Does voice therapy actually work?

[sweetc]

I recently started going to voice therapy through Kaiser Nor cal and am indecisive if it's wirking, The times I went was kinda of just an exspensive play date (cooay) as I did nothing that I didn't already do, I have the concept of being more animated but I still haven't learned anything that help actually make me sound feminine so I stopped going and now don't know what todo, the Dr said my voice was beautiful and already very feminine but it is still a dead give away

I also was curious on how to master speaking in a higher pitch constantly because sometimes when im with friends I talk more masculine just my normal voice without thinking to try and then when I do with like friends I feel like it sounds very fake and that they know im trying hard, so will it eventually come naturally?

[Michelle_P]

Been there, done that, same speech pathologist.   

She can give you all the basics, but it is up to you to practice, practice, practice until sustaining the pitch and volume is automatic, no slipping back to 'male baritone' when you are relaxed, and maintaining the singsong speech rhythm, maintaining flat or up-pitch on phrase endings rather than the male down-pitch, and sustained breath control are all key items.

If I keep all those I can sound like a ciswoman in her 60s (appropriate), but drop any of those and I won't read as female.   It is particularly difficult when I have to speak for an extended period of time, as it is far too easy to slip into male didactic mode.  I've run meetings with my phone on the table running SingScope, my preferred pitch and rhythm checking tool, trying to keep my voice correct.

I worked on pitch on my own for about 3 months before I started with the therapist, getting my speech consistently at around A3-C4 (roughly 180-220 Hz)  I worked with her on prosody, the rhythm and intonation stuff, and got lots of homework from her passing suggestions over about a 6 week period.  I did one in-office session and several additional sessions via a video linkup.

I read Aesop's Fables aloud for about 15 minutes every day.  I have the Harry Potter books, and I read Hermionie's longer passages aloud, comparing them with an audiobook recording.

I figure I have several more months of this before it really becomes natural and automatic.

[Dena]

It can take months to a year or so to lock a voice in. Once it's locked, you forget how to use the old voice and if you want to, you have to force yourself back to the old speech pattern. In order to lock a voice in, you have to use it constantly so when you go to speak, it's a reflex action to place everything in the proper position before speaking.