Voice Therapy
Supporting healthy, comfortable and confident voice use
Our voice allows us to communicate, express ourselves and connect with others every day. When the voice becomes consistently hoarse, raspy, strained or difficult to use, it can affect communication, participation and quality of life.
At SLP Therapy & Me, we provide evidence-based, individualised voice assessment and therapy for children, adolescents and adults experiencing voice difficulties. Therapy is tailored to your individual needs and focuses on developing healthy voice habits, reducing vocal strain and supporting comfortable, confident communication.
Understanding voice disorders
A voice disorder occurs when the quality, pitch, loudness or effort required to produce your voice is different from what is typical for you.
Some voice changes are temporary - for example, after a cold or cheering loudly at a sporting event. However, when voice changes persist for several weeks, occur regularly or begin affecting everyday communication, they may benefit from assessment by a speech pathologist.
Voice disorders can have many causes, including vocal overuse, inefficient voice use, vocal fold changes or underlying medical conditions. An assessment helps identify possible contributing factors and guides the most appropriate management.
Signs you or your child might benefit from voice therapy
You may notice that you or your child:
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has a consistently hoarse, raspy or breathy voice
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frequently loses their voice
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experiences vocal fatigue after talking
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needs to strain or push to produce their voice
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has a voice that sounds unusually quiet or weak
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experiences discomfort or pain when speaking
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coughs or clears their throat frequently
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has ongoing voice changes lasting longer than a few weeks
If you’re concerned about ongoing changes to your or your child’s voice, an assessment can help determine whether voice therapy is appropriate.
How we can help
Persistent Hoarseness
Some children and adults develop ongoing hoarseness that doesn’t improve with time. Therapy focuses on identifying factors that may be contributing to the hoarse voice and developing healthier voice use through education, practical strategies and individualised exercises.
Vocal Fatigue & Strain
If speaking feels tiring, effortful or uncomfortable, therapy can help identify inefficient voice use and develop strategies that reduce strain during everyday communication. The goal is to make speaking feel more comfortable and sustainable throughout the day.
Vocal Hygiene
Healthy voice use involves more than just speaking differently. Therapy includes education about hydration, voice care, managing vocal load and reducing behaviours that may contribute to vocal strain, helping to support long-term vocal health.
Voice Therapy following Medical Assessment
Some voice disorders require assessment by an Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) specialist before speech pathology intervention. Where appropriate, we work collaboratively with your ENT and other healthcare professionals to provide therapy that complements your medical management and supports your voice goals.
Individualised Voice Rehabilitation
Every person’s voice demands are different. Whether you’re a child who loves chatting with friends, a teacher who speaks all day or someone whose voice is important for work, therapy is tailored to your individual lifestyle, communication needs and goals.
What does a voice assessment involve?
A voice assessment helps us understand how your voice is functioning, how your voice difficulties are affecting everyday life and whether voice therapy is recommended. During the assessment, we may:
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discuss your or your child’s medical and voice history
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explore when the voice changes occur and any contributing factors
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listen to and assess voice quality during a range of speaking tasks
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discuss how voice difficulties are affecting communication, school, work or daily activities
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identify any factors that may require referral to an ENT or another healthcare professional
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answer any questions you may have
Following the assessment, we’ll explain the findings, discuss recommendations and, if appropriate, develop an individualised therapy plan tailored to your goals.
What does voice therapy involve?
Every voice is unique, so therapy is tailored to your individual needs, lifestyle and communication demands.
Sessions are evidence-based, practical and goal-focused. Therapy may include education about healthy voice use, exercises to improve vocal efficiency, strategies to reduce vocal strain and activities that help transfer new skills into everyday communication.
An important part of therapy is applying strategies outside of sessions. We’ll provide practical home practice and voice care recommendations to help support long-term improvements and promote healthy voice use.
Where appropriate, we also work collaboratively with ENTs, GPs and other healthcare professionals to ensure therapy is coordinated and aligned with your medical care.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it normal for my child to sound hoarse?
Many children experience temporary hoarseness after illness or lots of voice use. However, if your child’s voice is consistently hoarse, raspy or strained, or if they frequently lose their voice, it’s worth having it assessed. Persistent voice changes are not considered a typical part of development.
Will my child need to see an ENT?
Sometimes. If there are concerns about the health or structure of the vocal folds, we may recommend an assessment by an Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) specialist. This helps ensure we understand the underlying cause of the voice changes and can provide the most appropriate therapy.
Can voice therapy help adults too?
Absolutely. Voice therapy can benefit adolescents and adults experiencing persistent hoarseness, vocal fatigue, strain or other voice difficulties. Therapy is tailored to your individual communication needs and goals.
How long will voice therapy take?
Every person progresses at their own pace. The length of therapy depends on the underlying cause of the voice difficulties, your goals and how consistently strategies are implemented between sessions. Regular home practice and applying voice care strategies in everyday life can have a significant impact on progress. Following an assessment, we’ll discuss recommendations tailored to your individual needs.
Can I prevent voice problems?
While not all voice disorders can be prevented, healthy voice habits can reduce the risk of vocal strain. Staying well hydrated, avoiding excessive shouting, allowing your voice time to recover when it’s tired and following recommendations from your speech pathologist or medical team can all support long-term vocal health.
Ready to take the next step?
If you’re concerned about persistent voice changes in yourself or your child, we’d love to help. Together, we can better understand what’s contributing to the voice difficulties and develop an individualised therapy plan that supports healthy, comfortable and confident communication.