Choosing your path: Speech therapy vs. one-on-one coaching

Published by Paige Smith on 22/05/2024

Beneath Your Stutter Podcast

There's a critical decision that many individuals who stutter will make at some point in their adult lives…and that's choosing the right support — whether it's speech therapy or personalized one-on-one coaching.

In this blog post, we're going to navigate through the evolving landscape of stuttering treatment and support, exploring the nuances and benefits of each path.

Let’s uncover the complexities of this choice and empower you to make an informed decision that aligns with your unique needs and fluency goals.

But first…

When I was younger, the only option I knew to get help for stuttering was through speech therapy and working with a Speech Language Pathologist. Now in the last few years, there’s been an emergence of coaching for stuttering, representing a newer approach to supporting individuals who stutter.

What might be seen as competition to SLP’s and what may not be very well known is this: Coaching compliments and supplements the work of speech-language pathologists (SLPs). 

So what's the difference?

To be clear of the roles, SLPs diagnose and treat various kinds of communication disorders, including stuttering — focusing on teaching speech therapy tools and techniques. There are other individuals who call themselves a ‘stuttering coach’ — someone who has come a long way on their stuttering journey and in achieving a high level of fluency, now help others.

When I found myself growing into a much higher level of fluency than ever before, I felt the calling to turn around and extend a helping hand to those who were further behind me. Like how could I not? I grew up thinking that fluency was impossible. And now that I’m living the possible — the information I’ve gathered, the strategies I’ve learned — I believe are valuable and worth passing on. 

I only wish I knew someone like me existed 30-40 years ago. Maybe they did, but there wasn’t the internet and social media as we know it today. Growing up, I always had the impression that fluency was like a rare bird. That you were lucky to ever have or see it in your lifetime.

But in order to help others, I knew I needed more knowledge and skills than fluency and the lived-experience of a person who stutters. So, I engaged in a 9-month program to become a CPC, or a certified professional coach, getting my certificate in April of 2021.

It may sound like a fancy piece of paper…but what it really means is that I have a solid foundation of the coaching process. Being equipped with various methodologies, tools and strategies, I can help individuals achieve real growth and personal transformation.

And I choose to work with individuals who are striving for fluency, to support them in all areas of life where stuttering impacts them on a daily basis.

There are stuttering coaches out there that focus solely on the mechanics, throwing in a bit of mindset work as well…But In my experience, once you know how to use the fluency-shaping tools and techniques and have gained some level of mastery with them, there’s so much more work to be done that goes deeper than the physical mechanics.

Beneath the external struggle is an internal one.

I see the biggest opportunity for true recovery and healing from the traumatic side-effects of stuttering is done from an inside-out approach…

• It’s about focusing on the psychological and emotional aspects of stuttering…

• It’s about offering practical solutions for managing speaking situations in everyday life

• And supporting personal growth and transformation through deep discovery and self-compassion.

So when choosing the best path for you, it’s important to know that neither speech therapy or coaching are better or worse. They’re just different, each with their unique approaches, solutions and benefits. Depending on your current needs, one approach might be more beneficial to you than the other.

But more than likely, utilizing the services between speech therapy and coaching is a beneficial combination.

The good news…is that you get to decide!

Here are 4 ways how coaching compares to traditional speech therapy:

1. Singular outer-focus vs a holistic inner-approach

Speech therapy services tend to have a singular focus, addressing the mechanics of physical speech. An SLP’s focus is to help clients learn and use a variety of tools and techniques and for shaping fluency in speech.

The nature of coaching on the other hand, is able to offer a much more holistic approach. The coaching I do extends above and beyond the physical aspects and it goes much deeper to explore the emotional, psychological, and social impact of stuttering — including the factors triggering a stuttering relapse.

For you, it’s about so much more than preventing or stopping stuttering from happening. It’s about helping you learn what to do instead when everything goes 'wrong' — when your body freezes, your skills don’t work and you lose all fluency in those specific and important moments that matter most to you.

Now I understand there are no absolutes, as I’m sure there are SLPs who do have additional skills and resources to offer. But for the most part, the psychological, mental and emotional aspects are an added bonus depending on the SLP, and not part of their core training.

2. Lost-in-the-group vs personalize one-on-one attention

Speech therapy services for the treatment of stuttering are offered both individually and in a group setting. For economical reasons, group therapy is common and popular.

I believe doing group therapy is a great way to learn the basics and lay the foundation of the fluency-shaping techniques. But, it can be hard for some to be vulnerable in front of others…And it’s easy to get lost in the crowd, especially within a group of people.

Once progress has been made in learning and applying the skills, it’s very possible for a person to grow out of the need for group therapy. Eventually, strategies need to be tailored and aligned to an individuals’ specific needs and fluency goals. This is where one-to-one attention is beneficial as personalized coaching meets the client exactly where they are in their life 

Coaching helps them identify their unique triggers for stuttering, develop personalized strategies for improving speech fluency, and track their progress over time.

