Psychological approaches in understanding and treating voice disorders: a primer for compassion focused therapy (CFT)

Abstract

There is increasing evidence for the usefulness of psychological concepts in voice practice and voice therapy. Existing psychological conceptualisations of voice disorders feature principles from cognitive-behavioural therapy, psychodynamic psychotherapy, and personality psychology, to formulate how voice problems might develop and/or become persistent. Voice practitioners are encouraged to apply these principles when working with people with voice disorders to aid rehabilitation and improve psychosocial wellbeing as it relates to voice use. To this end, this tutorial offers a primer for compassion focused therapy (CFT), a model of psychological therapy that might be useful to voice practitioners and patients in understanding and working with psychological factors in voice use. It first introduces the theoretical underpinnings of CFT and the concept of the three affect regulation systems, with suggestions for how the therapeutic model can be introduced and applied to voice patients. It then draws out therapeutic components often used within CFT and considers how they might integrate within voice rehabilitation. The aim is to increase awareness and knowledge of CFT, and prime future research and practice by illustrating how CFT might be applied in vocal health and voice care.