Historically, in the field of stuttering, ‘relapse’ has narrowly been associated with fluctuations in physical stuttering behavior and seen as a ‘set-back’ or regression in therapeutic progress, rather than a multifaceted, integral part of the process of change. This presentation will review literature surrounding relapse, discuss the process of change through the lens of the transtheoretical model, explore the clinical journeys of school-age children who stutter and their caregivers over a one-year period from the Michael Palin Centre, and support the shift in perspective to view ‘relapse’ as something to lean into, rather than move away from within a holistic, individualized process of change. 
 
Learning Outcomes:
Participants will:
1.     Understand the historical context of ‘relapse’ and stuttering.
2.     Explore relapse as a part of the transtheoretical model of change.
3.     Explore clinical data demonstrating that relapse is a part of the change process.
4.     Learn more about how to support and better equip clients and their families to experience and lean into fluctuations within the change process and reconstrue them as a challenge and opportunity.

Target audience: speech-language pathologists and graduate students   
 
Bios: 
Ali Berquez is Clinical Lead at the Michael Palin Centre in London. She works clinically with clients of all ages who stammer and/ or clutter, including adults. As a qualified practitioner in CBT and SFBT, Ali integrates these methods into her clinical work. Ali is an experienced teacher and trainer who regularly delivers courses in the UK and internationally (including the Stuttering Foundation’s annual Eastern Workshop in Boston). She is involved in writing, offering clinical supervision, and contributing to research projects. Ali is Chair of the UK’s National Stammering Clinical Excellence Network, part of the scientific committee for the Oxford Dysfluency Conference and a certified European Stuttering Specialist.

Sara MacIntyre, M.A., CCC-SLP is the Director of Programs for Stuttering Foundation where she hosts both the Stuttering Foundation Podcast as well as the monthly webinar series Virtual Learning by Stuttering Foundation. Sara has a private practice in Philadelphia, YouSpeak Stuttering Therapy, where she works with individuals of all ages who stutter. In addition, she is an Adjunct instructor at Teachers College, Columbia University and serves as a board member for FRIENDS: The National Association of Young People Who Stutter.