Biography
I grew up in Essex, the youngest of three, and developed a stammer around the age of 6. My older brother David also stammers. One of my earliest memories is of being extremely distressed by not being able to get my words out, and my parents helping me by getting me to read aloud from ‘Boy’ by Roald Dahl.
I was an unusual kid. My stammer was accompanied by a facial tic, and I became obsessed by the different sounds of language (short sharp sounds like b, g, and k were difficult for me, whereas long hissy ones like f, s and sh were easy). As a result, I would happily sit on my own in class making strange noises in the back of my throat instead of talking with other kids.
I concealed my stammer throughout primary school, despite it causing me a huge amount of anxiety. Nevertheless, I was quite bright and was put forward for the 11 Plus exam to get into grammar school. When I heard there was a speaking part to the exam, I was struck with fear due to my stammer, and withdrew. So, I went to the local comprehensive instead, which was fine. But still, I guess things could have been different.
As a teenager, a combination of acne and an embarrassing hormone disorder soon overtook any concerns I had about my speech. I got teased for the way I spoke, but I was just glad I wasn’t being teased for any of the other things. I tried my best to fit in but was always a bit of a ‘misfit’. I was still very interested in language.
I did my undergraduate degree in Linguistics at the University of East Anglia - I loved it, and got a First. Modules included Phonetics, Phonology, Sociolinguistics, Psycholinguistics, Morphology & Syntax, Computational Linguistics, and Dialectology. I still use an awful lot of what I learnt at UEA in my therapy to this day. My final-year dissertation was on the changing accent of Norwich, and involved going into schools and interviewing kids, and then transcribing their speech.
I then did my postgraduate degree in Clinical Communication Studies at the University of Sheffield, qualifying as a Speech and Language Therapist in 2012. It’s known for being one of the best courses in the UK for Speech Therapy, and offers a wide range of clinical placements working with adults and children. My dissertation was titled ‘Efficacy of Altered Auditory Feedback Devices in the Treatment of Developmental Stammering in Adults’
My first job as a Speech Therapist was in Russia, where I went to work for a family over the summer. I also got sent to Egypt to fix a lisp, and ended up going to Cairo every Saturday to work on this lisp. As a result, I’m pretty handy with lisps too.
The next few years were spent working for London Speech Therapy, a large independent clinic, where I took on all stammering referrals and worked my way up to become clinical lead for Dysfluency. I underwent additional training at the world-class Michael Palin Centre for Stammering Children and City Lit, and went independent in 2018. I now work at No.2 Harley Street, and live in Greenwich with my wife Liz and our Cocker Spaniel, Maggie.