Objective:
For singers recovering from muscle tension dysphonia or mucosal injury, recovery often extends far beyond the physical act of phonation. Emotional experiences such as anxiety, perfectionism, and identity disruption can profoundly influence healing and artistic reintegration. Many performers describe feeling psychologically unsafe or misunderstood during recovery, underscoring the need for holistic, interdisciplinary care. This workshop explores how voice-specialized speech-language pathologists (SLPs), singing teachers, and mental health professionals can collaborate to support the full scope of singer wellness. Emphasis will be placed on remaining within each professional’s scope of practice while fostering ethical, counseling-informed communication and mental reframing techniques to restore confidence, self-trust, and emotional safety.
Methods/Design:
Drawing on motivational interviewing (Rollnick & Miller, 1995) and counseling principles within communication sciences (Behrman, 2021; Laures-Gore, 2012), presenters will demonstrate techniques for reflective listening, empathetic feedback, and reframing maladaptive beliefs about injury and performance. Through discussion, case demonstration, and experiential exercises, attendees will practice applying these tools across the SLP–teacher–therapist triad. A collaborating licensed therapist will illustrate referral protocols, boundary navigation, and trauma-informed communication strategies, offering models for psychoeducation and joint care planning that promote both emotional and physiological recovery.
Results:
Case examples will highlight how counseling-informed collaboration improves therapy adherence, reduces performance anxiety, and enhances self-efficacy (Van Houtte et al., 2011; Kittilstved et al., 2020). Participants will develop strategies for responding to emotional disclosure, fostering psychological safety, and integrating mental health professionals as partners in care.
Conclusions:
Counseling-informed voice care bridges the emotional and physiological dimensions of rehabilitation, empowering clinicians to see the singer not only as a voice to be treated, but as a whole person reclaiming artistry and identity. By building interdisciplinary partnerships rooted in empathy, shared language, and ethical scope, SLPs, teachers, and therapists can help singers recover with confidence, resilience, and renewed connection to their instrument.