Can psychological therapies help young people who stammer?

For older children and young adults, a stammer is more likely to remain with them throughout their lives.

Psychological therapy does not focus on a person’s speaking but instead focuses on helping to reduce the impact of the stammer on a person’s thoughts, feelings and behaviours. 

Examples of psychological therapies that are used in the management of young people who stammer include:

•  Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy;
• Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT);
• Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP). 

These approaches can be helpful in addressing the wider impact of stammering on a young person's quality of life, for example helping to reduce social anxiety and isolation, and promoting self-advocacy and coping strategies.

Some Speech and Language Therapists have additional training in these approaches or will be able to refer on to other professionals.