In order to improve our services, we regularly ask our customers for their feedback.
Here are some of the comments we received from our customers.
Children
Parent of a First-Grade Girl
My first-grade daughter was having difficulties pronouncing the Japanese syllables "sa-shi-su-se-so."
After receiving feedback from her school, we sought help from the city's developmental counseling center. We were told there was a six-month wait for the training, so we were referred to this counseling room. The therapist was kind and listened carefully to my daughter's perspective, which gave me great peace of mind. She practiced for about 10 minutes every day at home, and her pronunciation improved dramatically! My daughter said she gained confidence reading her textbooks aloud, and loved the therapist. When she finished all of the lessons and graduated, she even seemed sad and didn't want her lessons to end. I'm so glad we were able to make such early improvements, and I'd like to recommend Yanagi sensei to any moms out there who have the same concerns.
Parent of 6year-old boy
My child was about to take elementary school entrance exams, and during an interview, the preschool teacher pointed out that he was having trouble pronouncing the Japanese syllables "ki," "gi," "shi," and "ji" properly, and that he needed to address these issues.
My child was about to take elementary school entrance exams, and during the interview, the preschool pointed out that he had difficulty pronouncing sounds like "ki," "gi," "shi," and "ji" and that he needed to work on this. The preschool recommended this service, and we quickly began training. First, the therapist carefully consulted with us about his speech, thoroughly checked his mouth and tongue movements, and I could see that she was tailoring the program to suit each child. She designed the training so that even children could concentrate, and she explained to me each time why the training was necessary, which was very reassuring. Thanks to them, he was accepted into his desired school, and we are truly grateful.
Parent of a second-grade girl
I had visited several hospitals to improve my child's speech, but it was difficult to find a therapist who could provide speech training for children.
I had tried various things on my own, but it wasn't helping, so I happened to find this service online. The therapist was very good, and the training was more specialized than I expected. I realized that I should have left it to a professional from the beginning. Since then, my child and I have been enjoying each online lesson. My child's progress has been so rapid that it seems he's gained confidence, and she's now able to give lively school presentations!
Adult
Female Vocal Instructor, in her 60s
After undergoing vocal nodule removal surgery, my doctor diagnosed me with functional dysphonia and referred me to Yanagi sensei.
I struggled to speak (I could only produce a few low notes) and was completely unable to sing. After three months of receiving various methods of instructions however, I was able to sing almost three octaves. During that time, I was mentally unstable, but her encouragement and support helped me stay positive. I am also grateful for the hospital referral, as she viewed images of my vocal cords during my consultations, and for provided me with home practice notes each time, which made reviewing my lessons easy. I am truly grateful to be able to return to my work as a vocal instructor and to resume performing.
Male, announcer, in his 50s
I started coming to this clinic to improve my habit of clenching my throat when reading texts, which had become a habit.
Her evidence-based instruction is always convincing, and her patience, in repeated trial and error sessions to help me find the right combination, has consistently led to improvement. Due to the nature of vocal training, it's rare for improvement to occur in just one or two sessions, but her constant and compassionate instruction and her ability to work alongside clients is what makes this clinic so appealing. She also teaches me how to control my voice on my own and guides me toward independence.
Female, Office Worker, in her 40s (Hobbies: Band, Streaming)
I've taken voice lessons at a few places before, but much of the instruction was based on intuition, so I didn't really understand what the goal was or what it meant to be successful.
However, Yanagi sensei's approach as a speech-language-hearing pathologist explains the "function" of vocal production from an anatomical perspective, making it easy to visualize which parts of the body to move and how. I realized that by repeatedly practicing using my throat correctly, I could achieve correct vocalization. In fact, within six months of starting classes, I was able to expand my range by seven semi-tones.
Male, sales position, in his 50s
I live in Ibaraki prefecture and have been suffering from a hoarse voice for many years, so I went to a specialized hospital in Tokyo. I received vocal cord surgery and although the postoperative
progress was favorable, I was told I needed rehabilitation. When I explained to the doctor that visiting the hospital was difficult due to the long distance and the need for time off work, my doctor introduced me to Yanagi sensei's online rehabilitation program. It was extremely helpful to be able to learn about vocal cord care and practice vocal production from the comfort of my own home, and to have my doctor provide professional medical support. Unlike hospitals, there are no wait times, and as long as I have my smartphone, I can receive rehabilitation while traveling or in my car. Considering the money and time saved from transportation cost, I think the cost is quite reasonable.
