Virtual Teen Groups
Join us!
Friends is really 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 stutter. All groups will be supervised by an adult. Please fill out the form below to register.
Upcoming Dates: Wednesdays at 7:30 PM Eastern on 5/14/25, 6/11/25, and 8/13/25
Register Here: Friends Teen Group Registration
Note to SLPs and graduate students: Thanks for your 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 conferences 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.
Group Summary
We had a wonderful March teens group! Teens facilitated ice breaker questions to get to know each other better. We had lots of fun talking about our favorite books, music, and hobbies. We also talked about making presentations as people who stutter and dealing with classmates and teachers who may not understand what stuttering is. We wrapped up by talking about goals we have for ourselves and our stuttering, and many of the teens mentioned wanting to push themselves out of their comfort zones. Thank you to everyone who joined us!
— Josette Tugander on facilitating the March 12th Teen Group
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