The Professional Voice Center of Greater Cincinnati - ProVoice Center

07/12/2022

We are looking to add a front desk member to our team! Follow this link for details and to apply.

12/10/2020

ProVoice Clinicians love to provide vocal athletes with tools to maintain vocal health. As part of this mission, we offer workshops/lectures on Maintaining Vocal Health virtually, or at your school or workplace. These workshops are designed to provide voice users with tools to keep the voice healthy as well as recognize common complaints and problems which may indicate a vocal pathology.

Specific groups that may benefit from Vocal Health Workshops include (but are not limited to) educators, singers, coaches, fitness instructors, worship team members, actors, choir singers, directors, and/or music educators.

To schedule an Educational Outreach Workshop or Lecture, please contact us!

ProVoice Clinicians love to provide vocal athletes with tools to maintain vocal health. As part of this mission, we offer workshops/lectures on Maintaining Vocal Health at your school or workplace. These workshops are designed to provide voice users with tools to keep the voice healthy as well as re...

12/01/2020

At ProVoice Center, gender affirmative communication training is designed on an individual basis for each client. Gender diverse patients are provided with tools and exercises to aid in voice modification (feminization and/or masculinization of voice) with a goal of discovering and developing an authentic voice. We endeavor to maximize total communication, including not only aspects of voice such as conversational pitch, resonance, and inflection/prosody, but also nonverbal communication.

Gender affirmative communication training, or voice modification therapy, is designed on an individual basis for each client. Gender diverse patients are provided with tools and exercises to aid in voice modification (feminization and/or masculinization of voice) with a goal of discovering and devel...

11/16/2020

Professional voice users (singers, actors, and professional speakers), are a unique category of patients at ProVoice Center who often require specialized services. A singing voice specialist at ProVoice Center may conduct a singing or speaking voice evaluation for the injured vocal athlete™.

Our singing voice specialists’ clinical work includes providing voice evaluations and therapy for singers and actors locally (Cincinnati Opera, Cincinnati Broadway Series, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Dayton Opera, Dayton Broadway Series, Wright State University, Cincinnati Conservatory of Music) and nationally (Broadway artists, Television, National Broadway Tours, Opera Companies throughout the USA).

Professional voice users (singers, actors, and professional speakers), are a unique category of patients at ProVoice Center who often require specialized services. A singing voice specialist at ProVoice Center may conduct a singing or speaking voice evaluation for the injured vocal athlete™. Our s...

10/26/2020

The ProVoice Center care team is comprised of voice pathologists, a dysphagia specialist, and singing voice specialists with experience evaluating and treating disorders of voice, swallowing, and upper airway. ProVoice clinicians are dedicated to helping patients maintain the best voice and swallowing function.

At ProVoice Center, patients are encouraged to be active participants in treatment and are provided with individualized information targeted to increase their understanding of the problem, which often helps to shorten recovery time.

Additionally, ProVoice Center is dedicated to educating the public and related professionals in the areas of vocal health and management of disorders to empower those who rely on their voices for their livelihood.

To learn more about ProVoice Center and our clinicians, check out our website at www.ProVoiceCenter.com

10/13/2020

Excessive muscle tension in any part of the vocal mechanism can result in hoarseness, throat pain/discomfort, and possibly contribute to upper airway issues.

Laryngeal massage and myofascial release are used to supplement other aspects of voice therapy. Laryngeal massage is a manual technique to facilitate reduction and elimination of tension in the laryngeal muscles to permit normal movement and vibration of the vocal folds and maximize vocal fold opening for breathing. Myofascial release a is gentle type of massage targeted to release tissue restrictions in the neck, back, chest, and abdominals. Eliminating the restrictions in these areas permits the vocal folds to move and vibrate normally, enhances the resonance of the voice, and improves vocal fold mobility for breathing and voice.

ProVoice Center Voice Pathologists are trained and skilled in providing Myofascial Release as a therapeutic modality to reduce and eliminate tension and restrictions that cause symptoms of discomfort and/or pain.

10/08/2020

If testing indicates that your voice problem warrants therapeutic intervention, then you are encouraged to enroll in a formal voice therapy program. Voice therapy draws from concepts of exercise physiology and can be compared to “physical therapy” for the larynx or voice box. Much like your knee or ankle, the larynx is made up of cartilages, ligaments, and muscles. To treat a knee or ankle injury, a physical therapist would oversee rest, rehabilitative exercise, and reintegration into your normal life. When your larynx is injured, a similar progression to recondition the voice is often appropriate. The exercises you learn in voice therapy are the rehabilitation portion of the healing process for a vocal injury or voice change.

Voice therapy at ProVoice Center is overseen by your voice pathologist, who will design an individualized program to strengthen and balance your vocal mechanism. During therapy sessions, you receive specialized instruction on how to perform appropriate voice exercises and how to care for your voice. You will practice your exercises at home and return to the clinic for monitoring of your progress.

If testing indicates that your voice problem warrants therapeutic intervention, then you are encouraged to enroll in a formal voice therapy program. Voice therapy draws from concepts of exercise physiology and can be compared to “physical therapy” for the larynx or voice box. Much like your knee...

09/28/2020

When you are experiencing a voice problem such as hoarseness, loss of range, vocal fatigue, throat discomfort with voice use, or increased effort to make sound, Laryngeal Videostroboscopy is the gold standard method of evaluation to visualize the vocal folds in action.

