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Katherine Isaacson, M.S., CCC-SLP
Katherine (Kat) Isaacson, M.S, CCC-SLP (she/her) is a cisgender woman and ASHA-certified speech-language pathologist licensed to practice in the state of New Mexico.
Kat earned her Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology at the University of New Mexico (UNM) in 2020, and completed her Bachelor of Arts in English at University of California, Davis. She also completed the Applied Behavior Analysis Graduate Certificate at UNM in 2022. She completed the New Mexico Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (NM LEND) fellowship in 2017, and the New Mexico Partners in Policymaking fellowship in 2018, with the UNM Center for Development and Disability. She is currently pursuing a doctorate in Speech-Language Pathology Leadership through the Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health Professions, a Harvard Medical School affiliate.
Between 2021 and 2025, Kat founded and chaired Gender Voice Center, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that helped more than 400 people achieve their gender-affirming voice goals. During that same period, she also founded and owned Communication Connections Therapy Services, LLC, which provided home-based articulation and language therapy services to dozens of clients across the lifespan. In 2025, Kat published her first book on gender-affirming voice training.
Kat is a native Californian, born and raised in the Monterey Bay area. A former Army spouse of 11 years, she has lived in several different places across the United States, and has called New Mexico home for more than a decade, with her son, Kyle. She is a graduate of the Emerge New Mexico program, which trains women to run for political office, and previously served on the New Mexico Speech-Language-Hearing Association (NMSHA) board as a Vice President of Convention during 2022.
RESEARCH / PROJECTS
Bridging the Gap: Standardizing Evidence-Based Techniques in Gender Affirming Voice Training for Clinicians – Although evidence-based voice therapy techniques are well established, their application within gender-affirming voice (GAV) training remains inconsistent. This project examines gaps in clinician knowledge regarding the standardized implementation of evidence-based approaches for GAV. Interviews with speech-language pathologists revealed a shared need for a structured, evidence-informed curriculum to support consistent therapeutic sequencing and client education. Findings from the literature further highlight the absence of standardized GAV frameworks, underscoring the need for an organized, affirming, and replicable clinical approach. (In-progress)
Implications for Cross-Training Between Applied Behavior Analysis and Speech-Language Pathology – Nine articles were reviewed to clarify overlaps and distinctions between applied behavior analysis (ABA) and speech-language pathology, including terminology, theoretical foundations, and licensure requirements. Although behavior analysts and speech-language pathologists frequently provide overlapping services—particularly for individuals on the autism spectrum—their educational preparation, clinical training, and intervention frameworks differ substantially. Findings highlight these differences despite shared service contexts and support a call for increased dual certification through expanded cross-training, cross-education, and cross-supervision opportunities at the graduate level. UNM Digital Repository: http://digitalrepository.unm.edu/shs_fsp/1
PUBLICATIONS
GENDER AFFIRMING VOICE TRAINING: A UNIQUE CURRICULUM: Rethinking How to Structure a Common Evidence-Based Practice for Changing Vocal Behaviors at the Conversational Level: This book presents a fresh application of Water Resistance Therapy (WRT) for gender-affirming voice training by emphasizing sensory–motor memory change in everyday voice use. Through controlled implementation of WRT as a foundational framework, the approach supports safe exploration of pitch, resonance, and prosody while protecting vocal structures. The structured, concrete methodology offers clinicians a clear, empowering roadmap for guiding clients toward voice patterns aligned with their gender identity, presentation, and expression. Amazon: https://a.co/d/1KCSQ8M
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