My name is Dhanuj. I am 27 years old and originally from India. From what I can remember, my stuttering began early in life, around the age of four. At that time, I struggled with blocking on almost 80 to 90% of my words. Even when speaking to my parents, I would block frequently. Stuttering for me primarily took the form of blocking, and it was a constant challenge throughout my childhood.
I had undergone speech therapy in the past, but the methods I was exposed to did not help me. In fact, they made me more nervous and anxious. For example, I was often asked to read aloud, and whenever I encountered a stutter, I was told to restart from the beginning. This process only increased my frustration and sense of failure rather than building my confidence.
In my pursuit to find a genuine solution, I discovered Coach Lee’s audiobook in 2020. That was the first time I felt that there could be a way forward for me. Then, in October 2024, I was overjoyed to learn that the author of the audiobook had an entire program called the World Stop Stuttering Academy (WSSA). Soon after, I watched a YouTube video of Prathusha, a Certified Stuttering Specialist (CSS). I saw how she spoke fluently, and I also viewed her earlier videos where she spoke very fast and stuttered. Her transformation was truly inspiring, and it motivated me to join the WSSA program.
Initially, I wanted to set up a consultation call with Prathusha, but she was on maternity leave at the time. Instead, I was asked to take the consultation with Coach Danny, and the experience was truly amazing. Although I had listened to Coach Lee’s audiobook before, joining WSSA through the Stop Stuttering app and attending practice sessions completely transformed my perspective. I particularly enjoyed the daily practice section where I could create my own positive affirmations, which gave me motivation and consistency in my practice.
Like many people who stutter, I had carried many fears with me. A few months ago, I experienced a stuttering incident at work while speaking to a client. I blocked, and to force myself out of the block, I moved my hand in an oscillatory motion. That incident was humiliating and made me realize that I needed to work much harder on applying the Speech Plan. Although I knew the plan conceptually, I struggled to apply it consistently in real situations. Attending crutch practice sessions helped me immensely in learning how to use crutches in real-time conversations. Practicing in a group setup with a CSS monitoring us gave me practical skills and confidence. Since that incident, I have not experienced a humiliating block, though I continue to work on improving my choppy speech.
Recently, CSS Prathusha arranged a private session with me. She told me that I am now a PWSS (Person Who Stopped Stuttering), since I had gone more than four weeks without a bad incident. She also guided me into the next stage of the program: battling fear. She explained that fear is not stuttering, and to overcome it, I need to talk less, speak in short increments of four to five words, and then come to a stop. I am very determined to implement this Speech Plan diligently, even in situations where I might feel I don’t need it. I have noticed that whenever I fully focus on the Speech Plan, my speech is fluent. The challenge is in continuously applying it until it becomes second nature.
Overall, my speech today is so much better than before. I have not had a humiliating stuttering incident in over a month. I now know how to avoid holding back my speech and how to speak fluently with confidence. I would like to sincerely thank CSS Prathusha for her guidance, CSS Danny for the on-boarding call, Coach Lee for creating the best platform there is to eradicate the bad habit of stuttering, and the entire WSSA community for creating a program that truly works. This journey has been transformative, and I look forward to continuing my progress as I build a future free from stuttering fears.
“If you can change yourself, you can change the world.”
Dhanuj, September 2025