The McGuire Programme

The McGuire Programme 🌟 Welcome to The McGuire Programme! 🌟 We are the largest self-help group for people who stutter/stammer.
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Our support network is here to help you go beyond stuttering. Join us for our next course and start your journey to confident communication! For further information about The McGuire Programme, you can contact our local Regional Directors who are listed on our website: https://www.mcguireprogramme.com/stuttering-regional-directors/

🏆 The Time He Gave: Remembering Alan RogersSome people leave their mark through what they achieve. Others leave it throu...
08/30/2026

🏆 The Time He Gave: Remembering Alan Rogers

Some people leave their mark through what they achieve. Others leave it through what they give to other people.

Alan Rogers gave a great deal.

Alan was a much-loved member of The McGuire Programme who worked incredibly hard to gain control over his own stutter and then became passionate about helping others do the same. His knowledge of the Programme was extraordinary, but what really set Alan apart was the generosity with which he shared it.

For me, the memories are particularly personal.

Although Alan and I never actually met in person, for around three years we were the two constants at our online McGuire Coffee Morning. Neither of us missed a session.

More than 400 Coffee Mornings together.

We talked about stuttering, coaching and the Programme, of course but also life and, quite often, all things wonderful and weird. Alan also delivered workshops for the Coffee Morning community, generously sharing that incredible depth of knowledge with others.

He always had time for people.

Now his name will live on through a wonderful new tradition: the Alan Rogers McGuire Programme Table Topics Challenge Trophy. 🏆

The inaugural competition took place recently in the UK, with members putting their speaking skills into action, thinking on their feet, dealing with the unexpected and speaking with control.

And congratulations to Charlotte, the very first winner of Alan's trophy! 👏🏼

I've written more about Alan, those 400+ mornings, what he meant to so many of us and why I think this trophy is such a fitting tribute.

Alan is sadly missed but his name, his contribution and the time he gave to others won't be forgotten.

👉 Read the full story: https://www.mcguireprogramme.com/the-time-he-gave-remembering-alan-rogers/

Are people seeing the real you or the version of you that stuttering and avoidance have created?You’re sitting in a meet...
08/26/2026

Are people seeing the real you or the version of you that stuttering and avoidance have created?

You’re sitting in a meeting with something to say.

You want to contribute. You know what you want to say. But you anticipate a block, so your hand stays down.

To everyone else, perhaps you appear quiet, shy, withdrawn or disengaged.

But that isn’t necessarily who you are.

The intention was there. The behaviour wasn’t.

And that gap can appear everywhere.

Changing a word because it’s difficult to say.
Avoiding a telephone call.
Keeping an answer short.
Not introducing yourself.
Letting somebody else speak.
Saying “I don’t mind” instead of saying what you actually want.

Over time, these behaviours can affect not only how we communicate, but how other people perceive us.

Our latest blog looks at stuttering, avoidance and self-actualisation, the relationship between who you really are and how you present yourself to the world.

The McGuire Programme approach isn't about waiting until you feel confident enough.

We change the behaviour.

Put your hand up. Make the call. Say the difficult word. Disclose rather than conceal. Use your techniques. Counteract the block. Enter the situations you've previously avoided.

Because the goal isn't to manufacture a different personality.

It's to stop fear, avoidance and old speaking behaviours from hiding the person who was already there.

👉 Read: “Are People Seeing the Real You? Stuttering, Avoidance and Self-Actualisation”

BLOG LINK https://www.mcguireprogramme.com/stuttering-avoidance-self-actualisation/

Another intensive course completed and another 11 new students taking a major step towards changing the way they speak a...
08/22/2026

Another intensive course completed and another 11 new students taking a major step towards changing the way they speak and communicate. 👏

Over several demanding days in Reading, these 11 new students faced situations many had spent years fearing or avoiding. They learned new physical and psychological tools, challenged old speaking habits, spoke to strangers, pushed outside their comfort zones and began putting those tools into action in the real world.

The aim isn't simply to get through a course. It's to begin building greater control, confidence and freedom in communication and to continue doing the work long after the final day.

A huge thank you to the graduates and coaches who travelled to Reading to support the new students while continuing to work on their own speech. That ongoing support network, people who have been through the same process and continue to challenge themselves is a huge part of what makes The McGuire Programme different.

Nick and Victoria proved to be a fantastic instructing partnership, while Morgan took on the considerable task of organising the course and delivered every step of the way.

