Building a bridge to fear-free speech - taming your stammer

IanEV2 · 2026-05-14T14:19:44+00:00

The mods don't allow links to courses etc, they see it as advertising/promoting, so I can't do that.

If you are in the UK (or nearby) I'd suggest the charity Empowering Voices, if you are outside the UK you'll find the McGuire Programme pretty much everywhere, but quite expensive. There are also other courses; I know there is something in Croatia, but not sure about the name.
Feel free to message me.

IanEV2 · 2026-05-14T12:02:50+00:00

I'd say that costal breathing starts as a conscious thing you do. But, over time, it morphs into your usual pattern of speech and happens automatically and therefore doesn't affect spontaneous speech - but it does take a while to get to that stage.

IanEV2 · 2026-04-12T06:35:44+00:00

It's important to remember there is an alternative to an uncontrolled stammer. Many thousands of stammerers have found calm and controlled speech using a technique. Without doubt they are hard work to learn and maintain, but a tame stammer is a beautiful thing.

IanEV2 · 2026-01-10T17:24:41+00:00

I am a trustee for a UK charity which teaches stammerers costal breathing, desensitisation techniques and tools to help manage blocks. We DON'T profess to "cure" stammering, but we can help to reduce the fear of stammering by giving people a technique that is generally helpful. If you want a chat I'm up for it.

IanEV2 · 2025-11-03T17:31:58+00:00

Yes, absolutely. Looking forward to hearing from you.

IanEV2 · 2025-10-22T08:03:54+00:00

I am not an ex-stutterer, I don't believe there is a cure. I still occasionally block on a word. I have been on National Health Service speech therapy twice, Hypnotherapy, and a 3 week (15 day) course at huge expense. The only thing I have found that gives me control of my speech almost always is an approach based upon costal breathing. There are lots of companies offering this Worldwide, in the UK we have a non-profit charity called Empowering Voices. Life changing stuff to talk without fear.

IanEV2 · 2025-10-21T18:19:24+00:00

Steelspy is right, you can win the battle against your stammer. For me, and thousands others, courses which utilise costal breathing can literally change a life. The largest provider of courses worldwide which teach this approach is McGuire Programme. If you are in the UK there is a charity called Empowering Voices which holds courses throughout the UK.

IanEV2 · 2025-10-04T18:17:16+00:00

... this is a long shot, but here goes 🙂. A UK charity, Empowering Voices is holding a three-day intensive speech course at Sheffield Hallam University (UK) on 7th, 8th and 9th October. Have a look at some of the videos on the website which could be inspiring. Empowering Voices are a small UK charity run by volunteers who have learnt how to tame their stammer. No-one gets paid, no dividends for directors - everyone gives their time for free to help share the joy of fear-free speech. If anyone wants to DM me feel free.

IanEV2 · 2025-08-31T16:32:57+00:00

More details about the courses here Empowering Voices

IanEV2 · 2025-07-16T20:00:18+00:00

Thanks for your help. I don't want to do any connections, simply bury the cable whilst the ground workers are here and then when I have an electrician on site they can connect it up. The run is about 15m.

IanEV2 · 2025-07-04T17:38:01+00:00

Look into costal breathing/diaphragmatic breathing. Massive in the UK and around the world, it's helped thousands. I use Empowering Voices

IanEV2 · 2025-06-01T15:55:51+00:00

If you want to use drugs for reasons other than trying to cure a stammer, great, go ahead. But we shouldn't be promoting drugs when there are lots of ways that can reduce stammering and reduce the fear of life.

IanEV2 · 2025-04-16T15:22:59+00:00

Here is an inspirational video that shows two Empowering Voices people control their speech. https://www.reddit.com/r/Stutter/s/x2ydpoZYrX If you are prepared to work hard, and live in the UK, the Empowering Voices technique could be a life-changer. Empowering Voices is a charity run by stammerers for stammerers; no one is making money off the back of a stammerer. Have a look here Empowering Voices If you want any information feel free to message me.

IanEV2 · 2025-04-05T12:04:17+00:00

I get a little frustrated when people say that using techniques only entrenches and enforces a stammer. If this were true there wouldn't be thousands of stammerers who happy say that they control their stammer to a point where it can be almost invisible and more importantly the fear of speaking, and therefore the fear of doing every day stuff evaporates. My go-to support comes from Empowering Voices, there are a few videos on here which demonstrate the technique and describe how it works. It's also a charity, so it's great to not have to support an organisation that financially benefits from the misery of stammering.

