Healing, Advocacy, and Reclaiming Your Stutter

About this episode

Maya Chupkov interviews Elizabeth Escobar about her journey of healing and advocacy as a person who stutters.

In this episode of Proud Stutter, Maya talks with Elizabeth Escobar, a person who stutters, substitute teacher, and advocate, about trauma, healing, and learning to reconnect with herself after years of silence and self-protection. Elizabeth reflects on growing up with a stutter, being bullied throughout school, and how therapy helped her begin processing memories and emotions that had long been buried. She shares how returning to her former schools as a substitute teacher became an unexpected turning point, allowing her to support students while also healing parts of her younger self. The conversation explores the lasting emotional impact of stuttering, the importance of being seen beyond speech differences, and how community and advocacy can create space for transformation. Elizabeth also opens up about losing her mother, volunteering after a difficult period in her life, and eventually speaking before county council to advocate for adults who stutter. Links and resources Apr 8, 2026 - Council Public Hearing ---- Big thanks to Proud Stutter's recurring supporters: Jennifer Bolen, Jerry Slaff, Josh Compton, Pablo Meza, Alexandra Mosby, Ingo Helbig, Jonathan Reiss, Jason Smith…

People in this episode

Host: Maya Chupkov

Guest: Elizabeth Escobar

Topics covered

• healing
• advocacy
• stuttering
• trauma
• community support
• education

Keywords

• stuttering
• healing
• advocacy
• trauma
• community
• education
• self-acceptance

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Proud Stutter

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