Outpatient clinic for individuals with functional voice disorders

The outpatient clinic is part of the department's clinical and research focuses on stress, trauma complications, and dissociative disorders.

Target group

The outpatient clinic for individuals with functional voice disorders is specialized in the voice diagnosis, holistic assessment, and treatment of existing or recurring voice disorders with partial or complete voice loss (functional dysphonia or aphonia). These voice disorders may occur in the context of functional neurological disorders where the hardware is intact but the software, e.g. voice control, is disordered. More information can be found here:
https://www.neurosymptoms.org/en_GB/

The focus is voice disorders where the vocal folds show no organic changes yet a strained, pressed, or whispered voice quality exists, which may be associated with muscle tension in the neck.

Overall, the following disorders can be treated in the clinic:

Functional voice disorders (hyperfunctional dysphonia, aphonia)
Voice disorders in occupational voice users such as teachers
Vocal Cord Dysfunction/Paradoxical Vocal Fold Motion Disorder (Laryngospasm)
Chronic cough
Functional swallowing disorders/fear of swallowing

Assessment, diagnosis, and treatment

The voice diagnosis by a certified speech-language pathologist includes a separate appointment with Prof. Dr. Götz Schade (phoniatrics, ENT) as well as interprofessional assessments and diagnoses by colleagues from psychiatry as well as neurology and psychosomatic medicine as indicated.

We will inform you of therapy options based on the holistic voice diagnosis where the interplay of various therapy approaches, for example voice therapy and aspects of cognitive behavioral therapy, can be important for the therapy process.

Our research emphasis is on functional aphonia, vocal effort in teachers, and stress-related voice disorders. We would be happy to inform you of our studies and how to participate in them.

Appointments

Appointments can be made by individuals with voice disorders themselves or by physicians. Please bring a referral by your primary care physician or alternatively ENT doctor, psychiatrist, or neurologist with you on the day of your appointment.

Appointments can be arranged by calling Mrs. Hanke, Poliklinik for Psychiatrie and Psychotherapie at telephone number +49 (0)228 287-15732. We recommend you contact Dr. Maria Dietrich during phone consultation hours prior to arranging an appointment.

Phone consultation hours with Dr. Dietrich are Tuesdays from 2-4 p.m. at telephone phone number +49 (0)228 287-31059.