Hypnosis For Stuttering and Speech Problems

Hypnotherapy for stuttering

Do you have an annoying or embarrassing speech problem? Hypnotherapy in Melbourne is an excellent tool for those who struggle with stuttering. People who stutter often know exactly what they want to say, and often have the words perfectly formed inside their own minds.

Yet when they try to speak the words don’t come out in the right way. When we can’t communicate effectively with others, it affects every area of our lives, but most importantly it affects our self-esteem.

You might find the problem is worsened because you’re anticipating not being able to get the words out, so it becomes a kind of ‘chicken or egg’ thing.

Stuttering is common among children and most kids grow out of it naturally, going on to become successful, well-adjusted adults. Others find it more difficult to let go of, and they can find it is exacerbated during stressful situations.

 

Definition Of A Stutter

When you have a stutter, you may typically say the first letter of a word more than once (EG: ‘c-c-cake’) or you may elongate the vowels in certain words to the degree that it is noticeable and embarrassing.

Alternately, you might find it hard begin a sentence or even to find the words you need to express yourself.

The stuttering experience varies from individual to individual, and may even include facial tics. If you’re someone who has a rapid speech rate in general, you may be more prone to stuttering as the words and ideas form in your mind and you are unable to articulate them in time.

 

Chicken Or Egg?

You may find your stuttering problem gets worse when you’re stressed, under pressure or tired. My client Alison’s stuttering problem only seemed to emerge when she was in the presence of people in authority.

She said ‘When I’m at home with my family or with friends, I don’t stutter at all. It’s only when I feel inferior to someone that it comes out. I’m terrible in front of my boss!’

In Alison’s case, while her stutter may have initially been caused by something else a long time ago, in the here and now it was being perpetuated by two things:

  • Her low self-esteem and feeling of inferiority among others;
  • Her proliferation of the thoughts and beliefs that kept the behaviour going

During hypnosis, I worked with Alison to remove the most prominent cause of her stuttering, which was the feelings of inferiority around others and lack of confidence in general.

She had previously had speech therapy before, so she was aware of the exercises she needed to do to eliminate her stuttering; this was definitely a mind problem.

 

Confidence Is The Key

As Alison’s confidence improved, she became less and less worried about her speech. When she communicated with others she was able to focus on making them feel comfortable and as she did this her own self-consciousness vanished.

The stutter was significantly diminished after three sessions and completely gone after the 5th session. She said: ‘It’s so funny, the stuttering has been a part of me for so long I thought I would never be able to get rid of it. Now it’s as if I never had the problem in the first place.’

If you would like to try hypnotherapy for stuttering, always work with a qualified professional who has a solid level of experience with the problem. You can give me a call or contact me here if you have any specific questions.