Living with a communication disability: insider accounts

‘Nothing ever becomes real till it is experienced’ John Keats One of the greatest challenges in acquiring any new skill is taking the knowledge you have gained and applying it to the real world in a meaningful and positive way. Bridging the gap between theory and experience is something I, as a student speech and language … Read more

Therapy: admitting defeat or an accomplishment?

It took 18 years of living with my stammer before I finally decided to seek help in the form of stammering therapy with Sam at intandem. So, why did it take me so long? Well, the answer was because I did not want to admit I had a stammer. By pretending it wasn’t there meant that it … Read more

Reflections on what supports change and personal growth (2/2)

Continuing with our two-part blog post on the different strategies people employ to support change, this month’s entry reflects the voice of some of our clients who have generously shared their ideas below: Dom: “When I am planning anything I am always trying to save myself energy and to plan anything I need to be … Read more

Collaboration

“Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success” Henry Ford 2014 marks intandem‘s 10-year anniversary. Throughout this time, collaboration has been at the heart of all our work – both with each other and with others. 2013 was a year of experiments and we worked hard to establish even more connections and … Read more

Therapy in Waterstones

Behind most books lies a tangle of anxiety about perception, rejection and word-choice. So the laden shelves of Waterstones in Teddington seemed a perfect backdrop for the local launch of ‘Stammering Therapy from the Inside – New Perspectives on Working with Young People and Adults’. Like publishing, the event pulled together an array of knowledge, … Read more

Living well with stuttering

To celebrate International Stuttering Awareness Day on Tuesday 22 October 2013, Selena Donaldson, speech and language therapist for The Fluency Network at The University of Auckland hosted an informative breakfast seminar. This seminar featured a pre-recorded question and answer session with Sam Simpson and Rachel Everard, two of the co-authors of ‘Stammering Therapy From the … Read more

Kinship and worship

International Stammering Awareness Day, 22nd October 2013 Over the summer I went travelling throughout Vietnam – a wonderful country where I had the pleasure of meeting many warm, openhearted people, eager to share their fascinating history, rich cultural heritage and exquisite cuisine. Throughout my travels, I was frequently moved by the important role ‘kinship’ plays … Read more

Accepting my stammer

The last Stammering Open Space in May saw a great exchange of ideas and experiences among the people in the group. Of the many interesting discussions that came up during the session, one in particular resonated with me: the idea that acceptance can be a useful way of dealing with your stammer. I’ll be the … Read more

Embracing vulnerability

Having recently been signposted to the photos and videos Steven Halliday has put together on the British Stammering Association Twitter page, I came across a fascinating speech by the actress, Emily Blunt at an American Institute for Stuttering Gala Dinner in 2009. (Listen here)         My initial response was one of surprise … Read more

Book launch

Launching ‘Stammering Therapy from the Inside’ 9th May 2013 at City Lit and the House of Commons Over 120 people who stammer and speech and language therapists gathered at City Lit for a day of talks relating to some of the key themes from the book. Trudy Stewart kicked off with an inspiring personal analysis … Read more