Recently, I went to my first-ever voice training session. Voice training might sound like something only singers do, so you might be wondering — why would an acupuncturist need it?
I wondered the same thing! (Ha!)
As practitioners, we don’t just perform treatments — we also need to explain what’s happening in the body, why pain occurs, and what patients can do to prevent recurrence. But even when giving the same explanation, the level of persuasiveness and how convincing it feels can vary. It turns out, this has a lot to do with how you use your voice.
A Voice Coach Who Reads Your Soul
The instructor we visited is someone extraordinary — just by listening to your voice, they can identify your mindset issues and even your outlook on life!
We arranged for both my wife and I to be assessed, hoping to improve how we communicate with patients.
From the very first “Nice to meet you!” greeting, the voice analysis had already begun! (Ha!)
The training lasted about three hours, and what struck me most was the realization: this is exactly what we do in our own work.
We read our patients’ body habits and verbal patterns to understand their condition. The voice coach does the same thing — but through singing style and vocal quality.
“I see — even though it expresses itself differently, people reveal who they are through all sorts of channels,” I thought. Voice and body are both mirrors of who you are.
By the way, my issue turned out to be with the Japanese vowel sounds “u” and “o.” Apparently, these sounds are directly connected to your ability to convey meaning — so I’ll be training hard on those!
Before You Visit…
Fair warning: our English is a work in progress! (Ha!)
But thanks to the magic of translation apps, we communicate just fine with patients from around the world.
Your body speaks a universal language — and that’s the one we’re fluent in.