Missed the course in Reading, UK? There are more opportunities to take that first step around the world in 2026. 🌍

Upcoming McGuire Programme intensives include:

🇦🇺 Melbourne, Australia - 10–13 September
🇩🇪 Düsseldorf, Germany - 15–17 October
🇺🇸 🇨🇦 USA & Canada Online Intensive - 22–24 October
🇮🇪 Ireland - 28–31 October
🇬🇧 Newcastle, UK - 18–22 November

Our courses are intensive for a reason. Changing long-established speaking behaviours requires more than information, it requires action, commitment, repetition and support.

Whether you've been stuttering for a few years or most of your life, you don't have to keep doing the same things and hoping something changes.

Do something about it.

View the international course schedule and find the course that works for you:

www.mcguireprogramme.com/stutter-course-schedule/

Or send us a DM and we'll put you in touch with someone who has been through the Programme themselves.

Human Connection Matters More Than EverWe live in a world where it has never been easier to communicate without actually...
08/19/2026

Human Connection Matters More Than Ever

We live in a world where it has never been easier to communicate without actually speaking to another person.

Send a message instead of making the call.
Use the self-checkout instead of ordering.
Stay behind the screen instead of starting the conversation.

For people who stutter, technology didn't create avoidance but it can make avoidance much easier.

And that's something we need to be aware of.

At The McGuire Programme, we actively work to counteract the physical and psychological behaviours of stuttering: the blocks, freezing, panic, word substitution, tricks, holding back and avoidance.

Then we take that work into the real world.

☎️ Make the call.
🗣️ Ask the question.
💬 Start the conversation.
🎯 Tackle the difficult word.
👥 Speak to the person in front of you.

Being open and honest about your stutter doesn't mean accepting being controlled by it. It means acknowledging where you are while doing the work to change where you're going.

As AI and technology become an even bigger part of our lives, genuine human connection may become more important than ever.

Don't outsource your voice.

Read our latest blog:
Human Connection Matters More Than Ever
https://www.mcguireprogramme.com/human-connection-matters-more-than-ever/

🌎 NO McGUIRE PROGRAMME COURSE NEAR YOU? JOIN US ONLINE.Our next McGuire Programme Intensive Online Course takes place 22...
08/19/2026

🌎 NO McGUIRE PROGRAMME COURSE NEAR YOU? JOIN US ONLINE.

Our next McGuire Programme Intensive Online Course takes place 22–24 October 2026, hosted by our USA & Canada region and delivered live via Zoom.

And you don't have to live in the USA or Canada to take part.

If you're within approximately five hours either side of the course time zone and the schedule works for you, you're welcome to enquire about joining us from wherever you are in the world.

This is not a webinar or a course where you simply sit and watch.

It's an intensive, interactive McGuire Programme course for people who stutter, learning and putting into practice the physical and psychological tools we use to take greater control of our speech and become better communicators.

You'll train alongside people who understand stuttering because we stutter too and are all actively doing something about it together.

📅 22–24 October 2026
💻 Live online via Zoom
🇺🇸🇨🇦 Hosted by McGuire USA & Canada
🌍 International participants welcome where time zones allow

If distance, travel or location has prevented you from attending a McGuire Programme course before, this could be your opportunity.

Be open. Be honest. Do the work. Become the best communicator you can be.

Find out more and enquire about joining:
https://www.mcguireprogramme.com/course/overcome-stuttering-with-the-mcguire-programme-online-course-for-the-usa-canada-2/

BACK TO SCHOOL. BACK TO SPEAKING.For many people, going back to school, college or university means new classes, new rou...
08/19/2026

BACK TO SCHOOL. BACK TO SPEAKING.

For many people, going back to school, college or university means new classes, new routines and catching up with friends.

But when you stutter, it can also bring a whole range of speaking situations that other people may barely think about.

“How was your summer?”

Saying your name.
Introducing yourself to a new class.
Meeting new teachers or lecturers.
Seeing people you haven't spoken to for months.
Answering a question.
Reading aloud.
Meeting someone new.
Speaking up in a group.

These are everyday conversations, but for someone who stutters, the anticipation can sometimes begin long before the actual words.

You might rehearse what you're going to say. Change a word. Keep an answer short. Hope nobody asks you a question. Avoid someone in the corridor. Or stay quiet even though you have something to say.

Those situations are real. The fear and anticipation around them can be real too.

At The McGuire Programme, we believe in being open and honest about your stutter, while at the same time doing the work on yourself to become the best communicator you can be.

That means not hiding or pretending the struggle isn't there but also not standing still.

We train. We develop our speaking skills. We challenge old habits. We support each other. We make phone calls. We practise introductions. We face difficult words and difficult situations. And we take what we learn out into the real world.

Because becoming a better communicator doesn't happen by continually organising your life around the conversations you want to avoid.

It happens by learning how to face them.

So if you're returning to school, college or university and you're worried about speaking, remember that you don't have to face it alone.

There is a worldwide community of people who stutter who understand those moments because we've lived them too.

