About
Voice Medicine Australia (VMA) is a longstanding private practice, established by Dr Debra (Debbie) Phyland in 1990, comprising a strong, skilled team of speech pathologists who all love the field of clinical laryngology. We offer expert clinical assessment and therapy by highly experienced speech pathologists working with acute and chronic voice, cough, swallowing and breathing concerns for people of all ages and with different throat conditions.
Speech pathologists at VMA see people with different medical conditions impacting on their voice as well as teachers, performers and various other professionals who rely on their voice for their job. We have extensive experience and specific expertise in laryngeal and throat disorders which distinguishes us from generalist speech pathologists. Our caseload includes people with regular vocal fatigue, muscle tension dysphonia and vocal pathologies such as vocal cord nodules, cysts and polyps, as well as various laryngeal and neurological disorders that impact people’s speech (including acquired motor speech disorders-dysarthria), voice and swallowing such as Parkinson’s Disease, vocal paralysis, tremor, spasmodic dysphonia and other medical conditions. We have a proud history of advanced skills in gender affirming voice care and are committed to helping all achieve their authentic voice.
We provide voice crisis triaging, voice therapy, vocal unloading, vocal injury prevention and laryngeal retraining for cough and vocal cord dysfunction (inducible laryngeal obstruction), all of which is grounded in evidence based on best research findings and informed by our clinical experience (practice-based evidence). We provide tailored peri-operative voice therapy to optimise surgical outcomes and voice coaching to improve endurance, flexibility and vocal fitness to meet your occupational, personal or recreational voice demands.
We receive and welcome referrals from a variety of sources such as Ear, Nose & Throat, Respiratory and Allergy Specialists, Neurologists, General Practitioners and Physiotherapists. We also work closely with the expert Laryngology team at the Melbourne Voice Analysis Centre and external Laryngology and Vocal Cord Dysfunction Clinics, to ensure a multi-disciplinary, high quality, evidence-based, efficacious and comprehensive approach to management.
Our speech pathologists have extensive experience working in acute hospitals and understand the importance of medical influences on voice and other laryngeal functions and of a strong physiological and team approach to care. We believe these qualities distinguish us from other speech pathologists and from many voice clinicians.
Speech pathologists at Voice Medicine Australia are also trained singers and performers themselves so provide further skill in this area of voice management. We are also well experienced and active in furthering research into the area of voice, chronic cough and vocal cord dysfunction. Our team have regular case discussions and provide clinical mentoring to one another to continue learning from each other and to ensure our patients receive the highest standard care. We also offer regular clinical mentoring and supervision to external speech pathologists around Australia and internationally.