Season 5 - Episode 3: What would stuttering be like if we wanted to stutter?

Christopher Constantino, Ph.D., CCC-SLP joins Sara MacIntyre, M.A., CCC-SLP to explore stuttering therapy, and specifically, what he means by 'Stutter-affirming therapy' described in a recent article in LSHSS, "Fostering Positive Stuttering Identities Using Stutter-Affirming Therapy." [Linked below] Chris discusses what it means to move towards, rather than away from stuttering and how powerful this perspective is to creating long-standing positive changes to how we stutter, how we view ourselves as individuals who stutter, and our overall outlook and optimism for life and the future. Dr. Constantino further explores the benefits of embracing stuttering as an identity rather than rejecting it, he shares literature surrounding Identity constructs of relevance for a deeper conceptual understanding, and shares how important being able to develop positive identities around stuttering can be for the process of change. Chris describes a case-example of a 12-year-old boy named 'Will' throughout to provide clinical examples and antidotes. A longer episode, but well-worth the depth provided!

Article discussed (accessible with ASHA credentials):
Fostering Positive Stuttering Identities Using Stutter-Affirming Therapy in LSHSS

Other Resources from Chris:
Stuttering Well: A Conversation About the Self-Management of Stuttering
CEU Course and Streaming Video by Dr. Christopher Constantino

For questions/ comments/ suggestions, email Sara: smacintyre@stutteringhelp.org.

Bio: Christopher Constantino, Ph.D., CCC-SLP is an Assistant Professor at Florida State University and lives in Tallahassee, Florida with his wife Megan and sons Augustine and Sebastian. Chris teaches courses on Stuttering and Counseling at Florida State, researches how to improve the experience of stuttering, and supervises student clinicians. He co-edited the book Stammering Pride and Prejudice.