I’m Gabor, I’m in my thirties and I live in Hungary, Europe. I’ve stuttered since I was maybe 4 or 5 years old. I considered myself pretty severe and I had the same negative experiences as anyone else in this situation: humiliating public speaking incidents at school, mocking/bullying, feeling that I’m inferior, followed by traditional speech therapies that didn’t work after I left the therapist’s office etc. It wasn’t much better years later when I had to make presentations at university, then apply for jobs. Also tried many alternative methods, but nothing really helped.
In 2020 I found Lee’s book on Amazon and I was skeptical at first. Then I read it, found it intriguing but I needed a Q&A Skype session later that year with one of the coaches, Javier, to really start practicing. Then I had another humiliating experience regarding stuttering and I decided: it’s time to change. I started speech coaching with Leah, who’s a wonderful teacher and I progressed quickly. I had many speech victories, did things I’d thought impossible earlier (e.g. host online meetings at my job, using the phone or bartending as a side job), I also had relapses due to overconfidence and laziness.
I’ve also watched many videos on WSSA and I’ve been to many SAM Meetings, WSSA’s speech club for PWS, which is really great. I learned a ton there, just listening, asking questions, making some comments and getting to know other people who stopped stuttering and lots of PWS who are working on it. All of this helped more than I can ever say. WSSA has become the world’s only community EX-stutterers and it is much needed. The world’s PWS need to know that there is such a community, a community where stutterers are helping each and are routinely stopping stuttering. This community is changing the world.
Nowadays I’d say I’m 80% “cured”, I still have speech-related fears, some blocks/undue silences and it’s still tempting to fall back into old habits and struggle with words. But I proved to myself many times that I have every skill I need to be a great speaker and forget about stuttering forever.
So, thank you Lee and Coach Leah and to all the coaches and WSSA members for helping me elevate my life! Long live WSSA, its coaches and these methods! The world may beat stuttering yet.
Gabor, January 2021
