Turning Stuttering Into Strength: Empowering Voices and Challenging Stigma

James Burden explores the journey from stuttering to self-acceptance, challenging stigma and shedding light on how creating safe spaces empowers professionals to transform difference into strength and foster genuine inclusion.

In this episode of The Inclusion Bites Podcast, Joanne Lockwood is joined by James Burden to unravel the stigma around stuttering and challenge the status quo on fluent speech. The conversation explores how perceptions of speech difference can affect inclusion and professional aspirations, especially when societal expectations drive shame and self-censorship. Joanne and James reflect on their own experiences with public speaking anxiety, emphasising that the pressure to be word-perfect is often self-imposed and rarely noticed by audiences. Through warm anecdotes and honest discussion, listeners are encouraged to reframe stuttering not as a flaw or disorder but as a natural speech variation that need not be hidden or apologised for.

James Burden is a speech language pathologist hailing from Vancouver, currently residing in Mexico while travelling the world to deepen his understanding of human communication. As the founder of Stuttering Blueprint, James empowers professionals who stutter to embrace their authentic voice and speak with confidence. Drawing on years of clinical experience and the latest research into stuttering as neurodivergence, he advocates for support that goes far beyond techniques for fluency—focusing instead on dismantling internalised shame and fostering genuine self-acceptance. His approach combines evidence-based methods such as the Camperdown programme with acceptance commitment therapy, helping individuals re-order their values and melt away the "stuttering iceberg" of negative self-judgement.

Joanne and James probe into the myths surrounding stuttering, illuminate the harmful effects of secrecy and silence, and discuss practical approaches for listeners—whether they stutter or not—to engage empathetically in conversations. The episode highlights how small changes in mindset and environment can transform personal and professional lives for those who stutter, and underscores the importance of not sidelining voices that break with convention.

A key takeaway from this episode is the call to release the pressure for perfection and embrace authenticity in speech. Listeners will discover actionable insights into supporting colleagues and loved ones with speech differences and, above all, will be reminded that inclusion truly means celebrating the full richness of human communication. Tune in to be inspired to listen more deeply, dismantle stigma, and make space for every voice at the table.

 

Published: 17.10.2025

Recorded: 08.04.2025

Duration: 0:57:23

 

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  AI Extracts and Interpretations
  
  


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  The Inclusion Bites Podcast - #179 Stuttering Without Apology
  — app.castmagic.io
  


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  Other Links
  
  


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  SEE Change Happen: The Inclusive Culture Experts
  — seechangehappen.co.uk
  


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  Inclusion Bites Podcast on YouTube
  

Clips and Timestamps

The Power of Belonging: “Remember, everyone not only belongs, but thrives.”

— James Burden [00:00:26 → 00:00:29 ]

Travel Mishaps: “it took like 30 seconds to get into Mexico and it took about three hours to get back out again through border control.”

— James Burden [00:03:09 → 00:03:14 ]

Stigma and Speech Impairment: “what we have is this stigma and is there an opposite of normalisation, denormalization, where you’re in society and society treats you less fairly because of that speech impairment difference and you’re hyper aware that you don’t want to feel foolish, come across foolish.”

— James Burden [00:25:34 → 00:25:55 ]

Viral Topic: The Prevalence of Speech Artefacts

Quote: “I know I speak and I often repeat a word as thinking time. So I would go I, I, I or and, and, and, and I would have those kind of artefacts in the way I speak. And I often when I’m reviewing the transcript I see the words stacked up and I think well that was me revving up for the next sentence if you like.”

— James Burden [00:35:23 → 00:35:43 ]

Struggling with Certain Words: “One of them is championing. I just, I really struggle with that word and I sometimes I find myself heading down this one way street and that word’s definitely on the horizon. I’m thinking, blimey, I’m going to crash into that in a minute.”

— James Burden [00:37:51 → 00:38:03 ]

Overcoming Perfectionism in Public Speaking: “And I think once I stopped being hung up about being word perfect on every sentence, I realised that nobody cares or nobody notices.”

— James Burden [00:38:58 → 00:39:08 ]

Viral Topic: The Hidden Struggles of Public Reading: “I used to be really paranoid about standing up, reading out loud, knowing I would lose track of where I was in the sentence or not be able to come up the next word properly.”

— James Burden [00:44:56 → 00:45:05 ]

Overcoming Stage Fright: “And then I realised that it was Just false statements going on in my head. I learned that all these, all this negative down talk was made up and I think it just became. I overcame that self fulfilling prophecy with a new story and became a new self fulfilling prophecy that it was okay.”

— James Burden [00:46:39 → 00:46:58 ]

Trusting Your Instincts on Stage: “I knew that whatever came out my mouth first was gonna make sense, the audience were gonna be drawn in and it would work.”

— James Burden [00:47:46 → 00:48:31 ]

Viral Topic: Why We Always Search For Ourselves In Group Photos: “the first reaction everyone’s going to do with that photograph is find themselves and worry about them.”

— James Burden [00:51:54 → 00:51:58 ]

Definition of Terms Used

What is Prolonged Speech?

• Definition: Prolonged speech is a fluency shaping technique that involves speaking in a slow, continuous, and connected manner to facilitate smoother speech and reduce the frequency of stuttering events.


• Relevance: This approach is foundational to modern stuttering therapy, enabling individuals to develop a new pattern of speech that is less prone to disfluency, especially under pressure.


• Examples: Practising extremely slow, flowy speech as an exercise, then gradually increasing speed whilst maintaining fluency; programmes like Camperdown employ this method.


• Related Terms: Fluency Shaping, Camperdown Programme, Speech Motor Control


• Common Misconceptions: Prolonged speech is sometimes mistaken for robotic or unnatural speech, but with practice, it can become natural-sounding and effective for reducing stuttering in everyday contexts.

What is the Stuttering Iceberg?

• Definition: The stuttering iceberg is a conceptual model highlighting how the observable aspects of stuttering (speech blocks, repetitions, and physical signs) are just the ‘tip of the iceberg,’ while the more significant, hidden components (anxiety, shame, self-judgement, and avoidance) lie beneath the surface.


• Relevance: Recognising the iceberg model broadens the therapeutic focus from mere speech mechanics to emotional and psychological dimensions, making interventions far more holistic and impactful for lasting change.


• Examples: A person may appear to stutter only occasionally, but privately experience deep anxiety, shame, or avoidance of speaking situations, all fuelled by internalised stigma.


• Related Terms: Internalised Stigma, Avoidance Behaviours, Self-Esteem, Joseph Sheehan (developer of the iceberg model)


• Common Misconceptions: Many believe stuttering is only what is heard, failing to appreciate the profound emotional impact and mental effort involved for the speaker.

What is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) in Speech Therapy?

• Definition: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a psychological interventio