Not Doing It Alone

Empowering Voices' three-day courses help people who stammer find control and confidence. But progress continues after the course, with support from a strong community. Leanne shares why ongoing connection is vital and how to find the help you need.

Empowering voices are passionate about supporting each member through their recovery; Our three-day intensive courses provide stammerers a different way of talking with control, and ultimately without fear.

Being on the course creates a strong sense of community, support, and achievement, bringing everyone together who is in the same boat and has the same goal.

When you are in the course room, your focus is completely on the technique, and having everyone around you doing the same and supporting each other, it's almost like you're in bubble wrap. So, isn't it understandable that when we go back to our families and friends and normal routines, it can be so much harder to be consistent and maintain the level of control in the course room? Knowing that only 1% of the population lives with a stammer, we are very unlikely to meet others in an everyday situation.

For me, the support from other mentors has been just as important and beneficial as the course itself. It is invaluable to have someone on the other end of the phone who you can call to talk to and practice your speech in a safe and nonjudgmental space. I can almost guarantee that whoever you speak to wants to help you, which helps them with their speech.

There are various ways to seek support. You can call someone from the support directory, leave text or voice notes in the WhatsApp group, post and engage in the Facebook group, or join us in the online support groups.

Throughout my recovery, there have been countless times when I felt I had lost my way and was failing. However, each time I reached out for support, I felt a boost, and everything rushed back to me like a wonderful waterfall. 

Seeking support may be challenging, but it is absolutely worth it.