A personal construct psychology view of relapse: indications for a narrative therapy component to stuttering treatment

Relapse following treatment for stuttering is a common problem for many clients. It has often been suggested that one factor contributing to relapse is the client's difficulty in adjusting to a new role as a fluent speaker. In this tutorial article, we first present a personal construct view of relapse, which suggests that this difficulty may be addressed by increasing the meaningfulness of the fluent speaker role for the speaker. Section 3 proposes that post-treatment success for persons who stutter may be facilitated by the use of a narrative approach to counseling in which the meaningfulness of the fluent speaker role is elaborated. In this approach, clients are guided through a process of deconstructing their stuttering-dominated personal narrative, followed by the reconstruction of an alternative narrative that is more compatible with being a fluent speaker. EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES: The reader will (1) learn about a personal construct psychology perspective on resistance and relapse in stuttering therapy, (2) be able to describe a narrative approach to counseling for people who stutter that is directed toward the long-term maintenance of fluent speech and the steps of deconstruction of the dominant stuttering narrative and reconstruction of a new, more fluent personal narrative, and (3) be able to prepare a series of narrative interview questions with which to engage clients in conversations that may facilitate the deconstruction and reconstruction processes.