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Voice Disorders and Therapy

In this article, I would like to address some frequently asked questions regarding voice
therapy. One of the first questions I am often asked during an evaluation is how long the
therapy will take. While each situation is unique and different, there are general time frames
which one can expect to be reasonable.

Normally, unless the vocal pathology is more severe, in my experience, voice therapy for
adults tends to range from 6 – 10 sessions, and upwards of 10 for more intensive or severe
situations. Regarding children, from my experience I have found that it is reasonable to expect
10-12 sessions though less is a possibility as well.

Is it possible that some poor vocal behaviors will emerge during therapy that were not
present during the evaluation? Certainly. Keep in mind that the evaluation is typically the first
time the patient has met the therapist and as such it is normal that they will speak in a shyer
manner or with a different voice than usual. The patient may even try to bring out a more
improved voice during the evaluation.

Will my son/daughter’s voice be 100 percent perfect on completion of therapy? The
true answer is that every case varies. HOWEVER, I have found that typically when an individual
does the therapy and homework correctly, they will have SIGNIFICANTLY better results.

I’ve been hoarse since I was born, is it possible to improve my voice? Yes. It is certainly
possible to improve such a voice though the nature of voice therapy in this situation does
usually differ from one who has been hoarse say for a month or two.

I have chronic mucus in my throat, is there anything the voice therapy can do to help?
There are techniques which are used to help rid the throat of mucus; however, I have found
that these techniques tend to be at times bothersome and rather one is better off seeing an
ENT for a solution.

And finally, can voice therapy get rid of nodules, polyps, etc…? The answer is yes
however again each case is different. I have had the privilege throughout of helping individuals
avoid surgery on the vocal cords through effective voice therapy. As I mentioned previously,
when the therapy and homework is done properly the results are generally significantly better
in reaching the desired outcome.