Voice and Communication Therapy with Trans and Non-Binary People: Sharing the Clinical Space

Specifically aimed at Speech and Language Therapists (SLTs) and voice practitioners, this book follows up from the authors' first book, The Voice Book for Trans and Non-Binary People. It sets out cultural competence, psychological and vocal skills, group activities and improvisations frameworks and exercises to helps SLTs develop their skills for working with trans and non-binary clients, including facilitation and coaching, emotional intelligence, role-play and solution-focused therapy, narrative therapy practices. It also includes many contributions from the trans community and a range of clinical professionals to emphasise the collaborative space. Written by two leading authorities on voice and communication therapy for trans people, this is an essential and authoritative resource for anyone working with trans and non-binary clients who are seeking their voice exploration.

Table of Contents:
Introduction. 1. The Gender Space: Towards Effective Allyship. 2. The Psychological Space: Therapeutic Alliance. 3. The Vocal Space: Felt Sense and Coaching. 4. The Social Space: Contextual Awareness. 5. Space: Building Communities. Conclusion.

About the Author :
Matthew Mills is a Lead Specialist Speech and Language Therapist and Head of Speech Therapy at the 'Charing Cross' Gender Identity Clinic, London. He is a National Advisor for the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists in trans and non-binary voice and communication therapy and isthe President of the British Association of Gender Identity Specialists. He gives training and presents on transgender voice and communication in the UK and at international conferences. Gillie Stoneham is a Senior Lecturer at Plymouth Marjon University and an Advanced Specialist Speech and Language Therapist at the 'Charing Cross' Gender Identity Clinic, London. She also runs a consultancy specialising in voice and personal impact coaching. She presents on transgender voice and communication in the UK and at international conferences. Meg-John Barker is a writer, therapist, and activist-academic specialising in sex, gender and relationships. They are a senior lecturer in psychology at the Open University. @megjohnbarker on Twitter.

Review :
Complementing their previous self-help book for trans people, the same authors have now turned their attention to helping speech and language therapists develop their own skills too, harnessing a wide range of expert knowledge. I had always imagined SLT to be a discipline mainly focused on technique and exercise. What I got from this book, above all, was an understanding that it is a far more holistic process, reaching into the psychological domain and framing identity as the foundation of vocal presentation. This book is required reading for all practitioners who work at the complex intersection of voice, gender and identity. Based on vivid and extensive documentation of the lived experience, it provides insightful and exceptional understanding, together with clear practical approaches. Both radical in its inclusivity and heroic in its challenge, it is a vital text for all those who endorse the right to vocal autonomy. Coming out as one's true self, and speaking in a voice which we feel is intrinsically our own, are acts of protest, courage and resilience. This book indeed goes beyond a training guide for voice teachers, therapists and gender specialists. This is a book about identity and social justice: it champions collaboration with the community, and makes explicit the power dynamics in the clinical context. This dynamic book draws upon the perspectives of trans and non-binary people and highly experienced and creative voice practitioners to present a philosophically original, practical and integrated approach to voice and communication work. It is psychologically challenging in the best possible ways and highlights how deeper levels of reflexivity on the part of therapists and clients can overcome subconscious biases that may influence or limit our approaches to this important work. It is refreshing in its inclusion of so many different voices, and has prompted me to think differently about how I would now enter this therapeutic space.