident when expressing yourself. You've got this :)