So I've been trying to use my female voice around people and today I tried to use it during my appointment with my therapist but found it really awkward and it just wasn't coming out properly. Did anyone else experience this at first when changing their voice? It left me feeling quite nervous but I already told her how I was feeling and it was all good. She doesn't judge me at all and I feel more comfortable with her than anyone else so it's not a big problem but one I would like to work on.

There's this dance event for lgbt youth coming up in December and I'm really excited yet afraid to go. I've never (ever) been to an event like this, I don't really go out and I'm not a party-type person at all but I think it'll be a great opportunity to try something new and meet some queer people my age. ^.^ I've really been longing for a partner for quite a long time now so I'm hoping to meet someone or at least make some friends whilst I'm there.

I'm not sure what the point of this thread was but whatever, lol.

I get it.  I've been practicing my female voice a lot.  I've been told that I sound fine, but it still feels unnatural.  And it's tough to hold a conversation and keep it up for more than a few minutes without slipping back into guy voice.  Like any of this, I'm assuming it'll become more natural the more I use it.  I've also heard people say that it really helps to hang out in groups of women...you can't help but mimic their speech patterns.

Voices are very odd.
I did a TV interview and at the end told the interviewer and the cameraman that my voice was terrible. They both replied straight away that my voice was as feminine as any other woman they had filmed and interviewed and was perfectly normal for any woman.

What we hear in our heads and what others hear is a lot different.

It's good to know it's not just me who has this problem, I need to practice my voice more but I need to practice using it around people even more. I think I might of worded my post weirdly. I'm not going to the event for that reason alone, I sort of meant like it'd be nice to meet someone I like but I'm going to it so I can get out of the house for once and try something different and maybe meet a few people in the process. Hmm, not sure what I'm going to do for work yet but that could be an option.

I completely understand where you're coming from. D: I think it's easy to get self-conscious about changing your voice in front of people because unlike the changes made to your body by HRT, it's something that is completely on you to change, and it can be easy to fall into the trap of feeling like you're being "fake" or "unnatural" by consciously modifying your voice around others. I wouldn't mind around someone who didn't know me from before, because then they'd have no point of reference for what my voice used to be like, but I feel like if I change my voice around people who knew me in my previous life, everyone is going to be consciously aware that I'm changing it, and it's going to be the elephant in the room that everyone is paying attention to but nobody wants to point out. For that reason, my voice is still basically just the same as it's always been, and I've struggled to change it at all. I'm lucky to have quite a high pitched, gentle voice for someone who went through male puberty, and I don't think it's "male" enough to out me most of the time, but it's still one of these things that I would really like to work up the courage to change, and which I really wish would change on its own.

As far as I can say is,.you need to relax the vocal cords.
Not that I recommend it but before practicing in private, where you can be relaxed, have 1 nip shot of straight top shelf alcohol to loosen n relax the vocal cords you could also add in some ice

I don't recommend getting drunk, it interacts negatively with all hrt medications

Goodluck

N I just thought, a public speaking course, speech therapy and a professional singing instructor could be helpful if you can find any trans friendly ones.

I've heard that some trans girls get social anxiety n shyness, of which I get a little bit but not enough to treat it with oxytocin or other anti anxiety drugs but for some it really helps them to be themselves in public, especially on oxytocin tho some research contradicts other research about this use making it really hard to find information about its potential uses   

Quote from: Valleyrie on November 10, 2014, 10:44:26 PM
I tried to use it during my appointment with my therapist but found it really awkward and it just wasn't coming out properly

This was me before I started using it more often. I got huge stage fright and even though I would practice for an hour beforehand, actually speaking to someone else was next to impossible. I'd just sit there and nothing would come out.

I would suggest talking to people on skype, over voice communication in games, or something else where you aren't with them in the room. Or make a recording and send it to someone who can listen to your voice. It made it easier, at least for me.

Sounds so familiar ._. when I practice at home my voice comes out perfectly fine, I record it and from my opinion can sound pass-able enough. But as soon I am in front of anyone, I get insecure and use more of my natural feeling voice out of habit.. and sound too masculine again.

Might be even weirder but I noticed that the way I always spoke to my pets, is basically how I use my feminine voice, lol. So it feels as if I talk with children/pets when trying to sound feminine to people xD. Probably one of my reasons why I feel so awkward to talk in such a way.