The Diaphragm in Voice: A Touch-Based Approach
Thursday 6th July 2023, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM (London Time)
The importance of the diaphragm as an integral component of voice production is frequently discussed.
In this short, 2-hour course, we will look at options that the voice coach and other professionals can leverage to increase awareness and efficiency of that region. We will review the evidence for the effectiveness of manual therapy with issues relating to the diaphragm region, including breathing, GERD, and performance/pain.
As many do not include touch-based interventions in their approach, we will explore options through client-applied methods. When discussing diaphragm-related interventions, health professionals often infer that they can isolate and selectively impact the diaphragm for treatment (through strengthening or manual therapy). Within this class, we will challenge this notion as we can only access the whole person.
Short of accessing the diaphragm with a scalpel, one cannot narrow the scope of any activity to be diaphragm-specific. In this class, I'll discuss the rationale for such an oppositional viewpoint and then explore intervention strategies for improving awareness, flexibility, and functional abilities (strength).
Walt Fritz
Walt Fritz, PT, has evolved traditionally taught tissue-based approaches into a unique interpretation of manual therapy. This approach advances views of causation and impact from historical tissue-specific models into a multifactorial narrative, leaning heavily on biopsychosocial influences.
Attend this course for as little as £22 as part of the Voice Professional Training CPD Award Scheme.
Learn MoreSorry, this is an archived short course...
We have plenty of upcoming short courses coming soon. See details of some of them below or look at the full list of short courses.
Thursday 19th February 2026
8:30 AM - 10:30 AM
(London Time)
It’s not a virus! Reconceptualizing and De-pathologizing Music Performance Anxiety
Rebecca Herman
Performance Anxiety is one of the most widespread and debilitating challenges facing musicians across all ages, nationalities and musical genres. Despite decades of research and the development of numerous interventions, we do not yet have an established way of supporting performers experiencing performance anxiety. Aimed at performers, teachers, researchers and students, this presentation will first summarise the current state of play in performance anxiety research, before exploring alternative ways to think about performance anxiety, drawing on new research outside of performance psychology...
Thursday 19th February 2026
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Thursday 26th February 2026
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
(London Time)
Performing Pain: Vocal Health in Emotional Roles!
Louisa Morgan
How connected are acted emotions to our real-life emotions? Are they expressed differently? Do they feel different in the body? This 2-part course with Louisa Morgan looks at the potential impact of acted emotion on vocal health, why we should consider it as voice practitioners, and how to care for our performers needing to work with it.
Tuesday 24th February 2026
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)
Incorporating CBT principles within vocal health and voice care
Dr Luke Aldridge-Waddon
Join Dr Luke Waddon as he introduces the principles and techniques within cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) in relation to the voice and voice care. He will discuss psychological factors relevant to the development and maintenance of voice disorders and how these might be approached from a cognitive-behavioural perspective. He will describe theoretical concepts and therapeutic components often used within CBT and consider how these might be applied when working with voice users.