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Brisbane Speech and Hearing Clinic

Started by MichelleVindee, March 09, 2019, 12:55:54 AM

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MichelleVindee

Hi everyone, has any one visited the above clinic here in Brisbane, Herston regarding voice feminising?

I would be most interested to hear what one can expect and any other experiences they had?

Warm Regards
Michelle
Warm Regards Michelle
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Miss Kitty

Hi Michelle,

I had free voice coaching at the royal Brisbane hospital as part of my treatment at the gender clinic (which comes under the social services department). I am guessing that that is the same mob based on the location that comes up on their website.
If so, they have changed my life completely, I think I had 5 sessions with them and I have not once been misgendered when talking to strangers over the phone and friends and family literally cannot believe the difference. I used to have an extremely deep manly voice (literally like Barry White) but now sound very girly.
With a GP referral they should be free


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MichelleVindee

Hi Miss Kitty,

Thank you so much for your feedback. I hade been given information (RBH) by my Psychologist and had passed on the relevant forms for some reason things got a bit too hard (turn around time was going to take some time).

So I investigated and discovered the Brisbane Speech and Hearing clinic and the therapist Kerri-ann Thornber if I went privately and claimed via a medicare rebate (EPC) I could get over half of the fee back each visit up to 6 visits.

Is this the same department, Kerri speacialises in Transgender speech therapy so I thought she may be a good bet?

Lovely to hear from you.
Warm Regards Michelle
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Miss Kitty

yes I am sure Kerri is the lady I dealt with (she had a partner too but I cant remember her name). I got to see them for free after months of seeing councilors, psychologist and finally my endocrinologist then after my hormones were officially prescribed did I get the sessions off of her but that did mean months of effort to see her.

She is very understanding and has a great sense of humor, she is very trans friendly I am sure you wont have an issue. I think 6 sessions will be more than enough, at my last session we mostly just joked around as she was sure my training was complete. I'm not trying to talk myself up or boast, but rather give praise to Kerri, but I literally sound like I've had vocal surgery just from what she taught me.

I hope it goes well for you  ;)


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MichelleVindee

I hope so, my voice just lets me down and I am used to being so social but now when I go out i'm like a little lamb and whisper, affraid that the fog horn will go off!  ;D

Warm Regards Michelle
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MichelleVindee

How did you go on your blockers, I will be on mine coming up this Friday for three weeks (Spiro) but I have found them to have really knocked me about...?
Warm Regards Michelle
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Miss Kitty

oh I have that problem still, even though I know I can do the voice every time (it's actually impossible to do my old voice any more, no matter how hard I try I sound like a woman impersonating a man, which is true lol). But I still have a strange habit of whispering when I get nervous. I think it's some thing that will pass once you build up confidence, I really only do it now when I'm talking to some one intimidating.

Raising your voice will not change you back into 'boy mode' either, when screaming in pain or if I'm having a big tantrum and yelling as loud as I can, I sound like an angry woman. The only thing I find very odd, if I vomit I sound like an angry viking man running into battle. I have no idea why and can't help it. The only plus side is I don't do a lot of vomiting in public (not since I stopped drinking lol).

Spiro was horrible and I had my endocrinologist take me off of them. I was having to pee so often it was badly affecting my quality of life, I would wake up 6 times a night to go to the bathroom and maybe get 45 minutes of sleep. On the subject of voices, the diuretic effects of Spiro left me so dehydrated my voice was constantly 'raspy' sounding, like I had been walking through a desert for days. Even after drinking Gatorade and coconut water non stop I was still dehydrated.

I have been put on Androcur instead and have literally had zero side effects (other than all the good ones, like less hair growth etc).


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MichelleVindee

Wow that is interesting, I am seeing my Hormone GP tomorrow so I will have a chat with her.

Had my first meet with Kerri today, we spoke about the effects of the diuretic.
After your first day how did your throat feel. I'm certainly not horse but my throat muscles feel as if they have had a work out.
Warm Regards Michelle
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Miss Kitty

so glad you got to meet her, congrats on your first session! Don't stress about the strain, it took a while but I felt that I was putting way too much strain on my vocal chords, like I would damage them, if that happens take a big break. If you try and rush your new voice it will come off as forced. Think of it like going to the gym, if you rush into it you will injure your muscles but with baby steps you will get to where you want to be.

I never feel any strain any more but I think that is also technique too, eventually the majority of the words you project will only be done with the muscles at the front and top of the mouth and not the back of the throat any way.


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MichelleVindee

Not an easy thing to do, I have had to drop back as I was getting hoarse and straining my voice too much, wrong technique I am sure.

My friends tell me I look like a horse (nice friends) when I am trying to use my front mouth muscles to project  ;D

Did you have any problems in finding the app  Kerri uses for pitch, AVAF i think it was called? The only app I can find is Voice Pitch Analyzer.

hugs M
Warm Regards Michelle
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Miss Kitty

I didnt use the app I just sort of gauged how well I was doing by getting peoples reactions. 5 minutes of practice first thing in the morning then 5 minutes practice in the evening is supposed to be a healthy amount but I was way too eager to get rid of my old voice and would do an hour straight then end up sounding like I had been to a metallica concert.

Just keep up the practicing, you will "find" your true female voice eventually and it will become a natural part of you. I haven't seen Kerri in almost 6 months and I still get told that my voice is getting higher pitched and girlish sounding all the time so I think eventually just talking in normal conversations counts as the practice session.

If you feel let down, record yourself then listen to how you sound now. I constantly go back and watch home movies of myself just before I came out as trans and laugh at how silly I look and sound, it's really motivational and you can track your progress that way.


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