Report from Galway Self Help Group Meeting

Date: 6 April 2010

Report:

An open and progressive meeting was held this month in the Radisson. We began our meeting with a relaxation technique to generate awareness of our bodies and to develop a sense of option over how our body can react in situations of stress or anxiety. We discussed this prospect further.

Some members voiced the prospect to share and advice of specific techniques which may have proved useful to themselves at times of stress or anxiety concerning their speech. A discussion progressed on the effectiveness of this. We further developed the fact that everyone's stutter is different and the need to appreciate the idea that what may work for one person may not work so effectively for another.

We came to the conclusion that people are free to share techniques with each other on a personal level if they desire - but emphasising the fundamental purpose of the support group was to offer people a safe and non-judgmental environment to stutter openly.