Transgender voice training is offered at TG Voice Therapy in order to help ease the negative impact a “non-caught up” voice has on a transitioning individual’s mental health.
Deciding to transition can be one of the most difficult decisions in a transgender individual’s life to make. They understand that deciding to undergo this journey will be a slow process full of challenges and self exploration that will often frustrate them. One frustration that they may encounter during this time is coping with a voice that has not developed as quickly as they would like.
The Impact of a Still Developing Voice
The way transgender people perceive their voice can have a huge impact on their day to day life. Some take painstaking steps to avoid conversation. They fear that their voice will lead to confusion or being misgendered by others. They also fear that they will become a target for violence.
Individuals with this problem often live in a constant fear of being misgendered or attacked to the point that they isolate themselves. This can have a severe impact on their mental health. The likelihood of developing social anxiety, depression, gender dysphoria and hypervigilance, which is the act of always worrying about what gender people attribute their voice to, can increase for these individuals with this problem. It can also lead to suicide because individuals can abandon hope of living peacefully as their true authentic self.
The Benefits of Transgender Voice Training
Transgender individuals who exhibit feminine features but a masculine voice are often the ones who exhibit dissatisfaction with their voice. They are also the ones who benefit greatly from transgender voice training.
In general, trans women seek transgender voice training more compared to trans men because estrogen does not make their vocal cords thinner. Trans men often do not seek voice training because testosterone thickens the vocal cords. This slows the frequency of their vibration and lowers the pitch. Although testosterone has this effect, trans men are also encouraged to seek treatment in order to find their perfect tone.
Seeking help from a speech pathologist can help ease the constant fear of being misgendered. Working with a speech pathologist can also help build confidence. Speech pathologist work with transgender individuals to change their pitch, intonation and resonance. They can also help change the speed and intensity of their speech.
About TG Voice Therapy:
TG Voice Therapy offers transgender voice training to individuals in the Los Angeles area. It is our mission to be a source of help for transgender individuals seeking to find a voice that truly represents them To learn more about our services, you can contact us here. You can also stay connected with us on Facebook or Twitter.