We help you to be open.and to be honest. By Doing the work to keep improving.

And keep working towards becoming the best communicator you can be.

🇬🇧 THE WORK CONTINUES IN READING!Right now, 11 new students are taking part in The McGuire Programme Intensive Course in...
08/15/2026

🇬🇧 THE WORK CONTINUES IN READING!

Right now, 11 new students are taking part in The McGuire Programme Intensive Course in Reading, UK, supported by a large team of returning members and coaches.

The first part of an intensive course focuses heavily on the physical side of stuttering, introducing new students to costal breathing and the physical techniques we use to help them gain greater control of their speech.

But learning the tools is only the beginning.

Over the course, our new students take those skills out of the training room and into the real world, challenging old habits, confronting situations they may have avoided and beginning the work of changing the way they approach speaking.

And if you were thinking about joining us this summer but missed Reading in the UK, you haven't missed your opportunity.

🌍 Our international course schedule continues throughout the rest of 2026, with our next intensive beginning as soon as August 20, followed by further courses in Australia, Germany, Ireland and the UK.

All McGuire Programme intensives follow the same training structure and principles.

Choose the course you can attend.

👉 See our upcoming international course schedule via the link in bio.

Clarity Comes With Space.The space between stimulus and response.For someone who stutters, that space can make a huge di...
08/13/2026

Clarity Comes With Space.
The space between stimulus and response.

For someone who stutters, that space can make a huge difference.

The space to pause.
The space to breathe.
The space to choose how you respond instead of automatically reacting to the fear, tension or anticipation of stuttering.

But creating that space takes more than understanding the idea. It takes action, training and practice in the real world.

From 15–17 October 2026, The McGuire Programme returns to Düsseldorf, Germany for our next 3-Day Intensive Course.

Over three days, people who stutter will work alongside experienced members, learning physical and psychological tools and, importantly, putting them into action outside the course training room.

Not waiting until you feel ready.
Not waiting for the fear to disappear.
Learning to act differently when it matters.

If stuttering has been influencing what you say, what you avoid, or the opportunities you take, October could be the time to do something about it.

📍 Düsseldorf, Germany
📅 15–17 October 2026
🗣️ 3-Day Intensive Course for people who stutter

Beyond Stuttering with The McGuire Programme.

It's never too late to take the first step.Living with a stutter can shape the choices we make for years, avoiding conve...
07/14/2026

It's never too late to take the first step.

Living with a stutter can shape the choices we make for years, avoiding conversations, holding back our opinions, or letting fear decide what we can and cannot do.

But change is possible.

Our latest blog reflects on the recent McGuire Programme course in Athlone and explores how courage, determination, and resilience help people who stutter begin to take back control of their speech and their lives.

Whether you stutter yourself, have a family member who does, or simply want to understand what the journey towards overcoming stuttering looks like, we hope this article offers encouragement and insight.

📰 Read the full blog: https://www.mcguireprogramme.com/overcome-stuttering/

If you're ready to take the first step, we'd love to hear from you.

Join us for our next course in Canal Court Hotel Newry for Ireland and Northern Ireland 28.-31. October 2026

Why Keep Coming Back?When people ask why members continue attending follow-up courses year after year, they often assume...
07/08/2026

Why Keep Coming Back?

When people ask why members continue attending follow-up courses year after year, they often assume it's to revise the techniques.

That certainly plays a part.

But that's not the only reason.

A follow-up course gives you something that's difficult to find anywhere else...

A place where you can deliberately challenge yourself in a supportive environment.

You can push yourself beyond what feels comfortable, while knowing you're surrounded by people who understand exactly what you're trying to achieve.

Over a weekend you might:

• Stand on the floor and lead an entire session.
• Teach a topic from Beyond Stuttering.
• Give clear directions to a room full of people.
• Coach a new student through their first speaking challenges.
• Deliver presentations you never imagined yourself capable of giving.

Every one of these experiences is another piece of hard evidence.
Not that you can speak perfectly.
But that you can lead, communicate and stay in control under pressure.

That's why follow-up courses are so valuable.

They become a training ground, not only for your speech, but for the person you're becoming.

You build confidence by doing difficult things repeatedly.
You discover strengths you didn't know you had.
You learn to trust yourself.

Then you take those same skills back into your own world:

• Work presentations.
• Interviews.
• Meetings.
• Weddings.
• Difficult conversations.
• Leadership roles.
• Everyday life.

The course is where we train.
The real world is where we use what we've trained.

That's why, more than twenty years after my first course, I still leave every follow-up course having learned something new about communication, leadership and myself.

Initially the goal was to become a better speaker.
Now it's to become a stronger communicator and a stronger person.

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