Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences

Gender affirming voice therapy

Voice therapy involves training to help transgender individuals modify their voices, resulting in communication patterns that match their gender identity. Voice therapy can help you change vocal characteristics, such as pitch, resonance, and prosody as well as aspects of non-verbal communication.

Targets of voice therapy might include:

  • Pitch: Refers to the relative highness or lowness of a tone as perceived by the ear, which depends on the number of vibrations per second produced by the vocal cords
  • Vocal resonance: Refers to the way airflow for speech is shaped as it passes through your mouth and nose
  • Prosody: Refers to intonation, stress patterns, loudness variations, pausing, and rhythm
  • Non-verbal communication: Refers to the use of hand gestures, facial expressions, body posture, and eye contact

We understand that communication style is very personal. Your graduate student clinician and their clinical supervisor will work with you as a team to develop individualized goals and a plan to help you become more comfortable and confident during interactions with other.

To request services or for more information about voice therapy for transgender individuals, please contact Lauren Laur, MA, CCC-SLP, by calling 573-882-4082 or emailing laurl@health.missouri.edu.