In It Together: The Voice Stylist
Name: Tina Babajanians
Position/Title: Speech Language Pathologist + Voice Coach
Name of your business/organization: The Voice Stylist
Location of your business/organization: Orange County, California
Website: www.thevoicestylist.com
Social Media (if any): @thevoicestylist on Instagram and Twitter
--
Tell us about business/organization (what type of business/organization is it and why is it unique?): My small business is a female owned and operated private practice centered around voice modification services for the T/GNC community. I also advocate for more voice specialists and speech language pathologists to begin exploring this niche area in our field because we need more competent clinicians serving the T/GNC community.
How did you start your business/organization and tell us how you got to where you are today? I first began exploring gender affirming voice and communication modification several years ago as a young therapist. I would see the occasional client here or there, but always felt like I was missing an important piece of training or life experience to be able to truly walk alongside someone who was in need of gender affirming voice work. So in my spare time I would study, take courses, and began to develop my own set of materials to guide my clinical work. I also began to attend therapy and learned a lot about counseling and human psychology. That was really when I felt prepared to fully launch my practice and step out boldly as an ally and trust myself to journey with my clients to their most optimal vocal expression.
What do you love about your community? The community of speech therapists and voice coaches who practice gender affirming voice are very progressive, compassionate and embrace folks of all walks of life and backgrounds. I love that as a community we always stand for our LGBTQIA+ siblings.
Has your business/organization been impacted by COVID? If so, how? Yes, I am a private pay practice so I certainly saw that as folks were losing their income that it was more challenging for folks to pay for specialized services, like gender affirming voice. However, I looked at the situation as an opportunity to touch more lives through my complimentary 30 minute vocal discovery sessions. So I was able to meet a lot of wonderful people and give them a little hope during a dark time.
What neighboring businesses/organizations do you like/support? I love collaborating with Gather + Grow in Fullerton, CA. They are a mental health practice, very inclusive and affirming folks. I also have collaborated with and support Salon Benders, which is an LGBTQIA+ owned and operated hair salon in Long Beach, CA. In general I am proud to be a part of the Orange County Gender Affirming Providers Network, a group of vetted and active allies who provide all sorts of services to the T/GNC community.
How can we be “in it together”? To be in it together is to pay attention to your neighbor and understand why they express themselves the way they do. Showing compassion allows room for folks to be vulnerable and invites them in for the hard conversations. That is where the work is truly done. Who can we reach out to in our immediate, everyday life? Who is in need of some space, and can we hold it for them. I feel that like of expression of embrace and love is transformative. And through that we can be in it together.
Anything else you’d like to share? I look forward to continuing this work and expanding in ways that are unknown to be at this moment. Thank you for the opportunity to serve this community.
