Communication Coaching

About Sarah

Sarah’s clear understanding of non-verbal communication – from body language & gesture, to tone of voice and subconscious word choice – honed from her years of work as an actor and voice teacher, have naturally led to a diverse client base. She has taught voice and communication skills to administrators, doctors, teachers, lawyers and executives while continuing to work with actors on a regular basis. Her non-actor clients have noted improvements such as better memo writing, more efficient meeting management and clearer, more confident responses in live interviews. Clients also became more inclined toward a creative and collaborative approach to problem solving in the workplace. And more than one client noticed that they were ‘being heard’ more often in meetings. Their ideas and input were taken more seriously as they became relaxed and confident in their speaking voices, more aware of their energy and body language and sensitive to the power of intentional communication.

Recent interesting jobs with non-actors have included teaching a communication skills class to critical care doctors at Toronto General Hospital and leading an all day workshop offered by the women’s committee of the Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers. The 25 participants from across Ontario and B.C. ranged from law students and lawyers to clerks and judges. She was also recently a presenter at V.O. Atlanta, one of the world’s largest conferences for the Voice Over Industry. She was a speaker on a panel about vocal health, led warm-ups for participants in the mornings, and ran a three hour workshop focusing on vocal ease and variety for narrators and animation voice actors.

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Individual Coaching

Corporate/Industry Communication Workshops

Presentations

Sarah’s experience and skill as an actor and voice teacher greatly inform her charismatic public speaking. Her presentations about communication and voice are written with personal charm and humour, so audiences understand that everyone has challenges with their speaking voices, and there are solutions.

People Are
Saying...

Sarah’s acute sensitivity to the nuances of voice, as well as her curious and non-judgemental attitude, have helped me to release my voice more fully in my singing and spoken-word practices. With practice, I have increased my range by a pitch and a half in both my upper and lower registers, and I have developed a stronger ability to translate written words into meaningful sound. In addition to the improvements that I have experienced in my professional performance practice, Sarah’s commitment to honest voice communication and holistic thinking have allowed me to integrate the Linklater method into all of my daily communications. I feel more confident in my ability to identify internal emotions and express them through my voice, and to speak my intentions simply and directly.

Rebecca Bruton

Multi-Disciplinary Performer, Teacher, and Arts facilitator

Sarah has the enviable ability to truly challenge her students, while also maintaining a safe, fun space to grow and learn. She thoroughly understands the physical mechanics of the voice, as well as the psychological aspects of this work, and I trust her implicitly.

Martha Girvin

Actor

What I loved most about Sarah’s workshop was how much I learned from everyone else’s discoveries as well as my own. Sarah has a way of honing in on what an individual needs to focus on while making it applicable to the entire group.

Denise Watt

Actor/writer, Montreal

Sarah, I just wanted to thank you for a tremendous weekend. I learned so much, and can’t wait for you to come back to Boston! It was time and money so well spent. I so appreciated your gentle nature, your commitment to using our time wisely, and to tailoring the feedback to each of us.I also wanted to say how incredible your work with J was. I have long wondered if he has Asperger’s. He carries himself with the same physical tension and muscular tightness as my son (who has AS) and eye contact is difficult for him too. People with AS have expressed how they feel “boxed in.” They just can’t look people in the eye, as it physically overwhelms them. Watching J face his tensions, stories, and pain and struggle to find his voice, hit close to home for me. Watching him shake and overcome the tightness, at least for those minutes with you, was very moving. I think you handled it gently but firmly—and it was amazing to watch.

Alyson Muzila

Actor, Boston, Mass.

Individual Coaching

Sarah is available for individual voice & communication skills lessons. While most of her clients are career actors, Sarah has also worked with administrators, teachers, professors, writers, executives, doctors and lawyers. She has learned that so many of the skills she helps her actor clients with have numerous applications in other fields of work.

Sarah draws on all her experience as an Actor & Voice Teacher to instinctively teach clients the exercises that will most effectively free their speaking voice. She has helped people learn to manage and release communication habits such as mumbling, stuttering and timidity. She has also helped clients prep for major speeches and presentations.

