Examples of therapeutic goals: * (client) learns to recognize and manage secondary behaviors associated with stuttering * (client) develops strategies to reduce anxiety * (client) improves self-confidence in speaking situations * (client) practices voluntary pausing between words * (client) replaces impaired with productive self-monitoring skills * (client) learns techniques to control breath support and airflow * (client) practices prolongation of initial sounds * (client) improves turn-taking skills in group conversations * (client) develops strategies to overcome avoidance behaviors related to stuttering * (client) improves ability to manage and cope with teasing or negative reactions from others * (client) learns strategies to reduce anticipation * (client) practices speaking in challenging situations (e.g., on the phone, in public speaking, presentations) * (client) practices self-disclosure * (client) improves ability to use natural gestures and nonverbal communication * (client) improves ability to navigate interruptions and distractions during conversation * (client) develops strategies to increase acceptance and self-compassion regarding stuttering * (client) learns to identify and modify negative thought patterns related to stuttering * (client) improves ability to initiate and maintain conversations with confidence * (client) develops strategies to address covert stuttering and the symptoms under the iceberg * (client) learns techniques to manage and reduce tension in the abdominal, chest, neck, shoulders and other muscles during speech * (client) improves ability to use appropriate pausing and phrasing My personal recommended therapeutic goals: * (client) learns the ability to consciously position articulators and instruct execution of motor movements before initiating voice onset without relying on cognitive (sensory) conditions * (client) develops strategies to interrupt negative emotions, unhelpful thoughts, or unnecessary actions * (client) accepts the experience of inability to initiate speech movements * (client) learns to instruct execution of motor movements without the need for secondaries, techniques or feedback control * (client) learns to stop blaming external factors for difficulties in executing motor movements * (client) learns to put complete faith in the feedforward system * (client) practices minimizing variations in articulatory coordination for more consistent speech patterns * (client) learns to only rely on fluency laws that regular speakers apply * (client) replaces unhelpful stuttering behaviors with helpful non-stutterer behaviors * (client) replaces the unhelpful timing method of waiting out articulatory tension or waiting for a specific sound -- with the helpful timing method of instructing motor movements whenever the articulation is set * (client) learns to associate the words 'instruct motor movements' to the willful action of moving your speech muscles just like how you would willfully act to move your leg muscles when walking * (client) understands that physical sensations, emotions, thoughts, or mind-body pain do not prevent the instruction of motor movements * (client) aims to maintain a consistent amount of breath throughout speech without pausing * (client) learns to reach proper articulatory end positions to avoid the need to pause or stop instructing * (client) recognizes that the unhelpful attitude of "measuring air pressure" leads to speech blocks caused by delayed execution of articulation * (client) learns to stop relying on feelings, thoughts, sensations or experiences * (client) commits to disregard or ignore anticipation, thoughts, feelings, sensations, and stutter beliefs/attitudes to initiate speech movements * (client) interrupts the tension, pain or adrenaline program by labeling it as a need to measure air pressure * (client) replaces the unhelpful terminology of "inability to execute motor movements" with the helpful terminology of needing to measure air pressure * (client) interrupts the "measuring air pressure" program in the brain to break the vicious cycle * (client) resists the temptation to manipulate anticipation anxiety * (client) learns to resist the urge to reduce or fix anticipation anxiety * (client) learns to not touch the existing (initial) speech plan (regarding what and how you wanted to speak) so that it remains intact without reformulation * (client) understands that speech blocks occur when the movement of speech muscles - respiratory, laryngeal or articulatory muscles - have halted * (client) learns to reduce overthinking and overreacting during speaking challenges * (client) develops the ability to stop substituting words in an attempt to stop stuttering * (client) acknowledges that stuttering is not a true freeze response but a perception of lacking control that happened in a lack of knowledge * (client) recognizes that thoughts and feelings are triggers but do not halt speech movements * (client) recognizes that blaming fear disrupts the movements of speech muscles * (client) learns to view interrupting blame as a success rather than achieving fluency * (client) learns to break the stutter cycle by addressing as many angles (or elements) as possible * (client) learns that instructing motor movements should not feel like an instruction, feel convincing or feel like we will speak fluently -- an instruction doesn't have a feeling and doesn't rely on a feeling (this makes (1) needing confidence, (2) needing to convince oneself, (3) needing to anticipate, or (4) needing to reduce anticipation, redundant