This non-invasive, painless technology provides the voice pathologist and the physician with outstanding views of the larynx and the vibrating vocal folds from above. By watching the vocal folds vibrate, the examiner is able to check for stiffness, irregularity of movement, closure patterns, and other disorders related to the motion of the vocal folds, which may cause your symptoms. This is captured onto digital media and then reviewed with you at the end of the examination, so you come away from your appointment with test results and a plan of treatment that day.

If you would like to schedule a laryngeal videostrobe, contact ProVoice Center today!

Our hi-definition, state-of-the-art videostroboscopy equipment provides a specialized view of the vocal folds (vocal cords) and how they vibrate when you make sound. By watching the vocal folds vibrate, the examiner is able to check for stiffness, irregularity of movement, closure patterns, and othe...

09/22/2020

If you see your doctor for complaints related to swallowing, you may be referred for a FEES exam or for a clinical swallowing evaluation.

To learn more about these services, check out our website links below.

https://www.provoicecenter.com/flexible-endoscopic-evaluation-of-swallowing-fees-exam

https://www.provoicecenter.com/clinical-swallowing-evaluation

A clinical swallowing evaluation is a non-instrumental evaluation of your swallowing function. The clinician will ask a detailed history of your swallowing complaints. Then the clinician will complete an examination of the muscles of your face and throat. You will be given different types of foods a...

09/18/2020

Did you know that teachers are considered professional voice users?
Educators require frequent voice use for their livelihood and often experience voice-related symptoms such as vocal fatigue, hoarseness, or throat discomfort due to a heavy vocal load.

This year is presenting with new challenges for educators, who may be teaching online or wearing masks while teaching in the classroom. If you are struggling with voice-related symptoms, contact ProVoice Center to schedule an evaluation and treatment. We are here to help!

Professional voice users include anyone who requires heavy voice use for their livelihood. This population includes teachers/educators, customer service representatives, administrative assistants, salespeople, servers, call center workers, and anyone else who speaks frequently in their job. These in...

09/14/2020

Meet ProVoice Voice Pathologist & Swallowing Specialist, Courtney Ventus, M.S., CCC-SLP

Courtney Ventus M.S., CCC-SLP, is a swallowing specialist, and voice pathologist at the Blaine Block Institute for Voice Analysis and Rehabilitation (BBIVAR) and The Professional Voice Center of Greater Cincinnati (ProVoice Center). She received her Bachelor of Science degree in communication sciences and disorders from the University of Cincinnati, and her Masters of Science degree in speech language pathology from Miami University of Ohio.

Courtney completed her clinical fellowship at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Level 1 Trauma Hospital. During her Clinical fellowship, she specialized in dysphagia and voice rehabilitation with head and neck cancer, airway management, and trauma patients.

Courtney's clinical interests include dysphagia, head and neck cancer, laryngectomy, and adult airway management. Her research interests include non-traditional pathophysiologies of dysphagia and acute onset dysphagia. Courtney has presented at Ohio Speech Language Hearing Association (OSHLA) on dysphagia, 2015, and upper airway disorders, 2017.

Courtney Ventus M.S., CCC-SLP, is a swallowing specialist, and voice pathologist at the Blaine Block Institute for Voice Analysis and Rehabilitation (BBIVAR) and The Professional Voice Center of Greater Cincinnati (ProVoice Center). She received her Bachelor of Science degree in communication scienc...

09/08/2020

Meet ProVoice Center Voice Pathologist & Singing Voice Specialist, Erin Donahue, B.M., M.A., CCC-SLP

Erin N. Donahue, B.M., M.A., CCC-SLP, is a voice pathologist and singing voice specialist at the Blaine Block Institute for Voice Analysis and Rehabilitation (BBIVAR) and the Professional Voice Center of Greater Cincinnati (ProVoice Center). As an undergraduate student, Erin attended the University of Florida and earned degrees in Vocal Performance and Communication Sciences and Disorders (B.M. & B.A. 2010). She received her Master of Arts degree in Speech Language Pathology from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. During her time at Miami University, her master’s thesis focused on the prevalence of vocal pathology and reported vocal habits in incoming conservatory musical theatre students, results of which she later published in Journal of Voice and presented at The Fall Voice Conference.

Erin’s professional interests include rehabilitation of singing voice, gender affirmative voice therapy, and professional voice users. She also has a special interest in preventative voice care. She frequently lectures and teaches workshops to various groups such as singers, educators, and vocal performance students on the topics of best practices for maintaining optimal vocal health, vocal anatomy/physiology, and vocal pathology. Erin has also been an invited speaker at conferences focused on transgender singing voice on topics related to physiology of voice and voice modification therapy for gender diverse individuals.

Erin has authored multiple articles related to voice for various publications including Journal of Voice, ASHA SIG-3 Perspectives, Chorus America, Otolaryngologic Clinics of North America, and Voice and Speech Review. She developed a training module for graduate student clinicians on evaluation and treatment for a voice feminization patient. Erin also co-authored the 2nd edition of Rating Laryngeal Videostroboscopy and Acoustic Recordings: Normal and Pathologic Samples as well as an exercise in The Vocal Athlete: Application and Techniques for the Hybrid Singer with Dr. LeBorgne. Erin continues to perform locally at a professional level.

Erin N. Donahue, B.M., M.A., CCC-SLP, is a voice pathologist and singing voice specialist at the Blaine Block Institute for Voice Analysis and Rehabilitation (BBIVAR) and the Professional Voice Center of Greater Cincinnati (ProVoice Center). As an undergraduate student, Erin attended the University....