Creative VoiceWork

Some of the Benefits of Creative VoiceWork

• Develop sense of competence
• Enhance personal ‘presence’
• Increase self-confidence and assertiveness
• Connect to your passion
• Release blocked emotions
• Increase performance effectiveness
• Develop creativity
• Overcome reticence to speak up
• Increase ability to be clear and persuasive in personal or professional communications

Creative VoiceWork, based in Voice Movement Therapy, uses the exploration and development of the voice as the primary vehicle for enhancing the well-being of the client.

To hear Deborah talk about Creative Voicework follow this link.

It Begins with Breath

In order to produce a relaxed and embodied sound the source must be felt to be deep in the belly.  Most of us have developed the habit of having a shallow breath, focused primarily in the upper chest.  This is related to the ‘above-the-neck’ perspective that the words we speak are the message.  However, it is the texture of the voice – pitch, volume, resonance, placement, etc. – that carries the full meaning of the message.  When we are breathing deeply into the body the words and the texture of the voice are working in harmony to express the whole message.

Your Body Knows How to Do This

Many of us work way too hard at making sound happen.  We involve muscles and create tensions that hinder us rather than helping.  When we begin to trust our body and psyche to express our inner state, and when we know we are in a safe environment, we relax and allow our voice to develop in its own time.  I am always encouraged when someone I am working with begins to yawn because it is a sign that the body and psyche are beginning to allow relaxation in the vocal instrument.

The Voice Loves to Play

Most people come to this work motivated by a serious need – often including past trauma.  So it is very important that clients feel safe in their physical, vocal and emotional explorations.  And, while I take this sense of safety very seriously, I often find that the most productive environment is one of play.  If the client can relax their serious intentions long enough to play with the voice, the opening that is created is often enough to allow the voice to move through its previous limitations and surprise everyone.

The Creative Voice

The voice is primarily designed to express our inner state – be it angry, sad, lonely or sublimely happy – NOT for the purpose of communicating to others, but for the innate satisfaction of pure, uninhibited self-declaration.  As we grow up in limited and limiting environments, we learn to silence and even bury some emotions, thoughts and knowings.  This silencing is a collusion between the psyche and the body.  Since the vocal instrument lies at the intersection of these, Creative VoiceWork address both the physical and the psychological.  To this end, clients are often encouraged to process the material that arises in a variety of ways, drawing a picture, writing a journal entry or a poem, dancing a song or singing a piece of art.  The creative self is invited to come out and play.

The Presence of Spirit

Voice Movement Therapy, from which Creative VoiceWork arises, is grounded in both traditional psychology and the principles of expressive arts therapy.  I have worked for over twenty years in the behavioral health field and have a similar grounding in the best practices of facilitating personal growth.  And, being a deeply spiritual person, I find myself sourcing spirit more and more often in both my personal and professional activities.  I have no desire to impose any set of beliefs on my clients and it is quite likely that this will never come up.  However, as my work is that of expressing and empowering all the important bits of the self it seems important to be clear and explicit about this aspect of what I bring to my work.

To learn more about Voice Movement Therapy visit the International Association for Voice Movement Therapy.

One Frequently Asked Question

Do I have to be able to sing to do Creative VoiceWork?  

Creative VoiceWork is appropriate for people whose main goals have nothing to do with singing.  It is sometimes very helpful to use singing to explore and develop certain aspects of the voice, but it is not necessary to be a proficient singer.  Some clients who started out not wanting to sing at all, later found themselves enjoying this part of the work and wanting to pursue it further.