Deconstructing Voice Therapy: Towards Enhanced Communication Outcomes

Inclusion Criteria: * Non-smoking * Diagnosis of either primary muscle tension dysphonia of the hyperadducted type or benign vocal fold lesions. * No neuro-laryngologic or age-related vocal fold changes (e.g., atrophy) * No history of voice therapy or voice surgery in the last year * No history of other serious chronic medical conditions that may affect voice (per patient report), Normal hearing (determined by pure tone audiometry), stimulable and appropriate for behavioral voice intervention as determined by a voice-specialized speech-language pathologist and laryngologist, * Willingness to attend all therapeutic interventions and follow-up sessions * Willingness to use a smartphone to record practice Exclusion Criteria: * History of voice therapy or voice surgery in the last year * Serious chronic medical condition that may affect voice (per patient report) * Abnormal hearing ability (despite appropriate amplification) * Other laryngeal disorders not attributed to primary MTD and benign vocal fold lesions, * Not stimulable or inappropriate for behavioral voice intervention as determined by a voice-specialized speech-language pathologist and laryngologist * Unwillingness to attend therapeutic intervention and follow-up sessions * Unwillingness to use a smartphone to record practice * Pregnant women * Prisoners * Cognitive impairment or impaired decision-making capacity