Speech and language therapy

Part of:

Gender identity clinic service

For:

Adults

Available in:

Nationwide

What we do

Speech and language therapy is individualised according to your particular goals in achieving authentic voice and communication. You will be seen in one-to-one sessions, and may be offered group sessions.

It is recommended that you make a full-time social gender role change or at least have the intention of doing so, prior to accessing speech and language therapy because voice change takes consistent practice to acquire. It may be that you are close to making a social role change and speech and language therapy can help you move nearer to this point.

Oestrogen does not affect the size or function of the vocal folds and pitch is unaltered. Instead, voice change is achieved through exercises and training within therapy, together with regular home and social  practice

Testosterone  promotes growth of the vocal folds which takes place usually within the first seven months, though this can vary from person to person. This change produces a lower vocal pitch.

What to expect

Your first appointment is an opportunity for you to discuss concerns and hopes about your voice and communication. As part of this appointment, we will:

• make a plan for future therapy sessions, individual and group
• take a case history related to your communication goals
• listen carefully to your voice to ensure it is working healthily
• take a baseline recording of pitch
• explain how your  voice works, the process of voice change and what is possible
• provide initial exercises and advice about home practice.

You will be offered up to four therapy appointments of fifty minutes in duration at monthly intervals to assist the process of voice practice and change.

For those seeking to feminise their voice, help can be offered to:

• raise pitch to a comfortable degree
• achieve a brighter resonance (vocal colour)
• explore intonation and expression
• increase confidence with your voice on the phone
• project your voice over background noise
• explore other sounds such as coughing and laughing
• explore some of your singing potential.

For those seeking to masculinise their voice, help can be offered to:

• monitoring the effects of testosterone on your voice by measuring your pitch and how it changes over time
• develop a robust breath support to accompany vocal changes
• access increased chest resonance
• explore intonation patterns
• increase social confidence through assertiveness training
• explore placement and range of your new singing voice.

For those identifying as non-binary or gender-diverse, therapy goals will be individualised  to support what fits your sense of authentic gender expression, through:

• exploration of your singing potential
• exploration of pitch, resonance and intonation
• development of communicative power and personal presence.

Voice groups

Voice group programmes are offered usually following one-to-one therapy sessions according to demand. Groups consist of up to 10 members and enable you to develop your vocal skills in a wider communicative context and through conversation and peer support. We offer workshops activities on voice projection, presentation skills, assertiveness training, speaking on the telephone and singing.