“Voice Therapy is a process of giving language or spoken words
to negative thought patterns that are at the core of an individual’s maladaptive or self-destructive behavior.”
What is Voice Therapy?
Voice Therapy is a powerful technique that quickly taps into clients' core negative beliefs.
It is a process of identifying and eliciting negative thought patterns that are driving a person's maladaptive behavior.
It is called Voice Therapy because clients learn to verbalize the negative thoughts they are aware of in the second person,
as though another person were talking to them. Shifting to this second person format brings to the surface the emotional
content of these negative thoughts. This also helps clients to separate their own point of view from the hostile point
of view toward themselves. It allows them to "take their own side" and identify the sources of these destructive
cognitions which originated in traumatic attachment experiences. Therapist and client then collaborate on suggestions
for behavioral change. This includes both resisting destructive acting out and increasing positive goal-directed behavior.
How Was Voice Therapy Developed? Voice Therapy was originally developed
as a laboratory procedure to investigate how people defend themselves and to understand the structure and function of the
negative thought process that underlies defensive, maladaptive behavior. It has also been used as a psychotherapeutic methodology
that combines cognitive, affective, and behavioral components into an integrated treatment strategy.
The principal technique of Voice Therapy involves an individual’s verbalization of
their negative thoughts in the second person format. Clients are asked to use “You” (rather than “I”)
as though another person were addressing them. This methodology is important for two reasons: (1) this is the form in which
most people think critically about themselves or experience negative internal dialogue (2) this technique usually brings
out considerable affect, leading to meaningful emotional and intellectual insight.
What are the steps in the therapeutic
process in Voice Therapy? The techniques of voice therapy consist of three components: (1) eliciting and
identifying negative thought patterns and releasing the associated affect; (2) discussing insights and exploring reactions
to verbalizing the voice; and (3) counteracting self-destructive behaviors regulated by the voice through the application
of appropriate corrective suggestions. In this phase of treatment, client and therapist attempt to interrupt maladaptive
behavior patterns through collaborative planning and suggestions for behavioral change that are in accord with each individual’s
personal motivation.
We at the eating disorder Recovery Center combine both 'voice therapy' and 'shame therapy' to completely diminish
the harsh internal 'chatter' that drowns those suffering from eating disorders.
