Humans of UNAC/UHCP: Amy Gallo, SLP
“Having a voice is a fundamental part of our identity. Voice is a deeply personal quality; losing it can be physically and emotionally debilitating. We all deserve to have a voice that reflects who we are inside.
“I am originally from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and moved to California in 2007 with a teaching credential. In 2008/2009, during economic challenges, I was fortunate to meet someone who helped me combine my teaching skills and interest in neurology into a career in speech-language pathology.
“I have been with Kaiser Permanente for nearly nine years, working at the Vandever medical offices near Zion Hospital in San Diego. I specialize in voice feminization and masculinization therapy to help people during their transition. The goal is to create a voice that’s more in line with who they are inside.
“Voice therapy falls within our scope of practice, and I have always wanted to help people. I recognized a need for this type of therapy and jumped at the opportunity to learn. My clientele, ranging from teens to 70-year-olds, has continued to grow and flourish. They are eligible for Kaiser gender transition services, including voice therapy.
“When clients see me, we discuss their goals and how we can help them achieve them. I primarily work on voice feminization, which involves teaching people to retrain their voice, breathing, and speaking. We also focus on nonverbal cues such as body language and speech intonation patterns.
“Some people are at the very beginning of their transition, arriving with a voice they don’t identify with. I teach them therapeutic exercises and strategies to help them speak in a way that is more aligned with their gender in a healthy way.
“Other people may come in after they’ve already transitioned. Sometimes they want to know from a professional’s perspective: How do I land? We’re able to show them different graphs of where their voice lands as far as the pitch scale and give them a little peace of mind or reassurance.
“They want to know: How should I sit? What should I do with my legs? What should I do with my hands? How should I laugh? How should I cough? We can provide just tips and tools to help across all areas of verbal and nonverbal communication.
“As speech-language pathologists, we learn how to train someone to speak more clearly or to be able to speak for longer periods of time without losing their voice or experiencing pain. Specifically, we learned more about the differences between male and female patterns, pitch ranges, and use of non-verbal communication.
“I am beyond impressed with what Kaiser offers this community, providing inclusive services that allow people to create the life that they deserve to live, with as much confidence as possible.
“I do this work because it’s a privilege to help people find and embrace their true voice.”