My name is Sebastian, I’m 48 years old from Santiago Chile. I have been stuttering since very young, getting knowledge of my speech at the age of 10. Since then, my whole life has been, in one way or another, about my way of speaking.
As for many stutterers, I suffered a lot in my early years, but also, I built up my personality fighting for a better way of speaking. At around the age of 15 I decided that my speech will not be an impediment in my life and started to learn how to live with it. Was not easy. On the contrary was a long path. A psychologist told me once that I can reach any professional, “rather than being a lawyer….” Actually, I studied law and, yes, I’m a lawyer and I have practiced law for the last 25 years!! Regardless my problem, I also teached law for many years. I’m happily married and have 3 wonderful kids. At the end, I have done all what I wanted to do. My stutter has never stopped me from doing what I wanted to do, although yes, it has always bothers me…
During my life I have tried many or almost all of the different treatments that anyone can imagine! Always trying to improve my way of talking and, at the end, stop stuttering, but with no real success. I normally regret myself every time that I stutter, which is normally during the whole day.
Last July, I moved with my family to the USA invited by Duke University School Law as Visitor Scholar for one year. In the US, my stutter got worse, especially speaking in English. I started to search in the internet in order to find something different to improve my speech. That’s how I end up ordering Coach Lee’s 3rd Edition of his book. I never thought that this book and Lee’s methods will change my life but it did!!!! I started learning and practicing his methods in February 2020, then as of today I have had a few Skype sessions with Lee and a few with Javier Valcazar and, I still can’t believe that has been more than 5 weeks without having any incident!!! My life is changing. I’m much happier in my daily life. I never believed that this could happen with me. After learning how to live with my stutter for all my life, I realized that was all in my mind!
The use of crutches is part of my daily speech and they are so helpful!!! I read loudly as much as I can during the day, and the auto suggestions are also part of my day. I’m learning and practicing every day to “talk as a king”.
I will never have words to thanks Coach Lee. He might never realize how important he is and will be in my life. His method changed my life and, today, just looking forward to speaking as much as possible!! Also, I have to thank Javier. His testimony and words in our meetings were so inspiring! Both of them set a great example.
I want to also urge all stutterers out there to take advantage of World Stop Stuttering Association (https://worldstopstuttering.org/), because it is making Lee’s methods so much easier to learn with hundreds of video lectures on his books, hundreds of coaching videos and blogs, forums and a Speech Club all run by EX-stutterers who help PWS. There’s nothing like it anywhere in the world – an entire “community” for people who have beaten or are beating stuttering and even learning to love to speak. That’s where I belong. Why not you?
Sebastián, July 2020
