As a person who stutters, I've undergone a couple of speech therapies myself. I've seen people succeed and fail (the latter being more common). While I improved after taking my speech therapy back in the day, I couldn’t say I got free from stuttering. In hindsight, I think I understand why.

Now, I’m trying to help other people who stutter and go through the same struggles I did. This is the insight from two perspectives: a person who stutters (both failing and succeeding in getting free from stuttering) and a person who tries to help others. Not just informing, explaining, and showing, but working face-to-face in the trenches. Thanks so much to those who joined my courses and programs — you've helped me understand stuttering and the process of getting free from stuttering much better.

So, the three steps.

Step # 1 - Understanding your body and speaking box

Our speaking box just follows what our entire body is saying. I probably need to add our mind and emotional state, but I really don't want to separate mind from body. For me here, it's just one whole.

I say 'body' because that's what we feel so tangibly. We want to experience the joy of speaking, feeling relaxed, confident, and present in the moment, connecting with the person in front of us.

There are many ways how we can do that. I'm sharing one in the video. I call it a "balloon exercise." You inflate like a balloon and then deflate letting air out without any pressure, relaxing. Then you put some sounds and words on top of that air. So it's one breathing out with something that you say in a relaxing way.

For some people, this understanding becomes the way to freedom from stuttering. Emily Blunt with her acting, for example.

If you take an acting class or course, you'll discover that acting perfectly encompasses understanding your body and speaking box: relaxation, tension release, meditation, presence, awareness, mindfulness, singing, dancing, fitness, expression, articulation, and a bunch of other things. Sorry if I missed something.

Step # 2 - Eliminating speech impediments

I (probably like most of us) am a very objective person. That means I want to see the result now. If I don't see it's working now, I don't believe it and lose interest. I lack patience.

So, that means I (and probably many of you too) need some tool, some way, some technique how to get through speech impediments. How to know for sure that I can say what I want on my terms (for most of you I guess it means to say it fluently).

There are many ways how we can do that. From whisper and shouting to singing and rhythmical speaking. Not all of those ways by far can be used in real life settings effectively. Not all of those ways create a new speaking pattern either.

I'm on a journey of discovering various ways how we can do it. The best way I've found so far is synchronizing our speaking with pressing fingers on the thigh and using this training speech openly.

In the video, I demonstrate how we can 'extract' sounds using our fingers.

Step # 3 - Going live with your technique

That's the hardest thing.

Like when you learn to drive a car you don't drive fast the first time. You start slow. So our training speech is slower that our regular choppy and fast speaking. It takes courage to face fear and play (speak) on your terms.

Again, not sure which stuttering technique you choose to use. Talking about using hand, we try to make it close to regular speaking by giving colors, adding intonations, and putting several sounds on each finger. The idea is to restore the structure of your natural speaking, yet the training speech might still feel like it's slower than our "regular" speaking.

The best thing about this hand method that it builds up your new muscle memory, your body "gets it" that you can say whatever you want without speech impediments. You start feeling it, and you want to experience that again and again, conquering new situations and settings, expanding your "land" further.

As you build your confidence, you realize that you've built a new automated pattern, and you don't need your hand technique anymore. You enjoy speaking and social interactions. You feel present and you feel that you belong here. You can say that you got free from stuttering..

Do it yourself

By "do it yourself" I mean you need to take ownership for the whole process of getting free from stuttering. It's not like going to the dentist. It's like playing a team game.

When you "do it yourself" you realize that you need to get out of your shell and not do it alone. Because speaking at its core involves somebody else, it's about connecting with other people. It's always situational.

So, you're the founder of this project. Take full ownership. And don't do it alone.