Confident speaking

How we sound can sometimes get in the way of being heard. Many people can feel and act less confident when communicating in particular contexts. Other people may actually feel confident but their speech doesn’t reflect that confidence. Do you find yourself in one of these situations?

• Feeling shy when talking in a group

• Finding it difficult to leave a short, clear phone message

• Being taken less seriously or being devalued for sounding too feminine, too quiet, too young, too old, or too casual

• Feeling nervous at an interview

• Finding it difficult to speak consistently confident in virtual vs. in-person interactions

• Lacking confidence when interacting with your professional superiors

• Lacking assertiveness as someone with professional authority

• Finding it difficult to self-advocate in social or professional situations

• Lacking confidence or being unmemorable when making a first impression

Voice and communication training can be a useful tool to help you gain confidence in professional and social situations, and even gain respect if you feel that you are mistreated or wrongly perceived for how you sound. This can be done by combining a variety of techniques that help you adjust to particular situations while still reflecting your own individuality. I use audio/video recordings to help make you aware of your speaking habits and help you to begin to modify your speech. From there, you can learn techniques and strategies to practice and use in the moment so that your message becomes more effective and important to your listener. Clinical hypnosis is also a tool I use to help you prepare for a particular speaking situation, which is often done for public speakers, performers, and elite athletes as well.