By Ofir Berenshtam
Studies exploring the development and practice of psychological flexibility, along with shifting perceptions and attitudes toward the experience and judgmental thoughts surrounding stuttering, have shown significant improvements in both quality of life and stuttering itself for people who stutter. In this article, I will share key insights and experiences gained from guiding individuals through Novotalk’s course for struggle-free speech.
Article Summary in Three Points:
- Shared Beliefs: People who stutter often share common beliefs and perceptions regarding their speech and stuttering, which directly influence their coping mechanisms and create physical and mental struggle while speaking.
- Rapid Improvements: Two studies examining the impact of psychological flexibility training found noticeable improvements within a short timeframe, positively affecting both speech mechanics and the overall speaking experience.
- Pacing and Self-Awareness: We can learn a great deal about what happens to each of us when we push ourselves beyond the rhythm that is right for our bodies.
The research focused on identifying common automatic thoughts that impact the speaking experience and the act of stuttering. It examined secondary measures such as anxiety levels, quality of life, psychological flexibility, and overall life satisfaction, observing how these factors are affected by practicing Inquiry-Based Stress Reduction (IBSR / “The Work” by Byron Katie applied to stuttering). It is fascinating to see how the study identified several widespread, shared thoughts and showed how each one affects different aspects of speech, or more accurately, how it creates the struggle during speech that leads to stuttering.
Perceiving Speech as a Dangerous Experience
People who stutter often perceive speaking as a threatening activity. Throughout their lives, they have experienced the unpleasant consequences of being unable to speak like everyone else, of failing to finish a word, or of not keeping up with others’ conversational pace. Because these experiences were painful, they developed rules, guidelines, and strategies to avoid similar negative outcomes in the future.
Frequently, the most common strategy is simple avoidance: shortening words as much as possible or avoiding speaking altogether. In our sessions, I consistently observe the same patterns across participants – automatic thoughts that flag speech as a threat, triggering a physical and mental “fight” response, and leading to tricks and coping tactics aimed at surviving a difficult situation.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Stuttering
Another study assessed the impact of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) on people who stutter and their overall life satisfaction. The research showed that individuals who stutter face significant negative consequences due to their behavioral responses to stuttering – such as passing up job promotions, limiting career options, avoiding important conversations or public gatherings, and holding back from forming deep friendships. All of these are direct results of struggle and avoidance, affecting various aspects of their daily lives and actions.
Another side effect of this ongoing difficulty is the formation of core beliefs, assumptions, and rigid expectations. These assumptions and rules are created in an effort to compensate for deep-seated, self-judgmental beliefs – an attempt to “fix” what those self-judgments imply (that they are inferior, abnormal, or embarrassing). This creates immense internal tension; participants frequently describe a constricted body, a lump in the throat, a churning stomach, or a racing heart – classic symptoms of anxiety and stress. They enter a state of struggle: the entire body mobilizes for battle to complete the task of speaking and to compensate for or conceal these negative core beliefs.
This is how the vicious cycle of struggle operates:
- Because they have learned to believe they are flawed or inferior, they feel compelled to obey rigid rules about their speech (e.g., “I must speak like everyone else”).
- This creates tension and struggle, disrupting their body’s natural rhythm and leaving them stuck at the beginning or middle of an utterance.
- The resulting failure during speech reinforces the belief that something is wrong with them, reigniting the cycle all over again.
The Body’s Natural Rhythm
The body’s natural rhythm, which is closely tied to a comfortable, relaxed speaking experience, collides head-on with these core beliefs and protective rules. Innocent as it may seem, individuals genuinely believe that rules like “I need to speak like everyone else” will help them succeed. They pour all their energy into meeting this standard, paradoxically producing speech filled with struggle that ultimately leads to blocks or stuttering. Their body functions on a different rhythm than these demanding thoughts dictate; any attempt to rush it triggers tension, deepening the negative experience and yielding unsatisfactory results.
Combining ‘The Work’ with ACT in Coping with Stuttering
“The Work” by Byron Katie and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) come together in a powerful synergy. In our sessions, we take one of these common core beliefs and investigate it using the four questions and turnarounds of “The Work.”
Through this process, we observe what happens when a person who stutters believes they must speak like everyone else:
- How do they react?
- Where does that belief take them?
- How does it impact their conversation and speech experience?
- Who would they be without that thought?
This reflection fosters greater flexibility, openness, and acceptance, as well as the realization that clinging to these thoughts and rules doesn’t work—and actually worsens the stuttering. Simply visualizing themselves for a moment without that thought allows them to explore alternative reactions that support their speech rather than blocking or suffocating it.
As we look deeper into the experience and uncover how these thoughts impact conversation, various coping strategies and harsh self-evaluations come to light. At this stage, I like to introduce ACT questions that examine the “costs” of continuing to rely on these strategies.
I ask participants: “What price are you paying across these six areas of life by constantly evaluating yourself while speaking: Energy, Vitality, Time, Health, Relationships, and Finances?”
One hundred percent of the answers I have received to date confirm that every single one of these areas suffers. In my experience, simply realizing this cost can motivate a profound shift in mindset. Willingness to acknowledge this fosters self-compassion and non-judgment toward their current situation, opening the door to exploring a new path. Once we recognize that the struggle we believed in simply isn’t working, we find an excellent starting point for real change.
The Body’s Right Pace
Working with people who stutter teaches me that honoring our body’s natural pace has a profound impact – if not directly on our speech mechanics, then certainly on reducing the tension caused by an uncomfortable or rushed pace. Understanding that compensatory thoughts and beliefs generate this tension empowers individuals to choose more effective coping strategies. They can let go of unhelpful beliefs and adopt new ones that align with their personal values rather than pulling them away.
Equally important, it highlights how fundamental the experience of speech is to human connection. Speech allows us to connect with others, communicate our needs, ask for help, offer support, and feel valued in the world. When confidence in speaking is lost—as happens for many who stutter—the act of speaking is perceived as a threat. This leads to negative self-talk, compensation, and a struggle that ultimately ends in stuttering or silence.