How long does it take? 
I bet you already know what I'm about to say: It's different for everyone.  There are so many factors that play a role in determining how long, such as one's ultimate goals, having a safe practice space, starting voice health, voice skill and flexibility, time resources, financial or insurance limitations, previous experience with voice training, comfort exploring voice variations, the number of opportunities you have to actually carry voice out into the world, and more. If you’re asking me how long will it take to fully shift into a completely natural feeling and sounding voice that you never have to think about, truthfully, this could be an ongoing process. You’ve been using a certain voice for a long time, one that’s deeply ingrained in how you interact with the world. It’s unrealistic to expect it to dramatically shift in real life use after just a few sessions, especially if another voice has been with you for years. It’s like learning any new skill or habit—it requires building new neural pathways and muscle memory across many situations. Yes, it will feel more natural over time, but like any new skill, it takes time for those changes to become automatic. But to be better able to answer this question, I think it helps to start with clearer and more achievable goals. For example: I will use my goal voice for 1-minute in greetings during a work call at least 5 times this week. 

Will there be guided exercises? 
Yes, you'll receive home practice exercises, handouts and sometimes recordings after each session to guide your practice and play!

How often will we meet? 
It is ultimately your choice and depends on your learning style and the level of support needed. Generally, I see the best progress with regular bi-weekly meetings in the beginning stages, and as we begin to build stamina and consistency, we reduce the meeting frequency and sometimes also the session duration. Some people really excel with half hour sessions in these phases. As you become more independent in using voice in real life situations, you'll need me less. Ultimately, for me, it's okay for our pace and frequency to change to suit you, especially if we plan proactively for breaks and pauses. 

When will using my voice become automatic and unconscious?
Unconscious voice carry-over is possible and attainable! But it takes time and application across many different scenarios and contexts. You'll continue working on this even after we've finished our structured work together. In our "extend phase", we'll work on making sure you have a good amount of access to usable voice, even if still requiring some conscious attention in high focus settings. Troubleshooting and check-ins can be helpful at this point, but most people don't require as much support from me during the unconscious carry-over stage as it simply requires time living in voice.SCHEDULING? Booking in advance is recommended to secure a meeting time, but there is no requirement to book in advance, and we can always change our meeting schedule as long as there's at least 24 hours notice. We can pause any time - in fact, sometimes planning for a pause between phases makes for the best progress! After each session, we'll chat and decide together when we should meet next based on our progress.

I know I have questions, I'm just not sure what they are yet... 

No problem. Try a free meet-and-greet! 

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​Is the coach Trans? What is your background, Alyssa?

No, I'm a cis woman with a passion and talent for voice training and therapy. I'm a registered Speech-Language Pathologist and a clinically-trained Singing Voice Specialist, and I've proudly supported hundreds of Trans+ and gender diverse folks on their Gender Affirming Voice journeys over the last 10 years. I continue to centre learning from Trans+ and gender diverse professionals, and most importantly, I learn from the people I work with! I have a variety of professional and artsy tools in my voice tool box and a lifetime of loving voice. My passion is encouraging healthy voice play, and I excel when taking more of a coaching role. I'm also a singer and do find that my passion for artistry shows up regularly in my clinical work! I completed my first degree in music, focusing on vocal performance and pedagogy, and have performed professionally in musical theatre, opera, and folk-rock genres.

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Will HRT improve my voice?

Simply stated, Testosterone lowers the pitch of the voice. Estrogen does not have much impact on the pitch of the voice.

 

I'm already taking Testosterone, how can voice training help?

While Testosterone can lower the pitch of the voice, pitch is really just a piece of the equation. Some folks taking or following T aren't satisfied with the timbre, tone, stamina or flexibility of the voice. Common goal areas include developing rich and resonance voice, working on stability and projection, smoothing out the breaks in the voice, and building vocal stamina and endurance. 

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I want my voice to sound more feminine, but it's really low right now. Is this a problem?

If the voice is healthy and you have some ability even with support to modify pitch, a low starting pitch is usually not a problem. Most people have success with pitch training, but overall, it helps to remember that pitch is just a small part of the equation, and other foundations of gender affirming voice training, such as resonance, weight, quality and intonation, often have a bigger impact!

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Is it okay that I'm considering voice feminization surgery?

Of course. For some people, this is the best option. I often help with pre-op and post-op voice care! Since mostly pitch is impacted, in many cases, a bit of post-op voice training is necessary to achieve the desired results. 

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​Will insurance cover this?

I am a Registered Speech-Language Pathologist and our sessions are eligible for Ontario residents to submit to their third-party insurance under “speech therapy” or “paramedical”. There is no need to specify on invoices that this service is gender affirming, and gender affirming voice falls under the scope of a speech-language pathologists. Check with your insurance provider about budgets or requirements as we do not have access to this information. We do not do direct billing. 

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What if I'm working within a budget?  

Some options to explore when working within a budget include booking shorter sessions (25 minutes instead of 50 minutes), working in blocks of sessions with planned pauses in between, or checking to see if one of our Gender Affirming Voice Training Groups is running! Some come back the following year to continue, advance, refine, or explore new voice goals, like singing!  

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What do I need to do to be eligible?

You must be an Ontario resident to receive services. If you are 16 or 17 years old, guardian consent is required, but guardians will not be participating or attending. Other than that, there is nothing else required - no referrals or prerequisites. Simply come as you are. When you're ready to get started, we'll begin with an Intake session.

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