We hear a lot about "being your best self," and "living your best life." The concept of "self-work" has become a growing staple of our society in terms of emotional well-being and perceived happiness. When it comes to "putting your best foot forward," we not only consider how we present to others externally in our appearance and demeanor, but also what characteristics we tap into internally to drive us .
So what does "sounding your best, inside and out” look like? In my experience, sounding your best “inside” means you not only like how you sound to yourself, but the journey to a better voice is often shaped by a person’s willingness to explore and grow internally in areas such as self-awareness, mindfulness, ownership of their voice, and acknowledgement of voice behaviors and related lifestyle choices.
Additionally, my goal in helping others improve or modify the sound of their voice quality can sometimes reveal what’s happening on the inside, such as stress, illness, muscle tension, chronic habits, or trauma. Many of my patients and clients are always surprised and intrigued to learn about the many factors that may impact your voice! The healing of these internal factors are oftentimes a piece of the puzzle to healing or improving the voice externally, or in other words: sounding our best, inside and out!
I am so passionate about the importance and value of the voice. I absolutely love working with individuals to help heal or improve their voices by learning how to keep their voice strong, resonant, and healthy and putting this into practice. I’d love to hear your voice story and learn how the phrase “sounding your best, inside and out” resonates with you!
Jessica Schwartz Smith, MS, CCC-SLP is a licensed and certified speech-language pathologist in Pennsylvania and North Carolina. She is the owner of Resonate Voice and Speech Services, a speech therapy practice based in Philadelphia that specializes in voice disorders, chronic cough, VCD/PVFM, gender affirming voice therapy, and adult dysphagia.