Olivia - Voice Therapy

"My name is Olivia Bourland.  I'm grateful to have been a client at Loyola's voice therapy clinic in Belvedere Square and recommend it highly.  Here's why.

I did a lot of public speaking for my job.  Year after year, the pitch of my voice deepened, and I developed the ability to project my voice to the far corners of large rooms.  

That deep, masculine, projecting voice ended up causing me many problems when I retired from work and started a new chapter in life.  You see, I'm transgender. That voice, which was a professional asset while presenting as a man, was the opposite of the voice I now wanted as a woman.

Fortunately, I found Loyola's voice therapy clinic at Belvedere Square.  For three semesters, I worked with Loyola voice therapy graduate students under the watchful eye of the [faculty supervisor], Jordan Differding.  Jordan monitored the sessions and would occasionally interrupt to offer advice or explain something to me or a student.

I was impressed with how knowledgeable, professional and dedicated the grad students were.  They helped me find my new voice - a voice I'm proud of, a voice I'm very happy to have.  As a result of the therapy, I'm confident when I speak - whether it is on the phone, with a friend at a coffee shop, or addressing a large group.

The clinic is professional in operation and equipment. There is extensive science underlying gender expression voice therapy.  Sessions include a series of exercises to help the client achieve the voice they want.  We worked on pitch, of course, but also breathing, phonation, projection, and other voice components.  The clinic has excellent equipment to measure a client's progress and to guide treatment options. I got to see my vocal folds in action courtesy of a camera down my throat, which was weird but amazing.

To anyone reading this who is wondering about treatment costs, the clinic has a sliding scale fee structure that maxes out at a rate less than you'd pay to a private practitioner.

I'm taking this opportunity to thank Jordan and the graduate students who worked with me, and Loyola for creating and operating the clinic.  To all of the graduate students at the clinic, please know that gender expression voice therapy was life-changing for me.  I suspect the same is true for all of your transgender clients."