I am a Voice Specialist Speech and Language Therapist with 21 years of experience supporting individuals to help manage or overcome their voice difficulties through goal-focused voice therapy, vocal rehabilitation and multidisciplinary working. I have a particular interest and extensive 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. I support clients to achieve a healthier, stronger and more reliable voice, whether recovering from injury or managing a diagnosed voice condition.
As Clinical Lead for Voice at Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, I run specialist voice therapy clinics, joint ENT and Speech and Language Therapy clinics, and a dedicated BAPAM-recognised Performer and Professional Voice Clinic. Regular joint working with an ENT Consultant with a specialist interest in voice and a Singing Specialist Vocal Rehabilitation Coach, we provide detailed assessment and guide personalised treatment from laryngoscopy findings with stroboscopy. Alongside my NHS role, I offer private voice therapy input in Altrincham, Greater Manchester, Liverpool and online.
My assessments consider posture, breathing, laryngopharyngeal function, resonance, articulatory patterns and psychological factors that can influence vocal health. I regularly update my clinical skills through continued professional development in attending conferences and training in approaches including SOVTE, LAX Vox, DoctorVox, Accent Method, Practical Voice Skills, Estill Voice Training, Primal Voice and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), allowing me to tailor treatment to each individual's needs.
I provide:
· Voice assessment and vocal health consultations with advice
· Joint ENT and Speech and Language Therapy assessment (subject to clinic and Consultant availability) including visual biofeedback during laryngoscopy
· Voice therapy for a wide range of conditions following ENT or voice clinic diagnosis, including functional dysphonia, muscle tension dysphonia, vocal nodules, vocal fold paresis or palsy, spasmodic dysphonia, presbyphonia and puberphonia.
· Pre- and post-operative voice therapy for unilateral vocal polyps, vocal fold paresis, paralysis or palsy, vocal cysts, sulcus vocalis and vocal fold papilloma.
· Vocal rehabilitation following vocal fold haemorrhage.
· Laryngeal manual therapy.
· Clinical supervision for voice specialist Speech and Language Therapists, singing teachers and vocal coaches working with rehabilitation clients.
Alongside my clinical practice, I contribute to education and professional development. I help organise training events for the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists North West Clinical Excellence Network and regularly present at national conferences, including the Association of Teachers of Singing (AOTOS), Newcastle Voice Conference and the British Voice Association (BVA). 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 also provided training for creative professionals, actors and singers through BAPAM events.