Staff at the Virginia Voice & Speech Center (VVSC)
The CORE staff of VVSC is composed of a variety of key players who may become involved in restoring your normal voice. A given patient may require the expertise of only the physician. Other patients may need to work with all. In the end, the diagnosis and the patient's ultimate goal objective will determine with whom and for how long he/she will need to work with each specialist. Though the individuals listed below make up the core group based on geographic location, we regularly work with other health and voice professionals who participate with the VVSC depending on the patient's needs.
To find a voice specialist locally around the world, click here.
Staff physician of Fauquier Ear Nose & Throat Consultants, PLC, Dr. Chang is a Board-Certified otolaryngology-head & neck surgeon with fellowship training in laryngology and voice disorders. He has office hours on all days of the week and operates only on Tuesdays. He also performs Botox injections for patients with spasmodic dysphonia every Friday afternoon.
Fauquier Hospital's adult speech and voice therapist with additional certification in the Lee Silverman Voice Therapy for Parkinson's Disease. Melissa has a background in speech pathology but has a special interest and training in the vocal sciences and rehabilitation for the injured voice. She sees patients daily. Appointments with Melissa require a physician referral with photo images of the voicebox (ideally done under strobe with the vocal cord in abducted as well as adducted positions).
Phone: 540-316-2680
Please consider donating to the speech pathology department at Fauquier Hospital.
On faculty at Liberty University. He has sung with a number of opera associations as well as taught voice at a number of institutions around the United States. As a certified associate of the Northwest Institute of Voice, Mark has been instructing singers using a highly successful exercise program developed by Thomas R. Blaylock. His expertise in this program helps any voice user (not just singers) develop and maintain a strong, coordinated, and healthy vocal instrument. Full Bio.
Office: 434-592-3867
Liberty University
David's Place
1971 University Blvd.
Lynchburg, VA 24502
Sarah Maines, BM, MM — Voice Pedagogue
Dr. Maines is a mezzo-soprano, singing voice specialist, and voice pedagogue. She is a licensed Lessac-Madsen Resonant Voice Training clinical provider, and a member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) as well as the Voice and Speech Trainers Association (VASTA). Sarah is a trained singer and frequent performer with classical and contemporary commercial music performance skills. Through her experience as a singing instructor and an active researcher in the area of voice, she has developed a special interest in the biomechanics of voice production in disease and in health. Voice therapy sessions with Dr. Maines include methods by Dr. Katherine Verdolini, Joseph Stemple, and Oren Brown that help any voice user (not just singers) develop and maintain a strong, coordinated, and healthy vocal instrument. Call for an appointment.
Dr. Artico has over 13 years experience in the field of psychology and is familiar with how environmental stressors contribute to vocal quality problems. She is also certified in EMDR for performance anxiety and has advanced training in mediation, sandtray therapy, and clinical supervision. Her other areas of expertise include the treatment of trauma, depression, anxiety, and relational difficulties. In addition to serving as director of Gainesville Family Counseling and providing services in the Haymarket/Gainesville area, Dr. Artico also keeps office hours in Vienna, Virginia. She received her doctoral degree in Counseling from George Mason University where she also served as an adjunct professor. Dr. Artico is fluent in Portuguese and Spanish.
Phone: 571-248-8700
Address: Haymarket Professional Building
14540 John Marshall Hwy Suite 102
Gainesville, Virginia 2015
Carmen Gonzalez, PhD — Psychological Voice Therapist
Dr. Gonzalez is a psychologist familiar with how environmental stressors contribute to vocal quality problems. She is experienced in the use of hypnosis and biofeedback to enable patients with stress-induced vocal problems learn to manage and ultimately control their neck and voicebox muscles to allow for a clear voice regardless of the environmental situation. Her techniques are also helpful for those individuals that often experience a sore neck after prolonged talking.
Phone: 540-347-0613
Address: Fauquier Counseling Center
54-E Lee Street
Warrenton, VA 20186
Assists with Botox injections for patients with spasmodic dysphonia.
Phone: 540-347-2550
Former Members of the Voice Team
Carmen Ana Ramos Pizarro, PhD, CCC/SLP — Voice Therapist
Vocal science therapist. She is a former director of the Voice Clinic at the Grabschied Voice Center in New York City as well as Puerto Rico Medical Center. During her time as a voice therapist at Fauquier Hospital in 2008, she was also a staff member at George Washington University Medical Center Voice Center. She is now practicing in Egypt.
Please consider donating to the speech pathology department at Fauquier Hospital.
Jennifer Sharp, BM, MM — Voice Pedagogue
She has a background in engineering before her career in voice opera and has developed a special interest in the biomechanics of voice production in disease and in health. Voice therapy sessions using methods by Thomas R. Blaylock are provided. Her expertise in this program helps any voice user (not just singers) develop and maintain a strong, coordinated, and healthy vocal instrument.