Actors know how to relax in the middle of their bodies while speaking in stressful situations. They know how to respond instinctively, speak clearly, and listen openly all at the same time. How could those skills benefit you when you defend your thesis, make a major presentation, speak before the board of directors or the shareholders, defend your client in a court of law, hold a live-streamed, high-profile interview, manage a meeting, help a patient in distress?

Corporate/Industry Communication Workshops

Sarah can skillfully craft an interactive in-person or online workshop or class for your company’s next professional development retreat or conference. Workshops can be tailored for small to mid-sized groups of approx. 10 to 30 participants. After meeting with the client to discuss desired outcomes, Sarah creates workshops that run from a couple of hours to multi-day events. Different teaching methods are utilized, and drafts of the class plan are shared with the client during the creation process. Teaching methods may include: voice & body exercises; listening/observation games; communicating as a team; exploration of gesture, body language & relationships in space; scripted scenarios to demonstrate communication principles.

Body language, gesture, eye contact, managing nerves, tone of voice, freedom of breath, spinal alignment, physical relationship to others in space, rhythm of speech, pace, pitch range, vocal variety and melody, listening with compassion, reading the room, clarity of thought, clarity of speech, allowing space in speech, communicating and receiving emotionally charged content at work safely and clearly - these are some of the many facets of communication Sarah can help you and your co-workers understand so you can make choices that will forward your goals.

Her workshops are interactive. She teaches simple, repeatable, voice & body exercises to practise independently after the class is over. She creates unique ways to practise communicating differently in real life situations, to breathe, clear your thinking and make a choice, instead of responding habitually.

Understand how you communicate and exactly what you are communicating. If everything in you is operating in accordance with your intent, you will communicate in such a way that you get closer to your goals.

Sarah can teach your staff the basics of personal charisma. Why is it when some people walk into a room, there is a moment of silence, a moment of acknowledging that person’s energy has entered the space? Why is it that some people, even if they fumble or hesitate in their speech, are so engaging that people listen to every word? Why is it that some speakers are so sincere and passionate they inspire others to take action ?

When you put your ideas out there, you want people to listen. Not because they have to. But because they want to. And then you are free to listen to them. And improvement becomes possible within that free exchange of ideas.

Request a free consultation today to see if this type of flexible, creative, fun approach to staff development of communication skills might be right for your company.

Presentations

Sarah's experience and skill as an actor and voice teacher greatly inform her charismatic public speaking. Her presentations about communication and voice are written with personal charm and humour, so audiences understand that everyone has challenges with their speaking voices, and there are solutions. Sarah has a wealth of stories to draw on in her speeches - from her decades of work as an actor & teacher as well as her personal journey to vocal freedom - that will lead listeners to tears and laughter both.

As a conference presenter, her speaking style has been called ‘captivating’ with her expressive, warm, confident vocal clarity and ease. Her enthusiasm for the power of the speaking voice and the power of real listening fuels her articulate speech. She clearly communicates how cultivating better communication and listening skills can further the goals of the individual, company or organization.

By speaking with variety and ease, she demonstrates the potential effectiveness of a freer voice in public speaking. And she offers solutions - repeatable, practical ways to begin immediately communicating with voices & bodies that support intellectual intentions, often getting the audience up on their feet to experiment and ‘learn by doing’ right away. Sarah is also quite comfortable fielding questions about voice & communication from the audience, giving clear, intelligent answers supported with examples and demonstrations.

Sarah has been told often that she is very 'present' when engaged in conversation, which she attributes to listening with her entire being, as actors do. Clients also say they listen more clearly after a voice lesson. There are many reasons for this improved listening, one being that when one's speaking voice is free, more thoughts & feelings are released on vibrations, leaving more space in the body for the next moment. Improved listening goes far in work situations calling for collaboration and creative thinking.

Sarah speaks with freedom, fullness and clarity. She will write a speech to encourage and inspire your staff to do so also. So at their next boardroom presentation, public relations event, or live interview people listen to them. Not because they have to. Because they want to.