Mindfulness training for adults who stutter : an overview for speech-language pathologists

Over the span of 2,500 years, mindfulness techniques have transformed from being purely Buddhist mediation practices to secular therapeutic interventions. Mindfulness training has been adopted by a variety of healthcare and educational professionals for increasing psychological, emotional, and physical well-being. Speech-language pathologists have recognized that psychological and emotional well-being can be an important factor when implementing speech and language intervention with people who stutter. Mindfulness practice can result in decreased avoidance, increased emotional regulation, and acceptance, in addition to improved sensory-perceptual processing and attentional regulation skills. Increasingly, mindfulness based strategies are being employed by speech-language pathologists, particularly with regard to stuttering treatment. This report will provide an overview of mindfulness based techniques used by speech-language pathologists with adults who stutter including: the relationship between stuttering and mindfulness, assessment and treatment of stuttering, the benefits of mindfulness for adults who stutter, and considerations for future research.