Services | Voice disorders
Your voice tells your story
Your voice isn't just sound. It's how you teach, lead, connect, comfort. When voice problems appear, the impact ripples through everything.
Clinical overview
Understanding voice disorders
Dysphonia refers to a voice disorder. Your voice might sound hoarse, rough, breathy, strained or weak. It can affect the volume, quality or pitch of your voice.
Causes of voice disorders can include vocal overuse or misuse, post-viral infections and inflammation, neurological conditions, or structural problems like nodules.
If your voice change is persistent, see your GP for an ear, nose and throat referral. Voice disorders can be common among high-voice users such as teachers and singers. Voice therapy with a speech therapist can be very effective.
Our approach
Our voice therapy approach
Sacha and Aoife use assessment and management that is evidence-based: resonant voice therapy, semi-occluded vocal tract therapy, vocal function exercises, and vocal care strategies.
01 · Technique
Resonant voice therapy
Producing strong, clear voice with minimal effort by finding forward focus: vibration in the face and lips rather than throat strain. When you find it, speaking feels easy.
02 · Technique
Semi-occluded vocal tract therapy
Specific exercises (straw phonation, lip trills, humming) that balance airflow and vocal-fold vibration, reducing strain while building strength. Evidence-based and tactile.
03 · Technique
Vocal function exercises
A structured set of warm-up and conditioning tasks that retrain the muscles controlling pitch, breath support, and stamina. Practised daily, they rebuild reliable voice.
04 · Technique
Vocal care strategies
Hydration, voice-economy, micro-rest patterns, reflux and environmental management: the everyday habits that protect voice between sessions. Designed around your real life.
Method
We may use audio recording for assessment and biofeedback purposes. We also use patient-related outcome measures.
Assessment and treatment start with a 60 to 70 minute assessment including case history and measurements and recordings. Then a treatment plan will combine direct therapy with indirect approaches. Home practice will supplement the sessions in order to be able to practice daily at home.
Gender-affirming voice therapy
Finding a voice that feels authentic to you
We provide gender-affirming voice therapy for pitch, resonance, and communication style. This is skilled work, not about performing a voice, but about finding one that feels authentic. Available in-person at our Wellington clinic or via telehealth nationwide.
Clear pricing, no surprises
In-person · Wellington clinic
Initial assessment
$320
Follow-up sessions
from $240
Telehealth · Nationwide
Initial assessment
$260
Follow-up sessions
from $240
Frequently asked
Questions about voice therapy
How long until my voice improves? +
Most people notice something within the first few sessions: a glimmer of their old voice, less effort, less pain. Complete vocal rehab typically takes 6-12 weeks with consistent practice. Teachers often see meaningful improvement within a term. Vocal nodules can take 2-6 months to fully resolve.
Do I need to see an ENT first? +
To effectively work with voice conditions we do require an ear, nose and throat assessment prior. If you've had persistent hoarseness for more than 2-3 weeks with no obvious cause (like a cold), it's wise to get your vocal cords visualised. We can discuss whether an ENT visit makes sense and coordinate the referral if needed.
Does telehealth work for voice therapy? +
Surprisingly well. Research confirms equivalent outcomes to in-person therapy for most voice disorders. You'll do exercises on camera, and we listen carefully to vocal quality changes. Many patients prefer it. You practice in your own environment, no travel time, and your voice is 'real world' rather than clinic-performance.
I've tried voice rest. It didn't work. +
Voice rest rarely fixes the underlying pattern. If your voice problem is muscle tension dysphonia (and it often is), rest gives temporary relief but the tension returns the moment you start speaking normally. Voice therapy teaches your muscles a different way to work. That's the lasting change.
What does 'resonant voice therapy' actually mean? +
It's a specific technique: producing strong, clear voice with minimal effort by finding the 'forward focus'. That's the feeling of vibration in your face and lips rather than throat strain. When you find it, speaking feels easy. The goal is making that your default, not something you have to consciously do.
Can I do voice therapy while teaching full-time? +
Yes, and we design around it. We've worked with hundreds of teachers. We know you can't whisper for two weeks. Therapy focuses on sustainable strategies: warm-ups before class, micro-rests during transitions, techniques that work while you're talking, not instead of talking.
How much does voice therapy cost? +
Initial assessment: $207 in-person at our Wellington clinic, $167 via telehealth. Follow-up sessions: in-person $157, telehealth $127. Most people need 6 to 10 sessions. We provide detailed invoices for health insurance claims or tax purposes.
Can voice therapy help with gender-affirming voice work? +
Absolutely. We provide gender-affirming voice therapy for pitch, resonance, and communication style. This is skilled work. It's not about performing a voice, it's about finding one that feels authentic to you. Available in-person or telehealth nationwide.
Start with a free conversation
Ready to get your voice back?
Free 15-minute telehealth conversation to talk through what's happening. No commitment, no cost. Or have your specialist refer you directly.