Gender affirming vocal care
Some transgender and gender diverse individuals may want to adapt their voice to communicate in a way that more closely aligns with their gender identity. Gender affirming voice care can help lessen the discomfort or distress that might accompany a difference between gender identity and sex assigned at birth, or gender dysphoria.
Gender affirming voice care, involves treatments to help transgender and gender diverse individuals adapt their voices to achieve communication patterns that support their gender identity. Our Care Pathway Center voice care team can help you determine your goals and create an individualized plan to achieve your vocal goals.
Voice therapy or surgery may not be right for everyone. You might prefer your current voice or a gender-neutral voice to signal your distinct identity. Some desire a gender expansive voice, which means they can alternate between masculine, gender-neutral and feminine voices.
Finding a voice that more closely aligns with your gender identity and supports your most authentic self is an individual process. If you are interested in learning more about gender affirming voice care, please speak to your Care Pathway Center team.
Voice therapy
During voice therapy sessions, your voice therapist will help you learn and practice techniques that can help change your vocal characteristics and nonverbal communication patterns. You will also learn ways to avoid vocal damage as you change your voice and speech. The frequency and duration of voice therapy sessions will depend on your individual goals and be determined by your voice therapist and laryngologist.
The Vocal Congruence Project – free resources to help find an affirming and congruent voice
Hawai`i voice and speech studio
Pitch modification surgery
If you have maximized all the benefits of voice therapy, but haven’t met personal vocal goals, your laryngologist and voice therapist may suggest surgery as an option.
Pitch modification surgery typically focuses on pitch change. For voice feminization, the focus of surgery is to raise speaking pitch and reduce the ability to produce a low-pitched voice. There are several surgical techniques that may be used to assist in raising vocal pitch. Your surgeon will discuss all your options with you at your consultation.
There is also a risk that surgery could cause your voice to become too high, hoarse, strained, or breathy, making communication difficult. Your surgeon will explain expected voice changes following surgery, as well as potential risks involved.
Keep in mind that because surgery will only change voice pitch, you will still need to work on other vocal behaviors and communication patterns with continued voice therapy after you have undergone surgery. Your results will depend on the techniques used, as well as the effort you put into practicing your new voice.
Masculinizing hormone therapy with testosterone permanently lowers voice pitch, therefore pitch modification surgery isn’t as common for individuals seeking to deepen their voice pitch.