Art by Karina Kaye. She says “My work explores how visual art can act as a visual distraction from pain”
We want to be who we are. We want to be our authentic selves. Who owns the definition of ‘authenticity’ can get tangled up in the pressures that bear down on us consciously or unconsciously. We want to sound like ‘ourselves’. For some people, particularly those I work with at the London Gender Identity Clinic, are on a journey from a very known and familiar place to an unknown and unfamiliar place (Michael White). Many of the trans women want to expand their voices out to sound more feminine and to express in their voices what they have always felt like on the inside. They may struggle with the stereotypes of what a woman should sound like and judge themselves harshly on this, or feel fear or shame. Others are very accepting of their voice and are not afraid to communicate with whatever their voice sounds like. The dysphoria regarding the voice can be intense and painful.
I endeavour to support my clients to move towards a more comfortable place in themselves about how they sound, both through vocal exploration and emotional support. The key to this is to not fall into the heterocisnormative judgement of what the voice must be like.
The aim is to guide my clients to feel compassion towards their voices, to go on a journey of discovery and find their authentic voice. This is what true freedom to express oneself from the inside out is all about.
Voice & Communication Clinic 