Voice therapy, a specific kind of speech therapy, is something like physical therapy for your voice, but a whole lot more. We will be working together as a team in this process. You know your voice and your vocal needs best; I have a set of voice strategies and tools. All of our work together will be guided by your voice goals and needs.

My job is to gather information about your voice so that I can help you best. This means having information from your doctor, background about your voice concerns and voice use and habits, medical history, as well as voice evaluation measurements. With all this information, I will develop a “working theory” about why your voice problem developed and what treatment strategies will be most helpful, and develop treatment goals based on your voice needs. Then, I will help you use those strategies to meet your goals.

Voice therapy includes the basics, like:

How to keep your voice healthy

How to build and keep vocal strength and endurance,

How body posture can help or get in the way of your voice, and

Releasing any resting muscle tension that may be holding you back

Then we will begin experimenting with voice strategies. My goal is for you to discover what works best for you. I will be listening for your best, easiest, most “efficient” voice production, and I will be encouraging you to listen, tune in to the sensations of your voice, and decide which strategies seem like a good “fit.”

Voice therapy sessions are the starting point, but the majority of practice will be outside of therapy.  There will be exercises to get started, and it will be important to practice to build your skills. But most of your practice will be in situations that “count,” like talking with other people, rehearsing, performing onstage, in the courtroom, the classroom, the campaign trail or the chapel. Every time you use your voice is an opportunity to practice.

As you can imagine, voice therapy is hard work! I will help you learn to practice effectively so you improve as quickly as you can. Most of the “work,” though, will be yours.

Since voice therapy will be tailored to your specific needs and goals, the number of sessions can vary. Most people come to voice therapy for an evaluation and 4-8 sessions. Professional voice users (like singers) have an average of 8-16 sessions.

Voice therapy through Empower Vocal Wellness occurs either in your own home or on a secure, HIPAA-compliant virtual platform.

If you are within 30 miles of Saratoga Springs, NY, you may choose whether you would like me to come to your home or whether you prefer to have virtual sessions.

If you are more than 30 miles from Saratoga Springs, sessions will take place on a HIPAA-compliant, secure virtual platform.

Yes! I will communicate with your doctor for several reasons:

To share the results of your voice evaluation

To provide updates to your treatment plan

To recommend additional referrals, if needed, and

When your therapy is complete.

Other than the doctor that referred you, I am not allowed to share your medical information with anyone without your permission.*

There may be other “team members” you would like to involve: your parents, voice teacher, vocal coach, physical therapist, etc., so we can all work together. I will need your written permission to share information with the rest of the “team.”  Just let me know and I will help you with this.

*if you are under the age of 18, I will be communicating with both you and your parent or guardian.

Empower Vocal Wellness is currently a private-pay business, meaning you will pay Empower Vocal Wellness for services as they occur. However, your insurance may cover some or all of the expense of voice therapy.

A first step would be to call your insurance company to ask if they will cover your therapy. You will need to have:

1. A prescription from your doctor

2. Diagnosis codes (otherwise known as ICD-10 codes). These should be on the prescription.

3. Treatment codes (otherwise known as CPT codes). Empower Vocal Wellness uses two codes, 92524 (behavioral and qualitative analysis of voice and resonance) and 92507 (treatment of speech, language, voice, communication, and/or auditory processing disorder)

If requested, Empower Vocal Wellness will provide you with a document called a Superbill, which you can submit to your insurance to request reimbursement.