I will support you though vocal quality changes due to aging, accidents, or surgery, to restore a healthy, resilient voice.
My Specialty Area
I am dedicated to helping individual overcome challenges with vocal quality related to aging and horomonal changes, vocally abusive behaviors, and post-surgical intervention. My focus is to help carryover skills in real world settings outside of a formal clinic setting. Following an assessment from a medical professional, such as an ENT, who has determined the severity and/or etiology of a voice disorder, I work closely with a medical-focused voice specialist who will do an initial assessment. I integrate their plan through individualized therapeutic services in the client’s home environment, work setting, and their community. I frequently work with school teachers, yoga teachers, and presenters who are more likely to exhibit poor vocal hygiene, as teachers were estimated to be two to three times more likely than the general population to develop a voice disorder (Martins et al., 2014). I also provide voice therapy to help women manage vocal changes caused by hormonal fluctuations from life changes such as menopause and hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Hormonal changes can lead to effects such as a lower pitch, vocal fatigue, hoarseness, and reduced vocal endurance, and voice therapy aims to improve vocal quality, endurance, and performance by optimizing vocalization and reducing strain.
Dysphonia
I typically work with clients with some form of dysphonia that is characterized by altered vocal quality, pitch, loudness, or vocal effort. Complaints often include increased vocal effort associated with speaking, decreased vocal endurance or onset of fatigue with prolonged voice use, variable vocal quality throughout the day or during speaking, running out of breath quickly, frequent coughing or throat clearing (which may worsen with increased voice use), and excessive throat or laryngeal tension/pain/tenderness. Perceptual signs and symptoms of dysphonia may include
rough vocal quality (raspy, audible aperiodicity in sound);
breathy vocal quality (audible air escape in the sound signal or bursts of breathiness);
strained vocal quality (increased effort; tense or harsh);
strangled vocal quality (as if talking with breath held);
abnormal pitch (too high, too low, pitch breaks, decreased pitch range);
abnormal loudness/volume (too high, too low, decreased range, unsteady volume);
abnormal resonance (hypernasal, hyponasal, cul-de-sac resonance);
aphonia (loss of voice);
phonation breaks;
asthenia (weak voice);
gurgly/wet-sounding voice;
pulsed voice (fry register, audible creaks or pulses in sound);
shrill voice (high, piercing sound, as if stifling a scream); and
tremorous voice (shaky voice; rhythmic pitch and loudness undulations).
My Holistic Approach
My therapeutic plan involves a more holistic approach, with the goal of balancing the physiologic subsystems of voice production—respiration, phonation, and resonance. I provide physiologic voice therapy programs strive to balance the three subsystems of voice production (respiration, phonation, and resonance) as opposed to working directly on isolated voice symptoms. I identify behaviors that are contributing to the voice problems, including unhealthy vocal hygiene practice such shouting, talking loudly over noise, coughing, throat clearing, and poor hydration. I work with the families and colleagues of the client to help implement practices to reduce vocally traumatic behaviors (e.g., voice conservation) and support healthy vocal hygiene practices. For Telepractice, I am committed to taking additional measures when services are being offered through telepractice. As teletherapy may not provide as reliable sound quality as in-person, I guide the client on the additional equipment (e.g., microphones) that can enhance vocal quality while reducing vocal strain. My goal is to help you build a healthy, resilient voice that supports your daily communication.
“What truly stood out was her dedication.”
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What truly stood out was her dedication. She didn’t just support him during his therapy sessions—she even followed up years later to make sure he was still on the right track. My son responded so well to her positive, engaging approach, and the improvement in his speech has been remarkable. We are deeply grateful for Luna’s expertise, patience, and long-term commitment. She has made a meaningful and lasting difference in his confidence and communication.”
— M.C. Parent of a teenager who received myofunctional therapy
