Background

Christina Shewell, MA, FRCSLT ADVS, is a spoken voice teacher, and speech/ language therapist, and has long working experience with a wide range of clients in both voice therapy and voice development. She has particular expertise in working with performers, and other professional voice users. For 11 years, she was senior lecturer in voice and counselling skills at University College London, has been a staff member of major British acting schools, a coach in the business world and has spoken at many conferences. She leads a wide range of training courses, both nationally and internationally. Christina’s book Voice Work: Art and Science in Changing Voices (2009) addresses voice work along the continuum of normal-abnormal voice, in singing, spoken voice coaching and voice pathology, and is a core text for a wide range of voice practitioners. She has a particular interest in the relevance of mindfulness and imagery in voice work and well-being, and in the links between voice, neuroscience, body and emotions. Her most recent article, Poetry, Voice, Brain and Body is published in the July 2020 Voice and Speech Review - the journal of the Voice and Speech Trainers Association (VASTA).

Past Work

Christina’s first job was with adults with acquired aphasia – the loss of language after stroke, accident or disease, and she worked in the East End of London. After obtaining a Master’s degree in Linguistics at Reading University, she worked in Cambridge and became head of speech therapy at Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge. She also taught linguistics on the speech and language therapy course at the Central School of Speech and Drama, London.

After training as a voice teacher, with an Advanced Diploma in Voice Studies from the Central School of Speech and Drama (London), she was on the staff on the acting and singing courses at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London for six years. During that time, she worked for the Royal Shakespeare Company as a dialect coach. In her many years of consultancy in Harley Street, London, she specialised in coaching both experienced and beginner voice users, and worked extensively as trainer and coach in the business world.

Her clients included well-known stage and film actors, rock and opera musicians, senior politicians and a huge and rich mix of other professional voice users. Following the birth of her son, she took a half-time post as lecturer in voice and counselling skills at the Department of Communication Science, University College London, where she now holds an honorary senior lectureship.

After moving to Bristol, Christina worked locally in voice therapy both privately and as a member of the excellent NHS voice team of the North Bristol Health Trust. At the same time she continued to work as communications skills coach and taught both nationally and internationally. In 2009 she was honoured with a fellowship from the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists.

1999-2012 Specialist speech and language therapist for North Bristol Trust

1990-1999 Senior lecturer in voice and counseling skills at Department of Communication Science, University College

1986 – 1998 Private clinical practice and consultancy work at the London Clinic

1985 - 1990 Voice teacher staff member on the acting course at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London and consultant to the Singing Department

1980 - 1984 Full time head of speech therapy at Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge

1975 - 1980 Lecturer in Linguistics at the Central School of Speech and Drama, London

Current

Fellowship of The Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists

The Health Professions Council

The British Voice Association

VASTA The Voice and Speech Teachers Association

Member of the editorial board of the Voice and Speech Review

Past

Council Member of Action for Dysphasic Adults

Publications Committee of the College of Speech Therapists

External Committee Member for the Advanced Diploma in Voice Studies - Central School of Speech and Drama

Council member for British Association of Performing Arts Medicine, and founder and chair of their Voice Working Party

Member of Advisory Board for the Bristol Harbourside Centre

External Examiner - Post-graduate Diploma and MA Voice Courses - Central School of Speech and Drama

External Moderator for the Human Communication Studies course –The College of St Mark and St John, Exeter University

Professional
Memberships