3. Intensive short-term program vs slower long-term coaching

In my experience, I remember the 3-week intensive therapy to be fast. I felt the pressure to learn the fluency-shaping tools and techniques as quickly as possible. And it’s true that you can learn to create controlled fluent speech in a very short time.

But, as you most likely have experienced, it’s another ball game to execute the tools and techniques and put them into practice over the long-term…in the real world.

It’s after intensive speech therapy, that there’s a tendency for relapses to happen. And this is because change takes time and dedication for new behaviours ‘to stick’. Plus, it can be challenging to stay disciplined and motivated over the long haul. This is where coaching really shines, to offer ongoing support that contributes to sustained progress over time.

When I went through my own personal relapse, it wasn’t because I didn’t know the techniques, or didn’t try to use them. It’s just that I needed more-in-the-moment guidance on what to do when a speaking situation ended up in disaster, feeling discouraged and embarrassed.

Putting new behaviours on top of a deeply ingrained and conditioned behaviour such as stuttering is not easy. And it’s for this reason, it takes consistency, commitment and accountability for effective long-term change. 

4. An SLP who doesn't stutter vs a coach with the lived experience of stuttering

There are SLPs who don’t stutter and some that do. For the ones who don’t, even with great empathy, I’m sure it’s very difficult for them to understand what the every-day experience is like for a person who stutters.

On the surface, there might be a tendency to think it’s just a matter of choice…that maybe somehow an individual is lazy for not using their ‘targets’. If only it was that simple! Believe me, I understand there’s a lot more going on below the surface of what’s seen physically.

And speaking of ‘seen’…

A big part of what was missing for me in the intensive program was seeing someone who was already ahead of me. I needed to see what success could look like, to know that it was possible and to inspire me on my own journey of recovery.

And this is why I became a coach, to be the person I needed when I was  younger because seeing is believing.

Here's a quick recap:

1. What you need is a holistic solution that helps you learn about and address every cause affecting fluency. Because you do have fluency, it’s just that there are other issues getting in the way.

2. There are benefits to both group therapy and one-to-one coaching. Group therapy is great for learning the basics and establishing a good foundation of techniques within a group of peers. But for deeper inner work, coaching meets a person exactly where they are.

3. Depending on how much time you have to work and focus on your speech, may determine whether an intensive short-term program is best for you. In my experience, you need a longer runway of time to execute and integrate new ways of behaviour, which long-term coaching provides.

4. Of course there are SLPs that do stutter, and can bring their own unique experience. But many do not. It’s really your personal preference on who you want to work with.

No matter which way you go, benefits from each can overlap

Between SLP and coaching, there can be overlap to varying degrees in the depth of services provided, such as:

• Mindfulness techniques
• Cognitive-behavioural strategies
• Exploring deeply ingrained thoughts and feelings; reframing limited beliefs and eliminating negative self-talk
• Self-awareness of emotional triggers and environmental influences
• Shifting self-perception and improving self-esteem
• Reducing anxiety and improving self-confidence
• Support and guidance in navigating social interactions and communication challenges
• And an emphasis on life skills, including self-advocacy, assertiveness and resilience

All of these factors add up, contributing to a much more well-rounded healing and recovery.

As we wrap up…

Finally, I want to share, I’ve experienced the toxic shame from a stuttering relapse after speech therapy. And that internal shame and pride prevented me from seeking further help, due to the fear of judgment, that I would disappoint others if they knew. The last thing someone needs is to feel even more guilty or that they somehow “failed” by not doing something the “right way”.

I know how important it is to provide a supportive and non-judgmental space. It’s difficult to navigate this journey alone. The experience of going through a stuttering relapse can be overwhelming, and it’s easy to get lost without guidance.

Of course it’s normal to feel reluctant, as past negative experiences or perceived lack of progress make individuals hesitant to seek help again.

My goal is to help others foster a sense of acceptance, and not add shame for not following through. It’s about asking the right questions to discover the barriers of what’s getting in the way, preventing fluency.

My role as a coach is to help you identify the unique factors that are getting in the way of you maintaining fluency. I act as a guide, offering expertise, personalized strategies, and emotional support throughout the recovery process. And together, realistic expectations are set, goals are established in a collaborative manner, all helping to foster a renewed sense of hope and motivation.

Remember this:

At the end of the day, there are many options for you out there. Whether you’re working with a speech therapist or in a group therapy intensive program, or one-to-one with a coach, the most important aspect is finding a path that resonates with you and addresses your specific challenges.

There's no one-size-fits-all solution, so explore your options and take decisive steps moving forward. The key lies in you finding and choosing the right approach that empowers you to achieve your communication goals.