www.mcguireprogramme.com
Freedom’s Road
Established 1994
Intensive Courses and Follow-up Support for People who Stammer
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Stammerers by Recovering Stammerers
We are an organisation owned and
operated by people recovered and recovering from the affliction of
stammering. Our mission is to provide intensive courses and follow up
support to help other people who stammer.
Philosophy
We adhere to Winston Churchill’s philosophy of “ We are changed by what we
do. Not by what we read, think or say, but by what we actually do”.
This is more than a self-help programme and more than a professional
programme. Stammering is so difficult to treat that it needs a greater
commitment and involvement than usually found in professional or self-help
programmes.
The McGuire Programme is much like Alcoholics Anonymous. As recovered
alcoholics are the best therapists for other alcoholics, recovered and
recovering stammerers are best for helping other stammerers.
Our style, which reflects our philosophy, can also be described as tough
love. We are compassionate and we understand (and have felt) the same
fear, shame and self-hate. But we also understand and confront those
psychological mechanisms (denial, intellectualisation, externalisation
etc….) that result in a return to the tricks and avoidances of
uncontrolled stammering.
Approach
Our training is a synthesis of two very effective treatments, costal
diaphragm and concentration training to quickly gain strong fluency, and
non-avoidance training to understand and reduce the fear thereby
preventing severe relapse.
We approach the task, as one would learn a musical instrument or a sport.
We must first learn the proper techniques and practise them intensely
until they become automatic. As any competitive athlete or musician must
do, we must also learn to concentrate so that the new techniques will hold
up under pressure - for the stammerer it is learning to concentrate in the
face of fear.
Goals and Objectives
Our main goal is to help you become an eloquent speaker rather than simply
a "non-stammerer ". It is the difference between an athlete who plays not
to lose and one who plays to win. To do this we have four objectives:
Physically the objective is to speak powerfully from the thorax by
training to use your costal diaphragm.
Mentally there are five objectives;
To understand
the dynamics of stammering. To counteract
the tendency to "hold back " and use avoidance mechanisms To deal with
the fear through concentration and non-avoidance techniques. To accept
yourself as a recovering stammerer until you have proven yourself to be
a fluent speaker with occasional reminders of your past affliction. To develop an
assertive attitude to attack your remaining feared situations.
Emotionally once you
have dealt with the fear, the objective is to let go and have fun
speaking.
Spiritually the objective is self-actualisation. Once your verbal self is
set free, who will be doing the talking? Are you the person you want to
be? This is positive internal change, beliefs, intentions, perceptions
etc... This is necessary to hold on to your fluency.
Coaches
We are not licensed speech therapists. Because we approach this as a sport
we prefer to call ourselves coaches. Our qualifications are having
defeated/defeating our own stammer and have a demonstrated desire to teach
others. Important too is willingness to go out in the streets with new
students, to help them overcome their fear, and to spend long hours on the
telephone helping someone through a crisis. All coaches have also attended
a training weekend and passed an exam to become a coach.
We have on average a ratio of one coach
per four or five new students. This rich coach-student ratio, plus the
help from other graduates, allows us to have an exceptionally good
follow-up support program, and is largely responsible for our high success
rate.
Speech Therapists
All licensed professionals are welcomed at no cost, to come onto any
course to observe, participate and learn. Many have offered very good
advice that has helped improve the Programme and have referred their
students to our programme.
Success Criteria
Although this still hasn't proven to be a permanent cure from stammering
the following characterizes a successful graduate:
Although
sometimes experiencing and successfully recovering from periodic
relapses a successful graduate feels generally free from stammering. Does not use
avoidance mechanisms. If one occurs with a surprise block, it is
immediately cancelled. Although
sometimes experiencing fear in some situations, remains confident that
he will not relapse into uncontrolled stammering. Is concerned
with becoming an eloquent speaker rather than controlling stammering.
