Welcome Alyssa

Written by: Admin / Welcome Alyssa McCarthy / July 2017

Announcement: 

We are thrilled to have Alyssa McCarthy as the newest Speech-Language Pathologist (S-LP) on our exceptional clinical team. With a background in performance, Alyssa brings a unique perspective to the clinic with her understanding of professional voice for singers and performers.

As a healthcare professional on the voice team, Alyssa applies her understanding of the anatomy and physiology of the voice with singing and performance techniques, terminology, and metaphors. This allows for easy collaboration with other voice team members, such as your singing voice teacher or laryngologist, to best support your vocal development, rehabilitation and goals.

Alyssa is also a Singing Voice Specialist, qualifying her to work within the contexts of both the singing and medical models. She has been recognized through a number of performance awards and scholarships during her classical training at Dalhousie University and has performed professionally in live and recorded performances across many genres, including musical theatre, film soundtrack vocals, and alternative and indie genres. Pursuing her passion for voice through speech-language pathology, Alyssa received extensive clinical training in voice rehabilitation and singing voice rehabilitation as an S-LP and is constantly committed to furthering her clinical skills.

While experienced in assessing and treating a wide array of voice injuries and disorders common to singers and professional voice users (e.g. Muscle Tension Dysphonia, vocal nodules, polyps, cysts, and psychogenic aphonia), Alyssa recognizes that even the slightest change or imbalance can have a drastic impact on the artist’s voice. An S-LP who works frequently in voice and with the singing voice can offer support in many ways, including rebalancing the breath and voice, deactivating muscle tension, working freely through the registers, suggesting modifications and accommodations during times of vocal injury, working to prevent future injury and maintain vocal health, or voice training for transgender and gender non-conforming clients.

Alyssa’s holistic approach, while rooted in science and evidence-based practice, allows for an understanding of artistic expression and polished delivery that is so vital to successful communication. Understanding and treating the whole artist is central to her practice.

When you meet Alyssa, you’ll notice her powerful listening skills and passion for voice and communication. She strives to make all clients feel comfortable, validated and accepted in her therapy room. Aside from working in voice, Alyssa is also knowledgeable in accent modification, lisp reduction, cognitive communication, and fluency. 

Additional Training, Certification and Continued Education:

·       Myofascial Release I (Barnes).

·       Lessac-Madsen Resonant Voice Therapy (Verdolini). 

·       Casper-Stone Confidential Flow Therapy (Verdolini).

·       Transgender Voice and Communication Training for Voice Clinicians (Hirsch, Helou).

·       Circumlaryngeal Massage Therapy (MacLean).

·       Resonant Voice Therapy (Stemple)

·       Vibration Voice Therapy (David Ley, Elissa Weinzimmer)

·       Minimizing and De-catastrophizing Vocal Injuries in Singers

·       Fake it Until You Can’t Make It (PAMA)

·       The Voice Conference (OSLA)

·       Certificate in Interprofessional Health Education (Dalhousie University)

Affiliations and Memberships:

·       SAC—Speech-Language & Audiology Canada

·       CASLPO—College of Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists Ontario

·       ASHA SIG 3—Voice Special Interest Group, American Speech-Language-Hearing Association

·       SHANS—Speech and Hearing Association of Nova Scotia

·       PAMA—Performing Arts Medicine Association