Hi, I'm Martha Rice,
a speech-language pathologist focusing on voice and communication across the lifespan. I support both individuals navigating vocal challenges and professionals who need their communication to remain steady and connected when the stakes are high.
"Vocal stability is built on nervous system regulation. When we support the body's natural state of safety, we unlock authentic presence under pressure."
Bridging Clinical Science with Somatic Regulation for over 20 Years
My SLP path began in the classroom and in school systems, where I worked alongside educators and families to support children in building confident communication and self-expression. In those early years, I became increasingly interested in how physiology, stress, and nervous system regulation influence the way our voice and communication function in real-life moments.
My professional development work and experience designing social-emotional pathways deepened that interest. I became especially attentive to how behaviour, behavioural states, and voice interact. At a time when nervous system-based care was far less widely understood, those experiences shaped my lifelong focus on the connection between physiology and communication.
Alongside my clinical career, I have spent years serving in governance settings that involve complex, high-stakes decisions. This includes six years as president of a family foundation and board service with a Canadian organization supporting microfinance initiatives in South Africa.
Those environments gave me a close view of how communication, regulation, and voice influence what happens in leadership and negotiation spaces. I learned that the physical state of a speaker can change the tone, pace, and impact of a room.

"I knew what it felt like to freeze in important moments, to stay quiet when something needed to be said, or to react defensively when stress rose too quickly."
Martha Rice
Practitioner
A Personal Connection to the Work
My work in voice and stress is deeply personal. Earlier in my life, I navigated having my voice shut down when it mattered most.
Through intensive voice study, somatic movement teacher training, and regulation practices, I began to unpack how deeply our nervous system shapes how we speak, respond, and connect.
That integration of personal resilience and academic voice science is the foundation of what I offer my clients today. I help you align who you are with how you sound.
My Work Today
Serving across the lifespan by merging voice science, nervous system regulation, and body-based awareness.
Voice Therapy
For children and adults experiencing hoarseness, vocal strain, fatigue, discomfort, frequent throat clearing, or difficulty getting through the day with their voice.
Voice therapy helps identify what may be contributing and builds healthier, more efficient voice use.
Assessment and personalized voice therapy
Support for diagnosed voice conditions and persistent symptoms
reduction and muscle tension release
Practical strategies for easier, more sustainable voice use
BRAVE – Communication Under Pressure
For professionals who communicate well—until the pressure rises. BRAVE helps you understand what changes in your body, voice, and thinking under pressure, and build the capacity to communicate with greater steadiness and ease.
Understand your unique communication-under-pressure pattern
Build steadier access to breath, voice, and organized thought
Communicate with greater presence, clarity, and connection

Take the Next Step
Begin your communication consultation
Whether navigating physical vocal fatigue or looking to refine your physiological presence in high-pressure environments, let’s co-create a steady foundation for your voice.
Or email: info@partnersinexpression.com