QueerCME sat down with Nicole Gress (they/she), a trans speech-language pathologist and founder of Undead Voice, to talk about their work transforming the landscape of voice transition for transgender and gender -diverse people. What followed was a conversation about liberation, autonomy, and what it really means to be heard.

Q: Who are you? How do you identify?

Nicole: I’m Nicole Gress (she/they), a trans speech-language pathologist and the founder of Undead Voice. I identify as gender fluid, and I’ve spent the last 12 years focused on one thing: helping trans and gender diverse people find a voice that feels like theirs.

Q: What’s your role in trans health and wellness?

Nicole: I created Undead Voice because the traditional system wasn’t working. People were waiting years for care that wasn’t effective, affirming, or even available in most places.

So I built something outside of that system. A voice training program designed by and for trans people, rooted in autonomy and access. It’s not speech therapy. It’s not YouTube. It’s an entirely new methodology grounded in identity, built for results, and delivered through community.

Today, Undead Voice is the leading provider of trans voice training globally. We’ve supported over 100,000 voices across more than 20 countries, and we offer free programs, lifetime coaching, and over $600,000 in scholarships to make sure cost is never the reason someone can’t train their voice.

Q: How does your work challenge white supremacy?

Nicole: Voice is power, and historically, that power has only been afforded to certain people. Most voice training is based on white, cis, Eurocentric norms—what’s considered “professional,” “appropriate,” or “passable.” We reject that entirely.

At Undead Voice, we don’t train people to sound like a norm. We train them to sound like themselves. That means working with someone’s natural voice, culture, language, identity, and goals. Our framework isn’t rigid. It’s responsive. And we hold space for people navigating racism, ableism, classism, and transmisogyny all at once.

We don’t separate voice from liberation. That means we see voice as deeply tied to power, agency, and identity. For many trans and gender diverse people, being misgendered, silenced, or unheard isn’t just uncomfortable. It’s a barrier to safety, leadership, belonging, and self-expression. So when we support someone in finding a voice that feels like them, we’re not just helping them sound different. We’re helping them reclaim autonomy.

Q: How does your work support HAES (Health at Every Size)?

Nicole: We’re aligned with HAES in that we center autonomy, not aesthetics. We don’t push one “ideal” voice or define success by how well someone passes. Just like HAES challenges the idea that health can only look one way, we challenge the idea that gender can only sound one way.

Our role isn’t to mold people into something. They’ve already been shaped by systems their whole life. We support people in finding a voice that feels right in their body, on their terms. That’s what makes it sustainable. That’s what makes it liberatory.

Q: Who can access your work?

Nicole: We’ve trained people ages 9 to 90 and beyond. All genders. All backgrounds. All locations. As long as someone is able to read, listen, and understand English-language and exploring a voice that feels more affirming to them, they belong here.

Everything we offer is online. We have free entry points like Jumpstart, and then Undead Voice Lab, which includes lifetime access to unlimited voice coaching and community. We’ve intentionally designed our model to remove every traditional barrier. Cost, geography, gatekeeping, and time.

Q: What do you wish prescribing providers knew about your work?

Nicole: That we’re not a workaround. We’re the solution.

Most trans people will never access voice therapy through the traditional system, and when they do, it’s often inaccessible, pathologizing, or just doesn’t work. What we offer isn’t a fallback. It’s a method that’s actually helping people thrive.

We center community, not compliance. What moves people forward isn’t just technique. It’s hearing someone who used to sound like them now speaking with ease, confidence, and joy. That changes everything.

Q: Who should providers recommend to your content?

Nicole: Anyone navigating voice dysphoria. Anyone who’s tried to figure it out alone and is feeling overwhelmed. Anyone who doesn’t feel safe or seen in a clinical space.

We support people who are neurodivergent, multilingual, multiply marginalized, and living in places where gender affirming care is under attack or simply doesn’t exist. We’re structured for access because the system wasn’t built for us.

Q: What resources do you recommend for providers? For their patients?

For providers: Start with our free Trans Voice Guide at undeadvoice.com, follow us on Instagram at @undead.voice, and begin shifting how you think and talk about voice. Voice isn’t just about pitch. It’s about identity, safety, communication, and confidence. The more providers understand that, the more affirming their care becomes.

For patients: Our free Jumpstart program is a great place to begin. It’s a three-week series of live, virtual classes available to any trans person who needs it, no matter where they are in their journey. After that, we offer full voice training through Undead Voice Lab, which comes with lifetime access, unlimited expert coaching, and a supportive, affirming community. We also offer scholarships that can be approved in just 24 hours.

And if someone isn’t sure where to start, they can always email us at [email protected] and we’ll help them take the first step.