Has experienced
a profound internal transformation. Does not have
to constantly work on the mechanics of speaking. Has fun in most
speaking situations.
Evaluations
To determine how successful our programme is in relation to the above
criteria, we have extensive ongoing internal evaluations. These also serve
to help us improve our programme. These evaluations have proved that:
We have
graduates that reach a strong avoidance-free fluency and a feeling of
freedom within a few days. Although sometimes experiencing relapses from
which they recover, this group rapidly improves reaching the above
success criteria within a few weeks or months. While other
graduates take from 3-12 months to reach freedom after which they
rapidly meet the success criteria. Some graduates
never reach full freedom but find that the programme helped them to a
large extent. Then others
feel that the programme is not for them. The last two categories are
becoming smaller every time.
Intensive courses
Recovery begins with a four-day intensive course. Expect to work hard from
the time you wake until the time you sleep. Most of this time, (including
evenings) is spent in structured sessions with coaches. The first two days
and nights are spent drilling the technique and the mentality you need for
success. Most of the time will be one to one with recovering stammerers
who have been through at least one intensive course. On the third day you
will learn the fundamentals of public speaking and testing your “tools” in
public. You will be amazed at how your confidence grows. The last day is
for reviewing and preparing you for some of the complications of the real
world including how to deal with possible relapses.
Confidence and Public Speaking
One of the key ‘spin offs’ of working with the McGuire Programme is the
increased confidence that people feel when it comes to making
presentations or public speaking. The programme prides itself on
confidence building and has helped people dramatically improve their
communication skills when making presentations and alike.
Follow-up
The first intensive course is going to get you going on the road to
recovery and eloquent speaking. For some this will be a long journey and
you will need guidance from coaches and stronger graduates. You will be
advised to make regular phone calls to your coach as well as attend at
least one more intensive course where you will also help to coach new
students. Helping other stammerers reach freedom is an important part of
your own recovery.
We are proud of our strong follow-up support, (including coaches,
refresher courses, phone coaches and support groups) and feel this plays a
big part in our success rate. It is up to you to take advantage of what’s
on offer.
Refresher Courses
You are entitled to unlimited intensive/refresher courses to get a boost
to the next level of fluency, and to polish things like public speaking,
positive thinking and assertiveness.
Accommodation
During the intensive course we ask that you stay with the group in a
hotel. Unless you request otherwise you will be in another room with an
older graduate who will assist in your recovery. We will make the
arrangements for you, but you are responsible to pay for your hotel,
transportation and meals. The courses are usually held in the same hotel.
Foreign Travellers
For those travelling from abroad it would be advised that you stay in the
UK for a few weeks to attend at least two courses and to take advantage of
the Programme’s support. Or, to arrange to come on a future course within
four months of your first course.
Membership Fees/Expenses
The membership
fee is £700.00. This fee is due on the second day of your first
intensive course. If you decide on the first day that the programme is
not for you there is no charge. Follow up
courses (refreshers or subsequent intensive courses) are £20 per day to
a maximum of £60.00. The hotel fee
varies according to where the course is held, although on average it’s
between £35.00 - £50.00 for bed and breakfast, per person, per night. We do offer
scholarships to people on a low income. Please ask for an application
form. We are limited to the number of scholarships we can offer per
course.
Founder
David McGuire
The McGuire Institute, Dassenbos 40, 2134 Re Hoofddorp. The Netherlands
Fax: 0031 2356 41071 / 57873
Copyright 2000, David Theodore McGuire.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
FREEDOMS ROAD is a Registered Trade Mark of David Theodore McGuire, No.
2167171
www.mcguireprogramme.com
Regional Director (UK South)
Matt Wilton
The McGuire Programme
Freedoms Road (UK South) Ltd
9 Home Park
Pedwell
Somerset
TA7 9BQ
FREEPHONE: 0800 917 6579
coaching@mattwilton.com
www.mcguireprogramme.com
All enquiries treated in strict confidence.
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