AR Gould gender affirming voice therapy program growing
Date: 06/13/2024
Presque Isle, Maine (June 13, 2024) — Northern Light AR Gould Hospital is committed to providing inclusive and respectful care to all the members of our community. In honor of Pride Month, the hospital is sharing news about its unique Gender Affirming Voice Therapy (GAVT) program which is growing in demand locally and across the state.
GAVT is a type of voice/communication training provided by the hospital’s Speech Language Pathologists, commonly called speech therapists, to help transgender and gender non-confirming individuals develop their voice and communication so that it better matches their gender identity and/or gender expression.
“Voice is a significant part of a patient’s identity,” explains Robby Desjardins, MA, CCC-SLP, the lead speech language pathologist at AR Gould and creator of their GAVT program. “While voice has always played a role in how an individual sees or feels about themselves, the significance is now greater than ever with the transition to more virtual connections since COVID.”
This is a sentiment echoed by Kiradwen Libby, a patient who has been undergoing this therapy.
“I work in a customer service position over the phone. Before I started with [this therapy], I was misgendered almost every call. But with their help and guidance, along with putting into practice the exercises and techniques they teach, over time I am hardly ever misgendered anymore. It took time and a lot of work, but I never would have gotten where I am without their help,” she says.
During GAVT, the speech therapist works with the patient to assess and treat a variety of aspects of a person’s verbal and non-verbal communication. This includes things like pitch, intonation, resonance, rhythm, rate, and articulation of speech. Treatment is highly individualized for specific needs of each participant. By the end of the program, they can use skills and strategies learned to further develop their voice throughout the course of their own transition or gender affirming journeys.
Desjardins had a vision of bringing gender affirming voice therapy to the region ever since he started at AR Gould in the fall of 2019. After receiving training, building competencies, and ensuring a safe and welcome environment for patients, the program was launched in the spring of 2020.
This therapy program has quickly grown, with patients being seen from all over Maine either by telehealth or in person. Jada Kuhn, MA, MS, CCC-SLP, has now joined Desjardins in providing this therapy to improve access to this in-demand service.
“I can’t say enough good about Robby, his skills, compassion, and connection with the patient. He honestly cares about us as individuals and wants to help equip us with the tools we need to accomplish our goals of having our voices sound more authentic to our gender,” says Libby. “I have recently started working with Jada, and she is as enthusiastic and compassionate as Robby in helping patients work toward their goals. She has gone outside the box with exercises to help me.”
Results from the gender affirming voice therapy program have been impressive, as can be heard in pre- and post-therapy voice recordings.
“These successes are life changing for our patients as they ensure their voices are representative of their gender expression,” says Desjardins.
AR Gould Hospital will have a table at Pride Aroostook, which takes place this Saturday, June 15, from 3-7 pm at Riverside Park in Presque Isle. Those interested in learning more about gender affirming voice therapy and the many other services offered through AR Gould Hospital are invited to stop by the table.