The Vanishing Point: Artistic Perspectives on Stammering Therapy

Trudy Stewart

This paper is a further consideration of art in relation to stammering, rather than the application of science. In this presentation the particular artistic technique involved in creating perspective will be described; the vanishing point. Parallels will be drawn with human experience. There appear to be important experiences in people’s lives, defining moments which influence and shape construing. Meanings that individuals give to events can continue to resonate into the future and back into their recall of the past. New constructions of self generated within a therapeutic situation can allow individuals to view their stories from alternative standpoints. Thus individuals’ perspectives on themselves can be redefined. The metaphor of the vanishing point in relation to therapy for people who stammer will be the main focus of the paper.