A Simple Way to Keep Clients Motivated in Voice Therapy
As voice therapists, we know the steps and actions necessary for our clients to correct their voice problems, and we spend a great deal of time and effort designing therapy programs for each individual client. A common problem we face is that clients don’t make follow-up appointments or continue with therapy. As a result, time is lost and clients don’t resolve their voice problems. We want to keep our clients motivated so they don’t stop before they even begin!
Client Involvement
Client involvement is a key part of voice therapy. It typically takes 3-5 sessions before normal use of voice begins to return, so keeping your client involved is imperative. To help your clients stay motivated, teach them self-monitoring skills – if they sense their voice changes in the first visit, they’ll be more likely to follow through with treatment.
Self-Reinforcing Voice Therapy
Get your client to See, Feel, and Hear the improvements they can make. Provide tactile and visual cues for motivation. In the very first visit, you can teach your client a better, less-stressed oral and laryngeal resting posture. They can easily practice this in a variety of situations for more successful and self-reinforcing therapy.
- Teach your client how to feel the correct oral resting posture and how this allows the larynx to release.
- Use a mirror or video for feedback to help your client focus on changes.
- Allow your client to feel that the mandible is slightly opened and that the oral space also feels more open.
By engaging the client in the Resonant Voice practice and using the oral and laryngeal resting posture on Day 1, you can help them progress more rapidly. Most clients can readily feel the change made with the oral posture of the tongue and mandible, as well as changes felt at the larynx. The vibration your client senses helps them identify the target sound and feeling.
Keep the early tasks in therapy simple, replicable, and meaningful to help your clients adhere to the therapy work that you’ve carefully and expertly designed.
