The Need to Sound "Right," from a Speech Therapy Perspective
At Clinique Passage, we often work with perfectionism in people who stutter. The pressure to speak “the right way” often hides beneath the surface.
If you’ve spent a good part of your life trying to avoid stuttering, you may have also rehearsed your words in advance—even your name!
Or you’ve rephrased your idea mid-sentence, as if it were easier to create a new sentence on the fly than to repeat a syllable!
And you do this not because you’re unsure of what you want to say, but because you want to say it “the right way,” without feeling stuck.
That’s what speech perfectionism looks like in people who stutter.
Sometimes it’s about making sure the sentence ends smoothly.
Or waiting for the precise moment to jump into a conversation, so you don’t feel like you’re interrupting or slowing things down.
And sometimes? That drive to “get it right” leads us to say less.
Or nothing at all.
Stuttering Isn't the Problem—Trying to Be Perfect Is
When we work with adults who stutter at Clinique Passage—whether francophone, anglophone, bilingual, or from a multicultural background—this theme comes up often.
Not in those exact words, perhaps.
But in the stories from work meetings.
The time they wait before making an important phone call to get an appointment.
In how they avoid speaking at family gatherings, even when they really have something to say.
Behind the avoidance, there’s often a thought like:
“If I can’t say it correctly, I’m afraid I shouldn’t say it at all.”
And that? That’s perfectionism at work.
It seems protective. But in reality, it hinders connection.
What If We Stopped Trying to Sound "Fluent"?
In therapy, one of the most important shifts we see is when people start letting go of that invisible pressure to speak perfectly (who can really do that anyway?!).
To do this, we need to stop avoiding stuttering.
Not in every situation.
But just enough to feel what it’s like to say what you want to say, with the words you chose, even if it comes out with a bit of delay, with some repetitions, or even with blocks and facial tics.
It may feel awkward at first. And certainly uncomfortable.
But most people discover something surprising:
They feel like their message is more easily understood, and they get to the point faster!
What Speech Therapy Reveals About Perfectionism in People Who Stutter
When adults come to us for stuttering therapy, we work on being good communicators, not perfect communicators.
We build confidence and self-esteem so you can speak in a way that feels comfortable and authentic.
Here’s what we often explore together:
- Noticing how perfectionism shows up in your speech
- Identifying moments when you change your message to avoid stuttering
- Practising staying present with what you want to say, not just how you say it
- Creating safer communication spaces (at work, with family, in public)
- Feeling more confident speaking up in a group
Is This Type of Therapy Right for You?
If you’re tired of thinking through every sentence or feel like you’re not fully expressing yourself, this type of stuttering therapy is for you.
Even if you don’t identify with the “perfectionist” label, perfectionism in people who stutter often shows up as silence, hesitation, or over-preparation—and you might recognise yourself in that.
Maybe you’ve already had speech therapy and are curious to try again, but differently this time. Or maybe this is your first step.
Either way, we’re here to listen.
And to help.
Contact Us When You're Ready
At Clinique Passage, we offer speech therapy services to adults who stutter, in French and English.
Appointments are available with Kelly Hibon or with me, Anny Dubé.
You can also write to us at admin@cliniquepassage.com or call 819-975-2594.
We’ll meet you where you are and take you where you have the potential to be.
And if you’re not sure whether to choose in-person or online therapy, click here to learn more about hybrid therapy.
Before You Go
You don’t need to be perfect to be understood.
You don’t need to be fluent to say powerful things.
And you don’t need to rehearse every sentence to deserve to speak.
Let’s practise that together.
Anny Dubé
Speech-Language Pathologist and Person Who Stutters