Conversation with Michael Sugerman

Scroll down for host and guest bio, additional resources, links, notes and more.

TOPICS INCLUDE

- The roots of NSA and ISAD

- Peer facilitated support

- Behavioral, Mental, and Social Health

- Perspectives on the application of ACT, CBT, MBSR, and other approaches from the world of mental wellness, for the benefit of people who stutter

- Apps to consider

- Looking ahead, hopes for the future

NOTES

• Michael digs into the integration of mindfulness and meditation into behavioral therapy practice. 

• He takes our viewers on a simple breathing exercise involving the ring of a bell that is used in dialectical behavior therapy. We can release avoidance, relieve stress, and open-up.  

• Michael sheds light on the misconceptions of psychotherapy.

• Michael brings personal experience and professional perspective - sharing ways forward in how we treat stuttering and help people open up to be more present and manifest effective communication.

• Michael invites us to consider new angles in how we treat stuttering and help people.  

• Michael opens windows for us to benefit from behavioral health approaches, including elements of ACT (Acceptance Commitment Therapy), CBT (Cognitive Behavior Therapy), DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy), and more.

• Michael expands on the relationship between emotions, communication, and comfortability.

• Michael talks about advocating for mental health, and self-care especially for those who stutter.

• Michael talks about ideas for the future: more awareness in the education system, diversity, and inclusion in the workforce.

• Michael brings up ways the stuttering/mental health community can change and better advocate for those who don’t have a voice.

GUEST BIO

Michael Sugarman has been an activist in the stuttering and disability communities since the 1970s. He was co-founder and former Executive Director of the National Stuttering Project and former chair of the International Stuttering Association. Michael wrote for academic journals and promoted people-first language and stuttering awareness in “It’s Ok to Stutter” (Journal of Fluency Disorders) and the Perniciousness of Labels (Transactional Analysis Journal). As a medical social worker, he recently updated his children’s book, The Adventures of Phil and Dotty. Michael currently co-facilitates a peer support group and is co-writing an article on peer and professional facilitation of support groups, emphasizing mindfulness communication, self-care skills, and resilience.

Resources and Links

Michael Sugarman: A Self-Help Stuttering Pioneer (Stuttertalk Podcast)

Overview and Brief History of the National Stuttering Association

Exploring Mindfulness Stuttering Language

Upcoming events

HOST BIO

Uri Schneider, M.A. CCC -SLP passionately explores and develops practical ways for us to create our own success story. Delivering personalized experiences of communication care informed by leading professionals and influencers, Uri is re-imagining the next-level of speech-language therapy for people to benefit in real life.
Uri Schneider, M.A. CCC -SLP is co-founder and leader at Schneider Speech Pathology and faculty at the University of California, Riverside School of Medicine.