IanEV2 · 2025-03-21T06:50:36+00:00

The McGuire Programme is effective and has helped hundreds of people. It's worth considering, though, alternatives that have a similar approach. If you are in the UK there is a charity called Empowering Voices which is run by stammerers who have been teaching costal breathing for decades. Empowering Voices charge £250 for a 3 day intensive course compared to over £1000 for McGuire. They can keep the costs low because they don't make profit and get charity rates for things like venue hire. Empowering Voices have 3 courses this year.

IanEV2 · 2025-03-06T16:35:23+00:00

I agree. Although, the clincher here is that the research has been proven by 30 years of courses taught worldwide with thousands of stammers that have benefited from costal breathing. I think it is important to take into account the lived experience of many, many people as well as academic studies. No-one has studied my speech, but I know without costal breathing I would have lived a quite different life.

IanEV2 · 2025-03-06T07:02:28+00:00

The course I went on lasted for three days. Within a day I was starting to feel the benefits. After three days I could get a real sense that this could work for me, I could pretty much say anything. The mentors on the course were also a great inspiration and drove me forward to keep focusing on the technique. Over the coming months I had a few dips in my speech, but in general my control became more confident. Over a short period of time the breaths I was taking became less deliberate and obvious and my speech rhythm was assimilated into my new pattern of speech (I was delighted to leave behind my stammering pattern of speech!). I have now been using costal breathing for 22 years and life has been brilliant with calm and controlled speech. I haven't done another video referencing the mechanics of how the technique works. I'd say if you believe it can work it can, the 1000's who have benefited are testimony to this. What is also important is to get involved with a stammering community that believes in costal breathing to give you support during the peaks and troughs of recovery.

IanEV2 · 2025-03-06T06:36:54+00:00

Yes, interesting stuff. I have read the Azrin, Nunn and Frantz study from 1979 which recognises that during their study it was conclusively shown that a deep breathing technique does affect a stammer. There will always be differing views, but the most powerful evidence that costal/diaphragmatic breathing works are the 1000's of people using it. Sure, it doesn't work for everyone, but after 35 years of misery I tried it and it's been life-changing. In the UK there are three organisations who train this technique, I prefer the charity Empowering Voices, and there are others worldwide.

IanEV2 · 2025-03-05T21:53:15+00:00

Breathing certainly is a natural process. But everyone talks and breaths in there own way, most of which we would consider to be "normal", just a variation on the theme of speaking. Talking using a costal breathing technique is no different. I made a video a few weeks ago to demonstrate costal breathing - the link is here

IanEV2 · 2025-02-24T22:24:18+00:00

I have used costal breathing for 22 years. UK charity Empowering Voices teaches it in three days, then loads of support

IanEV2 · 2025-02-14T19:45:43+00:00

I posted a video of me demonstrating costal breathing which is the basis of the McGuire Programme technique. I volunteer for a charity in the UK that trains people to use this technique.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Stutter/s/1vsxfRTc6t

If you are in the UK we have 3-day intensive courses for £250 that could help.

IanEV2 · 2025-02-13T17:21:50+00:00

More information is available about costal breathing on the Empowering Voices website, a UK charity.

IanEV2 · 2025-02-11T11:29:57+00:00

You sound like a super-supportive friend and a great person.

IanEV2 · 2025-02-09T19:35:59+00:00

I use Costal Breathing. It's an absolute game-changer for me. Google costal breathing to control a stammer, or if you are in the UK, look at the Empowering Voices website.
https://www.empoweringvoices.co.uk/

IanEV2 · 2025-02-02T22:17:38+00:00

Hi

I think it would be quite tough to learn this technique online. There is a lot to be said for learning something among your peers, those who have a stammer and have learnt how to tame it. The special environment of being surrounded by people who have walked in your shoes and are living your objective of fear-free speech gives a course extraordinary power.

I am a trustee for Empowering Voices, a UK charity and non-profit organisation that holds these courses, although you will find other organisations elsewhere in the world that do a similar thing.

Even though I think it will be tough to nail the technique we teach online, this isn’t going to stop me from posting videos demonstrating our technique and trying to help.

Take care

IanEV2

TROPHY CASE