use your voice | counseling & kerntalentenanalyse

Our Story Use your voice was founded by Laura Stavinoha in Amsterdam in 2016, though the initiative began one year earlier. Laura holds a university master’s degree in musicology, a minor in private law, and is trained as a classical singer. Before becoming a coach, she worked as a project manager, business manager, copywriter, and booking agent for a voice agency, giving her a rare blend of artistic and business expertise. Today she works as a musician, performer, writer, producer, and coach with the voice at the center of everything. She is editor-in-chief of the Kenniscommunity positieve desintegratie, an author affiliated with the American magazine Third Factor, and a speaker with the agency ZijSpreekt. In 2022 she published the book VOICE: A Multifaceted Approach to Self-Growth and Vocal Empowerment. The practice is dedicated to sensitive, creative, and gifted people who are ready for a new step in life and want to make conscious choices rooted in their own values. Programs & Trainings Voice Coaching, A program for conscious development through the voice, treated not as an end in itself but as an opening to deeper underlying questions. Combines voice-skills training with therapeutic interventions for body awareness, presence, and making conscious choices rooted in personal values. Addresses physical and mental blockages, rushed or monotone speech, public-speaking anxiety, and authentic self-expression. Career Coaching, Guidance toward meaningful work. The process often uses voice or talent questions as an entry point to reveal the essence of the client’s situation and to build a reflective, proactive plan. Core Talents Analysis, An in-depth investigation of nature, potential, and intrinsic motivation intended for those who feel they are not fully flourishing in their current role or who face a major career or life decision. Laura maps core talents and their nuances to create a complete, practical picture that clients can use immediately. Creative Recovery, A trajectory to help clients live out their creative potential, inspired by Julia Cameron’s methods and designed to unblock and reignite artistic energy. Singing Lessons, Focused on the joy of singing across genres including classical, house, experimental, and pop. The goal is an authentic, intuitive singing voice that communicates from the heart, free from rigid stylistic conventions. In-Company Voice Workshop, A half-day team-building and creativity workshop delivered on location for up to eight participants. Explores the body-breath-voice connection, unconscious habits, and various voice techniques to give messages more impact. Participants practice presenting short and long texts, engage in group interaction, receive individual feedback, and get attention for personal questions. Custom programs are possible. Book VOICE, A 2022 publication offering a multifaceted approach to self-growth and vocal empowerment, integrating vocal work with personal development theory. Specialties Vocal empowerment and speaking-voice development Singing lessons across classical and contemporary styles Career transition and meaningful-work guidance Core talent analysis and intrinsic motivation mapping Creative recovery and unblocking artistic potential Body-awareness and therapeutic voice interventions In-company team training and voice-based team building Coaching for highly sensitive, creative, and gifted adults Women’s voice issues: being heard, interruptions, and persuasive delivery Methods & Approach Laura’s method is self-reflective, proactive, and experiential, anchored in a solid theoretical basis. She trains voice skills and applies therapeutic interventions drawn from Polyvagal Theory, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Nonviolent Communication, and the theory of Positive Disintegration. Body-awareness work, yoga, meditation, and down-to-earth rebalancing practices are woven in to restore connection with the body. Creative recovery draws on Julia Cameron’s principles. The coach adapts each session seamlessly to the individual based on what she hears and sees, creating a safe environment that participants describe as structured, to-the-point, clear, and humorous. Who It's For Sensitive, creative, and gifted individuals ready for a new life step; professionals struggling with voice impact such as monotone, overly fast speech, or not being heard in meetings; lawyers, teachers, innovation managers, project managers, performers, and business analysts seeking stronger presence and authentic expression in corporate or public settings; people considering a career switch or an important life choice; singers of all levels wanting an intuitive, heart-centered vocal approach; and corporate teams looking for an experiential team-building activity that combines creativity with practical communication skills. Facilities & Practical Info The practice is based in Amsterdam. Coaching is available in Dutch and English. Prospective voice-coaching clients are invited to a free clarity call by phone. In-company workshops are delivered on the client’s premises. Existing clients can book follow-up appointments through an online scheduling system. A newsletter with articles, videos, and podcasts about voice use is distributed up to six times per year. Location Address: Cornelis Dirkszstraat 23-3, 1056 TP Amsterdam, Netherlands Hours: See website for schedule The "+" A rare synthesis of musicology, performance practice, and depth psychology, backed by formal training in law and classical singing. Fully personalized, adaptive coaching where sessions are continuously tailored to the individual’s observed needs. Unique dual offering of both speaking-voice coaching and singing lessons, informed by an active international music career and live-looping performance experience. Recognized thought leadership through the book VOICE, editorship of a knowledge community on Positive Disintegration, and speaking engagements. Proven corporate track record with clients such as ABN AMRO, Gemeente Amsterdam, Gilead, ADM Europe, Hogeschool van Amsterdam, De Metselarij, Wyzer, Albert Heijn, Ziekenhuis Ter Gooi, and Richemont.