With the increased attention on cannabis in the media, more attention is being placed in research labs on its health effects. In this brief post, we explore what the current literature says about the impact inhalation of cannabis can have on the voice and how to best educate voice therapy clients who use cannabis regularly.

Long before COVID-19, the communication of misinformation has been an uncontrolled and unchecked global pandemic. At this time, when there is a flurry of information that is ever-changing and becoming increasingly easy to access, how do we protect ourselves from this novel virus as well as the hysteria that evolves from fear-mongering and widespread dissemination of misinformation?

It is well-documented that hormonal changes result in changes in voice quality for speakers and singers. Recent literature supports voice therapy as a way to overcome some of these voice changes as they happen within the menstrual cycle or post menopause.

When deciding whether to use steam or a nebulizer for your voice care needs, here are some important considerations based on the differences between these two methods of external hydration. Remember: knowledge is power when you are trying to make the best choice for your voice.

In this 2019 Pride Month post, we tackle the question on everyone’s tongue- “Is there a gay voice?” We explore the literature and what experts describe as trends in the communication of people who identify as gay. We challenge our perspectives and acknowledge that like sexuality and gender- communication is a dynamic spectrum that can express our individuality, while finding beauty in our similarities.

Learning from the human body about the human body teaches you more than facts- it teaches perspectives that guide truly holistic therapeutic approaches and can empower clients or patients to reclaim control over their bodies that too often we take for granted. “The people who gave their bodies to teach you were fearless advocates for change. A change in perspective. A change in knowledge. A change in our world.”

In this post, dedicated to celebrating International Women’s Day 2019, we discuss what research tells us about how people communicate with women. Women are often talked over, interrupted, or tuned out in professional and personal situations. Voice therapy is a way for anyone to find their voice and learn to be more assertive and confident. Respect is a way for people to allow every voice, regardless of their gender, to be heard.

In this final post of our voice health series for fitness instructors, our speech-language pathologist and voice therapist, Jordan Scholl, offers a useful toolkit of healthy voice tips designed specifically for the intense work of a fitness instructor. Taking into consideration the fact fitness instructors rely on their voice for their livelihood, vocal fitness is an important part of whole-body health.

With recent studies suggesting up to 70% of fitness instructors experience some form of voice disorder during their career- we dig deeper into what impacts the function of the voice and illuminate some of the reasons instructing fitness classes may have damaging effects on the voice.

By popular demand, this blog post introduces a new series of posts to support those who work in the fitness industry on caring for their voice. In this series, we discuss potentially harmful factors unique to working in fitness class settings, tips for caring for your voice, and also how a speech-language pathologist and voice therapist may be able to help rehabilitate or train you to get the most out of your voice.