This experiential session is designed for people who stutter who are curious about the physical aspect of their speech – specifically, the role that laryngeal tension, breathing patterns, and muscle effort play in stuttering. This session invites participants to explore their own vocal tract with curiosity, try some gentle voice-therapy-based techniques, and decide for themselves what feels useful.
Participants will gain a better understanding of the physiology of voice production and a greater awareness of the role of tension in stuttering. They will learn and experiment with some tools for vocal exploration. Some will find the explored techniques personally useful, something to experiment with on their own, as they require no equipment and no clinician to practice. Others, who will find the techniques less relevant, may benefit from having discussed their experience in a group setting.
About the presenters
Yana Melnikova
Yana is a speech-language therapist and a voice-over artist. She practices in English, Russian, and French, and works with people who stutter and people with voice disorders at the Clinique universitaire en orthophonie et en audiologie de l’Université de Montréal.