I am a 15 year old girl. My name is Asma, and I live in Qatar. I’m really shy, and I just can’t post my picture or links to my coaching videos, I’m sorry for that but my story should be no less interesting. I live in a family of stutterers. I stuttered from age 3. I was a mild stutterer but it became more severe in my teens. I became very unsocial. I couldn’t say half my words even to my family and friends and on the phone. When I wrote Coach Lee in October 2020, I told him that I had lost all hope and that I couldn’t afford a therapist, too expensive and that Stuttering sometimes gave me suicidal thoughts!
I suffered mainly blocks with long silences or I used a lot filler words like “ummm, uh, ahh). I seemed to just freeze. I couldn’t get the words out. I often just gave up and stayed quiet. When I used filler words it often made my thoughts unclear. To make matters worse, my two sisters stutter, one is very severe. In family conversations it was as if we were teaching each other to stutter.
I researched stuttering hard but it seemed hopeless. I became convinced that I would never be able to overcome it. Using different techniques doesn’t work for long. Moreover, I knew that it was just me. It’s mainly the mindset because I never stuttered when I was alone or talking to pets or really young kids.
Then, in September 2020, I saw Lee Lovett’s name online in Reddit. Quite a few people wrote very nice things about him and his methods. I saw some of his videos online helping stutterers. They were encouraging. I emailed him, never expecting a reply, but he did answer. He asked me to read his book and watch the 21 video lessons that he did on his book, which are on Speech Anxiety Cures (SAC). I did that, and he coached me maybe ten times. I also watched other coaching videos in SAC’s video library. In one session, my two, stuttering sisters joined me, and Coach Lee had them talking almost fluently to him in an hour. They weren’t cured, obviously, but they did see that there was hope. My sister, who stutters the worst in the family, is just now starting to be coached by Coach Lee.
I worked hard on Coach Lee’s methods. I learned the Crutches, and I used them. Crutch 4 became my favorite. I seemed to be able to avoid nearly all my blocks with it. Within a month, I was using Crutch 13 (no crutch, just speaking BEFORE thinking words) and I was able to avoid appearing speech disabled. In fact, I became 100% fluent with my family. I wasn’t even thinking about my speech with them. It seemed like a miracle. Coach Lee then pushed me to use crutch 11, speaking like a queen, which helps with speech in general, even for non-stutterers. I’m trying to use that one more now.
I haven’t appeared speech disabled in a couple months now. My family can’t believe it.
Without seeming disabled, I still have some awkward speech incidents, maybe two times in the past month, where I had to substitute a bunch of words and was silent more than I like, but most of the time, I just talk now WITHOUT even using a crutch. When I get nervous speaking, which happens less and less, I talk less, talk in short bursts of 1-7 words or so, and I think pronunciation, word linkage and smiling the entire time that I talk, and this works great. I’m trying to make this into a habit. Adding the smiling of course makes me and others happier. This is the beginnings of converting stuttering into a blessing. I can’t believe that I said that, but it’s true.
I’m still working to overcome fears, but fears aren’t stuttering, as Coach Lee says. I am trying to teach myself to LOVE to speak in all situations now. That’s my next goal and I believe that I can do it. I can now see a fluent life ahead of me. I also want to stay with daily mind training and try to improve my thinking as best I can. My life has changed so very much and all for the better. I could never thank Coach Lee and SAC enough!!!
What can I suggest to other PWS? First, you CAN stop your stuttering. Second, Coach Lee’s methods WORK. Three, SAC is offering a GREAT program (with tons of videos, blogs, a forum, a speech club, etc.) that make Coach Lee’s methods easier to understand and apply, and SAC is the world’s only community of EX-stutterers, and it’s growing fast, and it’s a good place for PWS to hang out. I hope to see you there.
Asma, Qatar, January 2021
P.S. Received four years after she posted her Story: “Hello Mr Lovett! It’s been ages, I was just remembering you and how much of an impact you’ve made on my life. During Covid I was struggling with my speech and hit rock bottom, your book felt like a saviour, and you were always so helpful and responsive. I just wanted to take a moment to thank you and know how grateful we all are for all your efforts for us pws:) How are you doing? I am also now training to become a WSSA Certified Stuttering Therapist. Regards, Asma, April 2024
