GENDER AFFIRMING VOICE
At times, people may want to change the way they talk and sound. Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) can help with these changes. You may feel that your voice does not represent who you are. You may want to change the way you speak so that your voice or communication style is more aligned with your gender. There are different options that may help you with this.
Areas you may choose to work on with an SLP:
Pitch, or how high or low your voice sounds. intonation, or the rise and fall of pitch in your speech. resonance, or the quality of the sound of your voice. the rhythm of your speech. rate, or how fast or slowly you speak. volume, or how loudly you speak. speech sound production, or how you say sounds. pragmatics, or the social rules of communication, such as how to adjust your voice for different situations, how to express different emotions, and how to express yourself across different languages and cultural situations.
How we develop these skills in adults
You may choose to have gender affirmation services with an SLP. This may involve working on your voice and your overall communication. An SLP with specialized training can work with you to explore the ways your voice and communication can represent you and how you express yourself across different settings. The SLP will also talk to you about overall vocal health, which is important for anyone using their voice in new ways.