What is City Lit?

City Lit is a college of adult education in central London. The speech therapy department, well-known as a centre of excellence in stammering therapy, is dedicated to working with people who stammer. Led by a team of highly experienced speech and language therapists (two of whom stammer), we offer a range of day-time and evening courses.

What kind of approach do you use?

We believe strongly that it's important to work on both the physical and emotional aspects of stammering. For some time, our main approach has been block modification therapy, which has two main aims:

1. To help people become less sensitive and more open about stammering

2. For people to learn strategies to speak with less tension, by changing the way they stammer

Research indicates that for many people who stammer, intensive work on their speech is very effective. For this reason we offer five to six intensive courses each year, where students attend every day from 10am to 4pm for a maximum of three weeks. More recently we have introduced some cognitive therapy elements into our courses where students identify and challenge the negative thoughts which influence the way they view themselves and their stammer.

What is the new City Lit course about?

'to use any type of fluency technique in the everyday world, people who stammer first have to become less sensitive and more open to stammering'

Our new integrated intensive course is the first time we are combining what we do already with a fluency shaping technique called vocal fold management. We recognise that block modification has been very helpful to many people, but will be of use to more people who stammer by offering an additional fluency tool.

The same amount of time is spent on the block modification part and the fluency shaping technique part. We believe that in order to use any type of fluency technique in the everyday world, people who stammer first have to become less sensitive and more open to stammering so that at moments of high stress they can put the fluency technique into practice rather than revert to what they've always done. We hope that at the end of the course they'll have a variety of 'tools' - they choose whichever one is most appropriate in any given situation. (See New building, new approach for a more detailed description of the new course.)

What is vocal fold management?

At a physical level, many experts believe the core of the stuttering block is at the level of vocal folds (cords), which often tighten or close up during moments of stammering. People who stammer may experience a feeling of 'stuckness' or tightness in their throat. The aim of vocal fold management is to develop an awareness and sense of control and management of your vocal folds. The by-product of this natural muscular co-ordination is fluency in speech.

What other kinds of courses do you offer?

We offer courses for people who have had very little therapy and for people who would like to develop their skills in a particular area. For example, we run day-time and evening short courses on presentation skills, using the telephone with confidence, coaching skills, feelings and stammering and Speaking Circles.

We have a unique course for people with an interiorised stammer (that is people who have a lot of natural fluency, use avoidance strategies to conceal the fact they stammer and have strong negative feelings towards stammering). These evening courses are always very popular and help people to become more open about stammering and less fearful of it and learn strategies to manage it.

How much is the success of any City Lit course dependent on the commitment of the student?

Success depends largely on the commitment of the student as it's very much the responsibility of the person who stammers to make changes. We are here to support, educate, encourage and empower. We find that with the right support in place, and a lot of motivation and hard work, the people who come on our courses can make significant changes.

More information: see our City Lit page for courses, articles and City Lit website.

From the Spring 2005 edition of Speaking Out

See also:
Adult therapy and courses
Telephone self-help groups