ケース紹介 ＜オンラインレッスンのすすめ＞
こちらでは、レッスンを通して声や滑舌（発音）、話し方が改善し生活が豊かになったと喜ばれているケースをご紹介します。（※写真はイメージです）
ケース１：声が良くなって仕事でも成果を出せた！ ―４０代男性の場合―
何年も前から声のかすれと出しにくさが気になっていた、とのことで都内の病院を受診され、声帯がやせている病気（状態）だったとわかった会社員の方です。医師から声をうまく出すためのリハビリを薦められ、発声のリハビリを開始。もともと話すことも歌うことも好きだったので、なんとか元の声に戻りたいと必死にリハビリをされました。月に１～２回リハビリをし、お教えした自宅練習メニューも自宅で頑張っていただき、効果は数か月で徐々に現れてきました。その後、良くなったり悪くなったりを繰り返しながらも、約１年ほどでご本人の納得のいく良い声を出せるようになりました。それからは、カラオケで褒められるようになり、仕事でも電話応対など積極的に自信をもってすることができるようになったとのこと。そして、声が良くなって余裕ができたからか、仕事でお客様にどうやったら喜んでもらえるか工夫もできるようになり、その結果業績も上がり、社内でのコンテストで初めて賞をいただけたとご報告がありました。このまま声を大事にして、お仕事も頑張っていきます、と喜びいっぱいのご様子でした。
ケース２：発音がきれいになっておしゃべりが増えた！ ―５歳 男の子の場合―
「５歳になったのにまだ『かきくけこ』が言えないんです」、とお母さまが心配されてご相談に来られました。お子様のことばのチェックをさせていただくと、確かに「かきくけこ」が全て「たちつてと」になってしまっていました。お子様本人も、うまく発音できていないことを自覚しておられ、その子の名前には苦手な「か」の音が入っていたので、「いつになったら僕は自分の名前がちゃんといえるようになるんだろう」と毎日鏡をみて悩んでいたそうです。お母様とのご相談の上、発音の練習を開始することにし、週１回レッスンを受けていただくことにしました。開始時は本人は内気でなかなか自分から話をしようとはせず、もじもじしていましたが、レッスンでうまくできるようになってくると、自信がついたのか、笑顔で積極的に話すようになってきました。ことばに対する意識も高まったのか、水族館で魚の名前を覚えたり、文字に興味を持ったり、何でも「あれはなあに？」と物の名前を尋ねるようになったそうです。毎日の自宅練習の甲斐あって、8か月ほどで完全に正常に話せるようになりました。ことばが良くなってからは、保育園で積極的にみんなを遊びに誘ったりするなど、性格が変わったのかと思うくらいのびのびと明るくなったそうです。
ケース３：吃音（どもり）が軽減して楽になった男性 ―20代 男性の場合―
幼少期からことばの初めが詰まって出ない、言いにくいという症状があったそうです。ずっと気にはなっていたけれど病院などには行かず、そのままにしていたそうです。社会人になった頃、電話応対でどうしても「お世話になっております」の初めの「お」が出なかったり、社名などをうまく言えないことで悩まれ、相談に来られました。印象的だったことは、初めてのレッスンでお話を伺っていた時、今までどれだけ自分が吃音で苦しい思いをしたのかを涙を流しながらお話しされたことです。吃音があることで自分を否定したり、言いたいことを我慢したり、誤解を受けたりしたことが何度もあったと胸の内を打ち明けてくださいました。そこから、吃音に対してどう向き合うかを一緒に考え、完治まではいかなくとも楽に話せるように練習しようと方針を決め、月２回の頻度で練習を開始。毎日の自宅練習メニューもまじめにこなされ、初めの２か月で少し話し方も気持ちも楽になってきたとのことでした。それからまた２～３か月すると声の出し方や話し方を普段の会話にも取り入れるようになり、楽に話すことができているとのことでした。吃音そのものは完全には良くなりませんでしたが、吃音がありながらも楽に話すことができ、吃音のことを相談できる場所があるという安心感を得られたのが良かったとご本人はおっしゃいます。また、今後吃音にどう向き合っていくかの手がかりを得て、そこまで悩まなくなったとのことで訓練は終了に至りました。今では職場の上司に何か報告をするときなどにも、緊張なく話せているとのことです。
声や話し方が改善すると、それだけでなく、多くの方でその先の生活や心の健康にも良い影響が出ています。お子さんの場合は、知的な好奇心も高まりますし、何か努力すれば達成感を得られるという成功体験にもなります。
単なる「話し方の練習」だけでなく毎日を豊かにする鍵が、ここにはあるかもしれません。
お困りの方は、どんな小さなことでも是非ご相談ください。
※治療・リハビリ効果には個人差があります。この記事はあくまでも参考にしていただくための事例であり、治療・リハビリの効果を保証するためのものではありません。