Our Services

Professional Voice User:
This refers to anyone whose voice is essential to their job. Several professions that may come to mind are singers and actors, however, there are many occupations who rely on their voice to do their job. These occupations may include teachers, courtroom attorneys, salespeople, telemarketers, receptionists, etc. Imagine a receptionist being unable to answer phone calls or a salesperson unable to conduct a sales meeting because of his or her voice. Voice is essential to many professions and can be disabling to ones career if not treated appropriately.

Vocal Cord Dysfunction:
VCD is also referred to as paradoxical vocal fold dysfunction. This condition which is often caused by exercise or other environmental irritants results in the patient’s complaint of difficulty breathing. Patients will often complain of “tightness in their throat” or “their throat closing up”. In addition to difficulty breathing, patients may also experience chronic coughing and/or throat clearing. Voice therapy is the treatment of choice for this condition. Clients are provided with a specialized program focused on behavioral management to improve breathing, coughing, and throat clearing.

Diseases of the vocal folds:
Diseases of the vocal folds may include vocal nodules, polyps, and cysts. Depending on the pathology, pre and post surgical counseling is often part of therapy. Individuals are educated in various techniques to improve not only their voice, but in doing so also improve the pathology and/or recurrence.

Muscle Tension Dysphonia:
Individuals often report tightness, pain, and/or soreness in their throat especially upon palpation and often during phonation. In many cases MTD results in a patient’s attempt to compensate for another underlying condition or vocal pathology. This results in vocal strain and/or inappropriate vocal use by the patient. Treatment may include education in various voice techniques, laryngeal massage and myofascial release.

Spasmodic Dysphonia:
This is a neurological disorder in which control of laryngeal function is altered. Individuals may complain of a tremor which is often associated with the actual spasm. Two different forms are adductor and abductor. The treatment of choice is combined voice therapy and often botulinum toxin injections.

Presbyphonia “aging voice”:
Presbyphonia results from changes within the vocal folds and respiratory system as a result of age. Often described as an “old-sounding voice”, individuals may complain of reduced vocal intensity, deterioration of voice quality, and complaints of effortful phonation. Treatment often focuses on vocal strengthening exercises.

Giving her clients their voice is what makes Michelle love what she does. Having learned that the transgender patient population is greatly under-served by the medical community, let alone, by speech pathologist, Michelle dedicated significant time in learning how to best serve transgender clients. She was trained by two of the most well respected and published professionals who focus on transgender communication. During voice training each client learns how to communicate verbally in the proper voice and, just as importantly, how to communicate non-verbally. With many happy clients this is an area of Michelle’s private practice that has grown over the years. For more information, please contact us.

Michelle’s background working in an acute inpatient and outpatient hospital setting has given her extensive experience in providing speech and dysphagia therapy services to a variety of individuals. Our programs are tailored to meet the individual patient’s need following a diagnostic work up. Adult patients in need of speech and/or dysphagia therapy services have likely suffered from one of the following events:

• Stroke
• Traumatic Brain Injury
• Parkinson Disease
• Alzheimers
• Head and Neck Cancer

• Flexible and Rigid Laryngoscopy with Stroboscopy
• FEES (Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing)
• Transgender Voice and Communication Training
• Myofascial Release for Head and Neck Disorders
• Laryngeal Massage and Digital Manipulation