An Overview of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Strategies for Stuttering

Abstract

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a psychotherapeutic approach that aims to solve problems concerning dysfunctional emotions, behaviors and cognitions through a systematic procedure. CBT is based on the idea that distorted thoughts cause distressed feelings and behaviors, and the purpose is to straighten out the distorted thoughts in order to change distressed feelings and behaviors to be positive. CBT was first introduced in the area of stuttering therapy in the early 1970s but became popular in the mid-1990s, when multifactorial models of stuttering were developed. Mostly, CBT is used for individuals who have negative thoughts, emotions, attitudes and/or behaviors toward stuttering. The theory is particularly well developed in the case of depression, where individuals frequently experience unduly negative thoughts which arise automatically even in response to stimuli which might otherwise be experienced as positive. However, like stuttering, distorted emotions, behaviors and cognitions toward stuttering are learned behaviors from stuttering core behaviors. Therefore, CBT may not be applicable to the type of therapies that only aim to reduce or eliminate stuttering core behaviors. In the future, it will be critical to conduct systematic research to investigate the efficacy of CBT for people who stutter, specifically the relationship between change of the distorted thoughts and core and/or secondary behaviors of stuttering.