First Comes Acceptance – Episode 53
Posted on: April 25, 2011
Episode 53 features Claire, who hails from the Washington, DC area. Claire is 16 years old and a junior in high school.
She is interested in biology, and already knows she wants to pursue further education and a career path involving genetics, which combines her love for both biology and history.
I met Claire and her family at my first FRIENDS conference in 2008, but really didn’t get to know her well that first year. Since, I have seen her blossom into a very confident young person, who is at ease with herself as a woman who stutters. She’s a great role model for youth, especially girls, who stutter.
Listen in to a very candid conversation about Claire ‘s experiences with school therapy. She shares her frustration at working with therapists who did not seem to know much about stuttering, and how she knew more about stuttering than they did!
Claire shares about working with a metronome and how it seemed she was asked to replace one secondary behavior with another.Very important insights by a 16-year old!
We also discuss family impact, Claire’s relationship with her sister, and how important acceptance is. And as a 6-year member of FRIENDS, Claire shares what FRIENDS is all about, the life-changing significance of meeting other people her age that stutter, and how important self help and support is for parents as well.
Claire demonstrates poise, confidence and humor in our conversation. I was so happy that she (and her mom) agreed that Claire should share her story.
Credit for the podcast safe music used in this episode goes to ccMixter. Please feel free to leave comments for Claire. Remember, feedback is a gift.
9 Responses to "First Comes Acceptance – Episode 53"
April 25, 2011 at 6:59 PM
Go claire!!
I listened to the whole interview! I am really impressed! Thank you for sharing!
April 25, 2011 at 7:01 PM
What a nice interview and what a poised young woman Claire is! I was especially intrigued by her description of her last therapist in school…that is my fear – that I’ll wind up with clients who know more about their disorder than I do! Sounds like she’s found a good place with the private therapy.
And I think it’s awesome that she wants to become a genetic counselor. Once upon a time that was my goal too…but there were too many obstacles for someone who didn’t have a college major in a science,
Kudos to Claire for sticking with the sciences and having a goal from the start!
April 26, 2011 at 10:33 AM
Donna, rather than fear clients who know more than you do, look forward to them. You can learn from them and use that to help others. The larger your toolbox, the better, but you don’t have to be an expert in all approaches. Coaching, supporting, experimenting and mutual discovery are important parts of therapy.
April 26, 2011 at 1:36 PM
Cricket,
I love when you check in. Your feedback is always so insightful and proactive. You most definitely have a way of re-framing things, and that persepctive helps us think more critcally. Thanks!
April 26, 2011 at 11:25 AM
I enjoyed listening to the interview. Claire, you come across as a very smart, articulate young woman. Thank you for sharing your story. Pam, I enjoyed how you conducted the interview, and you have a gorgeous laugh.
April 26, 2011 at 1:33 PM
Sarah, Thanks for checking in and listening . . . I hope you visit again soon. And thanks for the comment about my laugh – no one has ever said my laugh is gorgeous . . . I rather like that! 🙂
~Pam
March 8, 2012 at 2:52 AM
[…] Several young girls have shared their stories here, which IS inspiration and connection. If you want to hear inspiration, listen to Aileen and Claire. […]
Make Room For The Stuttering 
April 25, 2011 at 10:12 AM
Claire,
I really enjoyed hearing your story. Thanks for sharing.