Lighthouse Life & Wellness Coaching
Patrick Buckley MSOP Certified Life & Wellness Coach
Gender Affirming Voice Coaching
Some people experience dysphoria or discomfort with their voice due to its perceived gendered characteristics, such as pitch or resonance. In these cases, gender affirming voice coaching can help develop a voice that feels more aligned with gender identity. Modifying your voice to better align with your gender identity can be an important aspect of gender affirmation and be beneficial for many transgender and gender non-conforming people.
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Gender affirming voice coaching is an option for anyone who feels that their voice does not align with their gender identity and would like to modify their voice to feel more comfortable and authentic. This may include transgender, non-binary, gender non-conforming, genderqueer, and cisgender individuals who want to modify their voice for personal or professional reasons.
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Additionally, individuals who use their voice professionally, such as actors, singers, public speakers, or teachers, benefit from gender affirming voice coaching to help achieve a voice that better suits the demands of their profession.
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Partnering with you as your gender affirming voice coach, I provide you with tools and techniques to help you modify your voice in a healthy way in order to feel more comfortable and aligned with your gender identity. This more comfortable, healthy production of voice can have a positive impact on your overall sense of self and well-being. It is important to recognize and note that not all transgender, non-gender-conforming people feel the need to modify their voice, and that is perfectly valid. Voice coaching should be a personal choice based on each person’s own needs and desires.
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Ultimately, the decision to pursue gender affirming voice coaching is a personal one. You should consider your own needs, goals, and comfort level before making a decision. As your gender affirming voice coach, we work together to explore options and develop a plan that meets your specific needs and goals.
What to Expect During
Gender Affirming Coaching Sessions
During our initial session, I assess your current voice and ask you about your goals and preferences for your new voice. Together we then develop a customized, achievable plan that includes exercises and techniques to help you modify your voice in a healthy way so it feels more comfortable and aligned with your gender identity.
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Your initial steps to explore vocal alignment include:
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Schedule a FREE Initial Consultation: This is an opportunity to discuss your goals, concerns, and expectations with me as your vocal coach. I will evaluate your current voice and together we develop a unique, customized, achievable plan to help you achieve your desired voice.
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Attend Regular Coaching Sessions: Regular coaching sessions help you practice and refine your new voice. This may involve exercises and techniques to help you adjust your pitch, intonation, resonance, cadence, and other vocal characteristics.
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Practice Regularly: Voice coaching requires consistent practice to be effective. I provide you with exercises and assignments to work on between sessions.
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Seek Support: This can be a challenging and emotional process. It is important to seek support from friends, family, or support groups as you work through the process.
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Some techniques I use include:
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Pitch adjustment: I work with you to adjust the pitch of your voice to better align with your gender identity. For example, people who identify as male may want to lower their pitch, while those who identify as female may want to raise it.
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Resonance modification: Resonance refers to the way sound vibrates in your body. I teach you exercises to help you modify the resonance of your voice to better align with your gender identity.
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Intonation and speaking patterns: I work with you to modify your speaking patterns and intonation to better match the speech patterns of individuals of your gender identity.
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Breath support and posture: Good breath support and posture are important for achieving a confident and powerful voice. I teach you exercises to help you develop these skills.
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Throughout the coaching process, I provide you with feedback and guidance to help you achieve your goals. You will receive homework assignments and practice exercises to help you continue to improve your voice between sessions and throughout your life.
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Everyone's vocal exploration and journey is unique. It takes time and patience to achieve your desired voice. With the right support and guidance you will find and develop your healthy voice that feels authentic, is aligned with your true self, and expresses you fully and naturally.