Voice and Communication Change for Transgender People
You may feel that your voice does not represent who you are. You may want change the way you speak so that your voice is more aligned with your gender. There are different options that may help you with this.
Surgery and hormone treatment may change how your voice sounds. You may also choose to have gender affirmation services with an SLP. This may involve working on not only your voice, but also your overall communication. You will let the SLP know how your voice should represent you and how you wish to express yourself across different settings. The SLP will listen to your vocal pitch, or how high or low your voice sounds. The SLP will also listen to the words you use and watch how you communicate nonverbally. In addition, the SLP will talk about behaviors that may hurt your voice and teach you safe ways to speak.
The following are some of the things about your voice that you may work on in therapy:
- Pitch, or how high or low your voice sounds
- Resonance, or the quality of the sound of your voice
- Intonation, or the rhythm of your speech
- Rate, or how fast or slowly you speak
- Volume, or how loudly you speak
- Nonverbal sounds, such as coughing or laughing
You may also work on other areas of communication, such as the following:
- Language, or the words you use
- Speech sound production, or how clearly you say sounds
- Pragmatics, or the social rules of communication
It can take some time to change your voice and the way you talk with others. SLPs can help you make the changes that help you feel good about the way you communicate.
Other Resources
- European Professional Association for Transgender Health (EPATH)
- United States Professional Association for Transgender Health (USPATH)
- Voice and Speech Trainers Association (VASTA)
- World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH)
To find an SLP near you, visit ProFind.
