Question Regarding Post-op VFS Therapy

[Wynternight]

I'm wondering if Dr. Haben provides training suggestions on how to train the voice post-op. I know the surgery is a tool and, like any new tool, needs to be trained with to use properly so, for those of us who haven't had any training pre-op, does he help us train post-op?

[Dena]

Dr Haben doesn't provide voice training but he agrees that a voice is 50% surgery and 50% training. Standard voice feminization training is all that is needed and there are a number of places that do it. My view is it doesn't hurt to have pre surgical training because pretty much everything you learn before surgery will apply after surgery. In my case, I still need to use a trained voice but the difference is the trained voice is shifted from the 130-140 HZ range to above 200 HZ.

[Wynternight]

Dr Haben doesn't provide voice training but he agrees that a voice is 50% surgery and 50% training. Standard voice feminization training is all that is needed and there are a number of places that do it. My view is it doesn't hurt to have pre surgical training because pretty much everything you learn before surgery will apply after surgery. In my case, I still need to use a trained voice but the difference is the trained voice is shifted from the 130-140 HZ range to above 200 HZ.

Is the training specialised in that I need to find a speech therapist with experience in that area or can I go to a therapist, or perhaps a voice trainer for musicians and get what I need?

[Dena]

Someone who has worked with transgender voices would be preferred. If you have singing training the process is much simpler because you already know most of it and have some of the training. Some therapist will train over Skype and I have the knowledge and am working with others on the site. When I had voice therapy, I really needed to visit the office because there were tools I didn't have. There are a fair number of tools available today that allow you to work at home and you only need a ear to check your work from time to time.

[Wynternight]

Thank you, Dena. I'll have to start looking for people I can go to that can work with me via Skype. Anchorage doesn't have too many services available.

[Dena]

If I can help you, you know how to PM or Skype me.

[Wynternight]

If I can help you, you know how to PM or Skype me.

Thank you!

[Denjin]

Hi

Here are the exercises that Dr. Kim gives those of us who go to Yeson:
https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,207948.msg1844039.html#msg1844039

However, they are basically exercises to get you to use your entire voice range, use forward speaking, etc., so not really anything special I don't think.  I find that it took about three months to understand how it all worked post-surgery.

In the case that you haven't worked on resonance at all yet, you'll still need to find some transgender voice therapy, too, as the surgery won't fix that.  I also found that my old resonance technique causes too much stress now (was using some old way that was essentially like going to falsetto and then dropping down into normal voice), but it all just takes time.

[anjaq]

I think since the surgery is similar, the Yeson exercises can be used as well. Other than that - if you never had gender voice therapy, it may be useful to do that, but its quite individual. Not all that can be learned in gender voice therapy before surgery applies after the surgery, some things are even counterproductive, others do apply, a lot of general voice therapy issues apply as well. A lot of my post OP voice therapy was not gender related but more about dealing with breathiness, hoarseness, volume, getting a clean voice - those are all general voice therapy issues that do not even need a gender specialized voice therapist, but I did change my voice to be female long before surgery, so some of these things that I changed back then probably still apply