The McGuire Programme

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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/

2026 ISN’T OVER YET.There are still plenty of opportunities to get back into a McGuire Programme course environment befo...
09/28/2026

2026 ISN’T OVER YET.

There are still plenty of opportunities to get back into a McGuire Programme course environment before the end of the year.

Whether it’s refreshing your tools, challenging yourself again, reconnecting with other members or simply recognising that it’s time to put some focused work back into your speech, get a date in the diary.

📍 15–17 October - Düsseldorf, Germany
3-Day Intensive Course - held in English

💻 22–24 October - Online Course
via Zoom - USA/Canada Region 3-Day Intensive Course

💻 28–31 October - Online Course
via Zoom - MENA Region 3-Day Intensive Course

📍 29–31 October - County Down, Northern Ireland
In-person 3-Day Intensive Course

📍 18–22 November - Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
In-person 4-Day Intensive Course

Don't wait until January to decide you're going to start working on your speech again.

Use what's left of 2026.

Refresh. Practise. Get challenged. Support others. Put yourself back into situations where you're actively working on your stutter.

And if you haven't attended for a while, maybe one of these is exactly the opportunity you need to get involved again.

The work doesn't stop when the course finishes.
But sometimes getting back on a course is exactly what gets the work moving again.

Beyond Stuttering with The McGuire Programme.

☕ YOUR NAME ON A CUPBack in 2018, we challenged McGuire Programme members to walk into Starbucks, order what they actual...
09/28/2026

☕ YOUR NAME ON A CUP

Back in 2018, we challenged McGuire Programme members to walk into Starbucks, order what they actually wanted and give their real name for the cup.

Why?

Because something as ordinary as ordering a coffee can be anything but ordinary when you stutter.

For some of us, saying our own name was something we would avoid at all costs. Change the order. Use another name. Let someone else speak. Find a way around it.

So we turned it into training.

Walk in. Approach the counter. Order what you want. Say your name. Work on your speech. And enjoy the reward afterwards.

Eight years later, we're delighted to see Starbucks UK working with STAMMA to train thousands of baristas to better understand customers who stammer.

Awareness matters.

But we also know that not everyone we meet will understand stuttering. Some people will be patient. Some will try to help. Some won't know what's happening. Occasionally, someone may react badly.

We can't train every listener we will ever meet.

But we can train ourselves.

We can stay in the situation.
We can use our tools.
We can cancel a stutter block and say it again.
We can disclose what we're doing.
We can work on our speech rather than hide it.
And sometimes, we can educate the person standing opposite us.

That's real-world training.

Awareness can change the listener.
Our training can change what we do when the listener isn't aware.

Sometimes the training ground is a course room.

Sometimes it's a coffee shop. ☕

☕ SAY YOUR NAME. ORDER YOUR COFFEE.Back in August 2018, we set McGuire Programme members a simple challenge:“STARBUCKS -...
09/28/2026

☕ SAY YOUR NAME. ORDER YOUR COFFEE.

Back in August 2018, we set McGuire Programme members a simple challenge:

“STARBUCKS - SHARE YOUR NAME ON A CUP!”

Go into Starbucks. Order what you want. Give them your real name. Get your name on the cup.

Even if you don't like Starbucks!

There was a serious reason behind the fun.

For many people who stutter, ordering a coffee, particularly having to say your own name, can be anything but simple.

You might choose something that's easier to say. Let somebody else order. Give a different name. Avoid the interaction completely.

So Starbucks became one of many real-world training grounds for us.

Eight years later, we're delighted to see Starbucks UK working with STAMMA to train baristas to better understand and support customers who stammer, with more than 10,000 baristas already completing the training.

That kind of awareness matters.

But there's another side to this that is central to what we do.

We can't expect every person behind every counter to understand stuttering. Some will be patient. Some will try to help. Some won't know what's happening. Some may react awkwardly or inappropriately.

We can't control that.

But we can work on how we respond to it.

Stay in the situation.
Use our tools.
Disclose when needed.
Explain what's happening.
Give the listener an opportunity to understand.
And keep speaking.

Sometimes the person who isn't trained provides us with another opportunity, not only to work on ourselves, but to leave that person with a better understanding of stuttering for the next person they meet.

Awareness can change the listener.
Our training can change what we do when the listener isn't aware.

That's why the real world remains one of our most important training grounds.

Sometimes it's a telephone call.

Sometimes it's speaking to a stranger.

And sometimes...

it's ordering a coffee and saying your name. ☕

Beyond Stuttering.

🏆 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.

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