Broad Category
Biography
I am a Voice Specialist Speech and Language Therapist with 22 years of experience supporting individuals to help manage or resolve their voice difficulties and support them to restore optimal vocal function after laryngeal examination through goal-focused patient-centred voice therapy and vocal rehabilitation in the NHS and in private practice. I have a particular interest, and experience, in working with professional voice users who rely on their voice for their career, including contemporary commercial singers, professional performing artists, musical theatre performers (including those performing in the West End), classical singers, television, soap and stage actors, student performers, and vocal coaches.
In my NHS role at Broadgreen Hosptial, University Hospitals of Liverpool Group, I see performers with new persisting voice problems for assessment including case history and Laryngoscopy and Videostroboscopy in a dedicated BAPAM-recognised Performer and Professional Voice Clinic following GP referral. I work regularly with an ENT Consultant with a specialist interest in voice and a clinically based vocal rehabilitation coach in assessment and multidisciplinary treatment planning.
Alongside my NHS role, I offer private voice therapy input in Altrincham, Greater Manchester, Liverpool and online, arranged via charity funding, self funding or health insurance.
I regularly update my clinical skills through continued professional development (CPD) in reflective practice, clinical supervision, attending conferences, training and learning through joint working and treatment outcome evaluation. I am HCPC and RCSLT registered.
I have experience in working with a wide range of conditions following and during laryngeal examination, including functional dysphonia, muscle tension dysphonia, vocal nodules, vocal fold paresis or palsy, spasmodic dysphonia, presbyphonia and puberphonia, vocal fold haemorrhage, unilateral vocal polyps, vocal fold paresis, paralysis or palsy, vocal cysts, sulcus vocalis and vocal fold papilloma.
I work with a variety of treatment approaches in primary voice therapy and pre and post surgical voice therapy including SOVTE’s, accent method, laryngeal manual therapy, tension release, somatosensory awareness, postural alignment and relaxation and with consideration of the interrelationship of underlying medical, environmental, biomechanical and psychosocial factors.
Alongside my clinical practice, I contribute to education, professional development and clinical supervision. I help organise training events for the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists North West Clinical Excellence Network. I have provided training for creative professionals, actors and singers through BAPAM events. I am a guest lecturer at the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM), where I deliver teaching on vocal health and vocal mechanics to undergraduate and postgraduate students. I have presented at national conferences, including the Association of Teachers of Singing (AOTOS), the Newcastle Voice Conference and the British Voice Association (BVA).