Tell me your name, identity/pronouns, and states you’re licensed in.
My name is Nora Mahon. I am a transgender woman and I use she/her pronouns. I’m a speech-language pathologist currently licensed in Pennsylvania. I reside in Pittsburgh, but I’m a proud Clevelander at heart!

What do you like to do outside of speech-language pathology?
Outside of speech-language pathology, I love to hike and be in nature! The outdoors have become a huge part of my life in the last couple years, especially since I became the Senior Director of Youth Services for Camp Lilac, a summer camp just for trans youth. That’s a long title to basically say I get to enjoy nature and make amazing memories with a ton of cool kids each summer. I also love to read, and gravitate toward a mix of queer nonfiction and fantasy.

Tell me about your relationship with your voice.
My relationship with my voice is constantly evolving. When I started my transition, I felt a lot of pressure knowing my voice would be highly scrutinized as an SLP and seen as a reflection of my skills. I turned to a trans advice column on this issue, and got the wonderful advice to simply own it. Regardless of if my voice is perfect on any given day, I am on a voice journey of my own, and being on this journey is what helps me better understand my clients and their needs. Since then, developing my voice skills personally and professionally has been anything but linear. Above all I’ve gained flexibility, and learned to use my voice to help me feel whatever I need to feel: feminine, safe, confident, and more. Every day, it’s a privilege to say "this is my voice, I’m confident and happy in it, and I am going to be right here with you as you craft a voice that you feel equally confident and happy in.”

What gives you vocal euphoria?
I get the most vocal euphoria when I’m with my trans friends. In my day to day life, I choose a cis-assumed presentation. When I’m with my trans friends, that pressure is removed and I can more fully explore the range of my voice and expression.

As trans folks, we’re hardly given a manual for transition; no one’s transition story is the same. Tell me a bit about your transition journey; how did you get to where you are today?
My transition is fairly recent, but like a lot of other trans people, I can look back and point out a lifetime of signs. From doing drag every chance I got, to literally making a pros and cons list about transitioning when I was 16, hindsight is 20/20. Still, my LGBTQ+ identity was a significant part of my life as one of the few out gay people in my high school. In college, I joined the staff of my campus LGBTQ+ center and loved giving back to the community in this way. Shortly after, I joined Camp Lilac, a summer camp for trans youth, and also started seeking out opportunities to learn more about gender-affirming voice. As I poured my efforts into trans-serving projects and a trans-serving career, I couldn’t help but acknowledge my motivations were more than just service, they were personal. Through these opportunities, I also became friends with more and more trans people, and noticed how much my experience mirrored theirs. A lot of trans people find themselves first and then a trans community second, but I'm so glad to have had such a strong community behind me every step of the way, to give me the strength and wisdom to transition.

Did your identity have any impact on your career path? How did you find your way to gender-affirming voice as a specialty?
I found my way to gender-affirming voice while shadowing speech-language pathologists the summer after my first year of college. Witnessing one session with a trans client was all it took to know this was the perfect niche for me. The joy and excitement she got from just 45 minutes of training amazed me, and I wanted to help people find that same happiness. It also let me integrate my advocacy work and community service into my role as a speech-language pathologist, aspects that feel inseparable at this point.

Our field’s demographics tend to trend more conservative and homogenous; how have you navigated this?
Navigating the very homogeneous field is tough! In undergrad, I really felt the lack of community, and I was worried for my long term happiness in this line of work.. Fortunately, I soon met folks through L’GASP, an LGBTQ+ group for speech-language pathologists and audiologists. Those connections helped me start the LGBTQ+ CSDSA (Communication Sciences & Disorders Student Association), where I met many amazing friends and mentors.

Has gender-affirming voice work played a role in your transition (i.e. have you received gender-affirming voice work, formally or informally)? If so, did you do any DIY voice work or did you work with a professional, or both?
Personally, I found my voice with very little formal voice training. My DIY approach was a combination of applying my SLP training and learning from online resources. Thus, I’ve got a long list of mentors, content creators, and feedback partners to thank.

When you began exploring your voice, what expectations did you have about how the process would go, and were there any misconceptions you had to work through?
I had a TON of misconceptions when I first started, primarily that understanding how the voice worked would make the process easy. I see this online all the time — people become very focused on anatomy, acoustics, what’s “right” and “wrong” — it makes me want to shake them and say “you’re overcomplicating it!” I had to learn very quickly that the foundation of voice change is play and exploration. I started using my voice in new ways and asking myself, how did that sound? How did it feel? What did I do to achieve that sound, and can I do it again? Did I like it? I learned that it’s more like cooking than baking. You’re not bound to the recipe, and you get to season it however you want!

Is there anything else you’d like to share with the readers who may be considering pursuing gender-affirming voice work?
If you're transitioning, you've just been freed from a cage. Don't let your transition become a hunt for your new cage. Let it be freeing, and let finding your voice be a vehicle for this. Each person's voice is as unique as a fingerprint. Getting to craft your own is a burden and a beautiful opportunity. There's no correct way forward, as long as you are moving forward.

Nora can be found on Instagram @vocalcongruence. More about her work can be found on vocalcongruence.org and noramahon.com