My Three Most Powerful Affirmations for Stuttering Recovery

As we should all know by now, auto-suggestion and self-hypnosis are vital parts of the self-cure process used in stuttering therapy. These tools not only help improve speech but also enhance other areas of life. As neuroscientist Alex Korb, PhD, explained, to stop stuttering we must create a new habit—and that requires repetition until the brain rewires itself. This principle is the foundation of auto-suggestion as described by Émile Coué, the father of modern auto-suggestion. Put simply, an auto-suggestion treatment (AST) involves relaxing the body and mind as much as possible, then repeating a series of affirmations at least twenty times each. Repetition is the key. The most repeated thought becomes the predominant one. In essence, we are reprogramming our minds on purpose—training them to work for us, not against us.

The main difference between auto-suggestion and self-hypnosis is that auto-suggestion works through the conscious mind before reaching the subconscious, while self-hypnosis sends affirmations directly to the subconscious. Both, however, can use the same affirmations. When I was first undergoing speech therapy, all my affirmations were focused on speech improvement. There is a very helpful list of affirmations in Lee’s books, “Stuttering & Anxiety Self-Cures” and “Speech Anxiety to Public Speaking.” Now, as a person who has stopped stuttering (PWSS), only a few of my affirmations are related to speech; most focus on personal growth and mindset.

Currently, my three favorite affirmations are:

– Every day, in every way, my speech gets better and better. (An adaptation of one of Émile Coué’s most famous affirmations.)

– Every day, I plan less and less words.

– Today I’m going to make a happy day.

A few weeks ago, one of my colleagues, Prathusha, shared a brilliant metaphor during a coaching session that captures the importance of daily auto-suggestion and self-hypnosis. She said the Crutches work like a pill—they relieve the pain. But ASTs are like surgery—they remove the root cause of the problem. That comparison couldn’t be more accurate, and it applies to any personal challenge we want to overcome. It’s important to remember that the effects of ASTs and self-hypnosis may not be immediate, but they do work. When I began using self-hypnosis, it took around three weeks before I started noticing real changes, and they were quite powerful. So, don’t be discouraged if you don’t see results right away. Persistence is the key to success.