Gender affirmation is more than your Hz. While it’s general knowledge that cisgender men usually speak at an average pitch of around 125 Hz, cisgender women at 220, and 150-185 Hz is a gender neutral range, there’s other homework you can do before you meet with your speech pathologist.
Where is your physicality now?- How often do you use your hands when you talk? Pay attention to the size of your gestures. Do your hands go above your shoulders? Do your gestures extend beyond your shoulders’ width? Do you spread your fingers? Where do your hands rest when you listen
Whose speech style resonates with you? - More than pitch, think about whose intonation you identify with. Someone like Scarlett Johansson has a lower, throatier voice with less prosody, or movement to her intonation. Taylor Armstrong (...former cast member of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, obviously...), on the other hand, has a very forward resonance--has an almost nasal intonation--and uses a lot of prosody when she speaks. Can you play with resonance a little on your own? What’s nasal for you? What isn’t?
Whose nonverbal communication speaks to you? - Watch YouTube videos of some of your icons on silent (talk shows are especially useful, where you can see people in informal conversation with one or two other individuals). Pay attention to nonverbal communication. How much physical contact does the person have with their communication partner? How close are they? Pay attention to the eye contact. How do they listen? How do they use their eyes when they’re thinking? Where are their hands when they’re listening? How large are their gestures?
Pin useful film clips and share them with your clinician. The files will clarify your goals and prime you for the kind of work you will be doing. You and your clinician are a team who will work together to uncover a gender-affirming communication style. The clearer you are about where you want to go, the better your clinician can equip you to get there.
What communication traits do you perceive to be feminine? What do you perceive as masculine?
I love Tiffany Hadisch. I also love how all three of these women express their femininity so differently.