Does anyone have experience, positive or negative, with voice therapy programs offered through colleges our universities that they'd like to share? There are a couple of schools (somewhat) near me that I'm considering. One has both individual and group sessions, and the contact person sounds very welcoming and positive, but it's a bit of a time & travel commitment. The other offers individual therapy only, and was less positive sounding in their correspondence, but they're more local. I'm having a hard time deciding which to choose, or even whether voice work is something I'm ready to take on quite yet. I'd love to hear others' experiences & input.

Thanks,

L

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I figured I'd might as well follow up on my own post, in case others were curious.  I ended up opting for the program further from work/home, because it A) was much more welcoming in its initial replies, B) offered both individual and group work, and C) ended up fitting better with my schedule than the closer program would have.  So far, I'm very happy with my decision.

I've attended a handful of group sessions, where we work mainly on non-verbal communication.  It's a small group; very friendly and encouraging, but with useful feedback, so a nice blend of affirmation and constructive critique.  We do a lot of videorecording and watching ourselves back, which gets a little cringey, but I'm finding very useful.  It's also nice for me, as someone who's at an in-between stage, still presenting as male and not out to hardly anyone, to both watch others and feel comfortable to experiment a little and try to find mannerisms and carriage that feel natural and comfortable, but also mark me more feminine.  Plus meeting with other trans people and being accepted feels nice.

I've had my initial evaluation for individual voice work, and will start that in couple weeks, so I'll be able to report more about that later on.  The good news was my voice is currently healthy with no issues, and I'm already able to modulate my pitch and resonance a little bit without training, though I can't keep it under control for very long.  They told me I was at a very good initial point to begin the work, and if I put in the effort, can expect good results.  Which is nice.

From what I've experienced so far, I would highly recommend anyone who is near a college or university with a similar program to try it out.  The cost is really reasonable, and the students and staff in the program are more than just accepting; they're genuinely glad to have the opportunity to help and also to gain the experience working with trans women.  It's really just a win-win all around, as far as I'm concerned.

You must have slipped through the cracks the first time you posted. Thanks for the follow-up, this WILL help someone else. 

Hugs, Devlyn

That's very interesting! I didn't know such a thing existed. It 's very brave of you to go through such a process where you're exposed to a group of sudents. Thanks for sharing your experience hun

Rita

You're welcome!  Just to clarify, there are three grad students in the group sessions, and two grad students who did the evaluation and will be working on the individual sessions.  There's a faculty member each who oversees/advises.  It's very close-knit, and not at all a huge or overwhelming group, plus everyone has been incredibly positive and welcoming, so I don't feel brave at all, but thank you for saying so.