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About Christie Block

Christie Block, MA, MS, CCC-SLP is a licensed and board-certified Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) with over 30 years of experience in the area of communication skills as a clinical specialist and teacher of speech-language pathology, English as a Second Language (ESL), public speaking, and linguistics. Her clinical expertise includes voice disorders, transgender voice, professional voice, stuttering, speech/accent, neurological disorders, upper airway disorders, swallowing, and public speaking.

Christie collaborates with otolaryngologists, transgender health providers, head & neck surgeons, and singing/acting specialists to provide comprehensive assessment, treatment, and training. This includes clinicians from ENT and Allergy Associates, New York University, Mt. Sinai, Columbia University, Callen-Lorde Community Health Center, Asian and Pacific Islander Coalition on HIV/AIDS (APICHA) Community Health Center, FacialTeam, Yeson Voice Center, Dr. Michael Haben, and Dr. Peak Woo, among others in New York, New Jersey, and elsewhere.

Christie is a committed advocate of the transgender and gender non-conforming (TGNC) community as one of the few seasoned clinical experts in gender affirming voice care for TGNC speakers. Christie’s interest in TGNC voice and gender expression developed out of her background in language and gender studies in the 1980s, her deeply-rooted curiosity about gender in society, and her commitment to gender equality for all. In addition to providing direct services to TGNC speakers at her private practice, Christie actively gives professional presentations, community workshops, and clinician trainings. She has also served as a voice programming consultant and organizer for the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) Global Education Institute (GEI), and a reviewer and moderator of TGNC voice research articles and presentations. See below.

Christie’s history of service extends across a wide variety of linguistic and cultural backgrounds in business, outpatient, rehabilitation, hospital, home, and academic settings. Client languages include but are not limited to the following: Chinese, Farsi, French, French-Creole, German, Greek, Hebrew, Japanese, Korean, Macedonian, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Serbo-Croatian, Spanish, Tagalog, Thai, Turkish, Urdu, Vietnamese, and non-standard American English dialects.

Christie holds a B.A. in Linguistics and Asian Languages and Literature (Mandarin Chinese) from the University of Iowa (1990), an M.A. in Linguistics from the Ohio State University (1994), and an M.S. in Communication Disorders from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (2002).

She is a certified provider of the Lee Silverman Treatment Program (LSVT), a certified provider of WPATH Standards of Care 8, and a provider of the SpeechEasy fluency device. She is also trained and experienced in videostroboscopy, FEES, manometry, LMRVT, VFE, PhoRTE, SOVT exercises, flow phonation exercises, Estill Voice, manual therapy, circumlaryngeal massage, respiratory retraining/EILO breathing techniques, mindfulness practice, and clinical hypnosis. Current memberships include the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), New York Voice Study Group, Extramural Laryngeal Rounds, Working Group on Gender, and WPATH.

Presentations

Christie is an internationally known speaker who regularly gives presentations, guest lectures, and workshops at conferences, community groups, clinical centers, and universities, including the following: ASHA, APICHA Community Health Center, Bronx Community Pride Center, Callen-Lorde Community Health Center, Crossdressers International, Empire Conference (TransEvents USA), FACIALTEAM, FemmeFever, Fifth North American Conference on Chinese Linguistics, Hebrew Union College, Hetrick-Martin Institute, Illinois Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)-Bilingual Education State Convention, Karolinska Institutet, LeFemme Finishing School, Long Island Center for Speech and Myofunctional Therapy, Lululemon, Mid-South Conference on Communication Disorders, Midwest Regional TESOL Convention, Mt. Sinai – Beth Israel, The New School, New York Coming Out, New York Otolaryngology Group, New York Voice Study Group, New York University, Pathways, Queens Pride House, Roosevelt University, Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), Southern Comfort Conference, Total Woman Business Conference, Trans* Behavioral Healthcare Training/Philadelphia Trans Wellness Conference, the United States Professional Association for Transgender Health (USPATH), Voice Foundation Symposium, Voice Institute of New York, Working Group on Gender, and WPATH.

Press

  • PRINT, ONLINE – Allen, Sandy. "How to talk like a man: My quest to find out what really makes a guy sound like a guy,” Esquire, June 27, 2024. Allen Esquire June 2024.

Publications

  • Block, C. (2020). Facial exercises for FFS recovery. Guest blog posts on gender transition, FacialTeam. https://facialteam.eu/blog/gender-transition-guestpost/christie-block-facial-exercises-ffs-recovery/#

  • Block, C. (2020). Transfeminine voice training. In Branski, R., & Monfenter, S. (Eds.) Speech-Language Pathology Casebook. New York, NY: Thieme.

  • Block, C. (2019). Chant your pitch (voice feminization). Count big (voice masculinization). In Behrman, A., & Haskell, J. (Eds.) Exercises for Voice Therapy, 3rd Edition. (Also in 2nd Edition, 2013). San Diego, CA: Plural Publishing.

  • Block, C., Papp, V., & Adler, R. (2019). Transmasculine voice and communication. In Adler, R., Hirsch, S., & Pickering, J. (Eds.) Voice and Communication Therapy for the Transgender/Gender Diverse Client: A Comprehensive Clinical Guide, 3rd Edition. San Diego, CA: Plural Publishing.

  • Block, C. (2018). Voice care for the transgender speaker. The Voice, The Voice Foundation Newsletter, 23(3).

  • Block, C. (2017). Making a case for transmasculine voice and communication training. Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups, 2 (SIG3), 33-41.

  • Block, C. (2014). Finding our voices, literally. In Erickson-Schroth, L. (Ed.) Trans Bodies Trans Selves. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

  • Koufman, J., & Block, C. (2008). Differential diagnosis of paradoxical vocal fold movement. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 17.

  • Block, C. (1993). Null objects in Mandarin Chinese. Kathol, A., & Pollard, C. (Eds.) Papers in Syntax: Working Papers in Linguistics, 42. Columbus, OH: The Ohio State University.

Reviewer and Moderator of Research

  • Research article reviewer, Journal of Voice 2020, LGBT Health 2021

  • Moderator of Voice and Communication Oral Research Presentations, WPATH, online, 2020

Recent Course Teaching for Clinicians

  • For Voice Clinicians: Co-host and co-teacher with Sandy Hirsch and Leah B. Helou

    — Gender Affirming Voice Training: A Course for Voice Clinicians, online 2021-2023

    — Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Speakers: A Course for Voice Clinicians, Roosevelt University, 2019

    — Transgender Voice and Communication Training for Voice Clinicians, Roosevelt University, 2015, 2017-2018

  • For Voice Clinicians: Voice and Communication in Transgender People with Gender Dysphoria – Assessment and Intervention, Invited faculty member, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, online Mar 2021

  • For Gender-Affirming Clinicians: WPATH Global Education Initiative (GEI), Invited faculty member

    — Foundations Course - Online Feb & July 2024, Mar & Aug 2021, Mar & Sept 2020 (presenter); USPATH Symposium, Denver, Nov 2023, Washington DC, Sept 2019; WPATH Symposium, Montreal, Sept 2022

    — Multidisciplinary Voice and Communication Workshop - online June 2022 (organizer, presenter, moderator)

    — Advanced Mental Health Course, Complex Cases, Challenges of Telehealth - online Dec 2020 (presenter)

    — Live Surgery Training Course for Gender Affirmation Procedures - Mt. Sinai, NYC, May 2023, Mar 2019 (presenter)

    — Voice and Communication Course - WPATH Symposium, Buenos Aires, Nov 2018 (presenter)