Breath-Focused One-to-One Singing Sessions as a Means of Developing Authentic Voice in Females With Anxiety: An Exploratory Multiple-Case Study Grounded In Aspects of Compassion Focused Therapy and Polyvagal Theory

Anxiety can constrict breathing and voice, creating a cycle that affects psychological and emotional well-being. This study combined voice pedagogy, breathwork, compassion focused therapy, and polyvagal theory in one-to-one sessions with females who self-referred with anxiety. Over the sessions, participants experienced reduced breath- and voice-related physiological tensions, leading to greater ease, freedom, and flexibility in their voices. Their relationship with their voice also shifted toward compassion, joy, and curiosity. The findings suggest a need for further research and a deeper theoretical and practical understanding of breath's role for females with anxiety in voice pedagogy and singing for mental health.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Speech, singing, and vocal communication are fuelled by breath. Anxiety can impact breath and voice negatively, resulting in physiological constrictions that are bi-directionally related to psychological and emotional spheres. There is little theoretical and practical examination of anxiety-specific populations or the mechanistic role of respiration within singing for mental health (SFMH) literature. This interdisciplinary study draws from elements of voice pedagogy (VP), breathwork, compassion focused therapy (CFT) and polyvagal theory (PVT), seeking to evolve discussion and bridge gaps in the research. Additionally, SFMH research has an overriding focus on group interventions; in contrast, this study implemented a hermeneutic multiple-case study design that focused on one-to-one sessions, creating a pedagogically-based approach underpinned by psychological theory for females self-referring with anxiety. Throughout the study, authentic voice is considered in terms of physiological vocal authenticity, as well as connected psychological and emotional implications. The findings highlight that alleviation of breath and voice-related physiological tensions can in turn catalyse increased ease, freedom, and flexibility of voice. It was also found that as the sessions progressed, participants’ relationship with their voice evolved to be more centred around compassion, joy, and curiosity. The findings are considered to indicate a rationale for further related research studies and to accentuate the need for more complex theoretical and practical understanding of the breath for females with anxiety, both within VP and SFMH disciplines.