Join us!
Friends is excited to offer Virtual Teen Groups for teens who stutter. The purpose of these groups is to create a safe space for teens to connect, inspire, and laugh with friends who also stutter. All teen groups are facilitated by an adult who stutters.
We hope you’ll join in whatever way feels comfortable for you, but if you’re up for it, we’d like to gently encourage everyone to keep their cameras on. Seeing each other helps create a more connected, inclusive space and lets others know they’re being heard.
Upcoming Dates
We meet on the second Wednesday of every month at 7:30 PM Eastern, and our group lasts approximately an hour.
➤ Wed. June 10, 2026, 7:30 – 8:30 PM Eastern
➤ Wed. August 12, 2026, 7:30 – 8:30 PM Eastern
If you have any questions
To SLPs and Graduate Students: A Quick Note!
Thanks for taking an interest in stuttering support groups. Groups play an important role in normalizing stuttering and fostering acceptance, growth, and resilience. We are grateful to so many therapists for spreading the word about our no-cost virtual groups.
If you are looking to attend a group, please note that we do not offer opportunities to observe or participate in these peer support groups.
For SLP educational and training opportunities, please see our one-day events and annual convention. We also recommend visiting our YouTube channel to watch panels of young people who stutter, parents, adults who stutter, and presentations by fellow SLPs.
Join our mailing list below to get the latest updates about upcoming CEU and training opportunities.
What we explored together recently
A recap of our latest conversation
We talked about National Stuttering Awareness and Acceptance Week, watched the new videos from AIS, talked about our summer plans (one of the teens in attendance is going to the annual convention with her dad!), checked out some art created by a person who stutters, and listened to a teenager who stutters on the Library of Dysfluent Voices. Teens completed the sentence, “Because of friends…” with the following answers:
– “I stopped hiding my stutter. I stopped saying it would go away. It’s part of me and I’m grateful for that.”
– “I opened up a lot more.”
– “It’s okay to be shy.”
– “I talk with my friends and I am brave when I talk and I have joy from being my own self.”
– “I stopped being shy.”
– “I talked about my stutter and I met a friend.”
We also shared what we wish people knew about stuttering:
It’s okay to stutter and it can be sporadic
It’s not a weakness. It’s a STRENGTH.
Stuttering doesn’t change who you are.
Stuttering doesn’t always happen when people are nervous.
Stuttering can be fine for you. Take your own time to talk.
People who stutter can still succeed in life.
– Mandy Rodstrom
Team
Josette Tugander is a person who stutters, New York State certified school psychologist, and doctoral student in the School Psychology PsyD program at St. John’s University. She has been involved in Friends for over a decade and was one of the original founders of the virtual groups during the height of the pandemic. Friends has introduced Josette to some of her biggest mentors and greatest friends, and she has loved every minute of being involved in this incredible organization. Email Josette
Naomi Rodgers is an assistant professor at the University of Iowa where she researchers the social, emotional, and cognitive aspects of stuttering and also teaches students who are on their way to becoming speech-language pathologists. Her journey as a person who stutters and engagement in the stuttering support community over the past 15 years have been a continual source of inspiration for her, both personally and professionally. Naomi lives in Iowa City, IA with her husband, young daughter, and two goldendoodles. Email Naomi
Christian Zapata is a person who stutters and has been a member of Friends for 13 years. He has loved coming to national conferences every year and meeting new friends who stutter while also catching up with old stuttering friends! Friends has had an incredibly positive impact on his life and how he views stuttering. Christian has just finished his Master’s degree in Speech Language Pathology from the University of Maryland in 2024 after completing his undergraduate studies at Penn State. Email Christian