AUTHENTIC VOICE ACADEMY
The nervous system re-training class to transform your confidence on stage, on camera, and in your life.
If you have overwhelming nerves, you get stuck in your head, or you hide, when you truly want to be seen…
Change is possible.
In the nine lessons of Authentic Voice Academy, you’ll learn tools for identifying and moving between nervous system states, so you can show up in front of others with genuine presence and authenticity.
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YOURÂ NERVESÂ AREN'T BAD
 You’ve heard this… that “nerves are the same as excitement,” and if you just think positively, you’ll be able to present or perform with enthusiasm and ease.
The problem, though, is that your nerves want to move. They need to be channeled in a productive way. And if you don’t know how or where to channel them, it’s really easy to feel stuck.
Then there’s the problem of self-monitoring... becoming consumed with reminding yourself to smile, being sure you’re loud enough, and implementing that other note your teacher/mentor/coach/friend gave you.
PLUS, you’ve got to remember what to say! An especially big task if you’re memorizing, but also a big deal if you’re speaking impromptu. God forbid you have that moment where your mind goes blank while everyone is looking at you.
The good news is there’s one solution to all these challenges:
Understand where to put your focus and how to channel your nerves, so you can change your nervous system state.
Because in a moment of panic or freeze, you won’t have easy access to what you want to say, and how you want to say it.
But when you’re in a state of presence with yourself and your audience, your nerves dissipate, your body remembers your rehearsal, and...
You authentically know what to say.
Introducing
AUTHENTIC VOICE ACADEMY
A nine-lesson course to learn tools for identifying and moving between nervous system states, so you can show up in front of others with genuine presence and authenticity.
This is not a class of do’s and don’ts.
It’s a step-by-step method to expand your capacity and free your voice. We’ll explore your defaults around eye focus, body language, breathing, vocal inflections, and listening. When you understand how to assess where you are, and how to get somewhere else (quickly and easily!), it becomes a joy to show up in front of others and share your message.
THEÂ LESSONS
LESSONÂ 1
What is an authentic voice?
What is authenticity anyway? And how do we achieve it? In this first session, we’ll establish our guidelines for the course, and learn a core practice for centering ourselves. We’ll also cover the Voice Body Connection Process™, a method that starts with a somatic check-in to help us understand what we want to say.
LESSONÂ 2
How do we change our habits?
This lesson covers Elissa’s version of the Unconscious Competence model, a groundbreaking way to understand why we develop habits, and how we can change them (if we choose to!). Habit change takes more than just practice… we also have to learn how to let go of our attachment to getting it right.
LESSONÂ 3
What if our nerves aren’t bad?
Here’s the core of our course - how our nervous system works, and how we can re-pattern it. We’ll cover the anatomy and physiology of the nervous system, and Polyvagal Theory (including ways it’s been refuted, and how it can still be useful). We’ll also learn the colors of Char Kasza’s Color Wheel.
LESSONÂ 4
What if we’re already great at being present?
Spoiler alert: You are, in fact, already great at being present. So if you’re losing access to presence when the spotlight is on you, there are ways to get back to what you already know. We’ll cover mindfulness practices, as well as Patsy Rodenburg’s Second Circle, as tools to help you understand how to use your focus to come back into full presence.
LESSONÂ 5
Free your body language & breathing
Now we get into the practical applications of all our knowledge. You’ll learn techniques for eye focus (so important!!), body language, and breathing that are game-changers in transforming your nervous system state. By the end of this lesson, you’ll know how to breathe when you’re nervous, and what to do with your hands.
LESSONÂ 6
Free your full, authentic voice
We’ll cover how your vocal folds and resonators work, so that you have clear tools to change the quality of your voice. You may default monotone, high-pitches, or a sing-songy cadence. Or perhaps you want to reduce your upspeak or vocal fry. We’ll cover tools to expand your pitch variability so your vocal inflections match your authentic intention.
LESSONÂ 7
Clarify your message
If you struggle with what to say, this lesson will bring all of our delivery tools together and apply them to content. And this lesson is extra special… you’ll learn the only question you need to be asking yourself while performing or presenting. If you take away one thing from this course, this will be it!
LESSON 8
Memorize without turning into a robot
So many of us sound totally different when we’re reading versus speaking impromptu. In this lesson you’ll learn how to approach text and memorization with your right brain, so you really connect to what you’re saying, and your delivery feels fresh and authentic.
LESSON 9
Putting it into practice!
In this final session, Elissa coaches the students at the live filming. In future live sessions held on Zoom, you’ll have the opportunity to coach with Elissa, too.
Winter 2025-26 Live Sessions:
Once a year, we gather a cohort so students have an opportunity to move through the lessons together and get feedback from Elissa. The Winter 2025-26 cohort sessions are scheduled for the following Wednesdays from 12-1:30pm Eastern Time:
➡️ November 5th: Open session for all - sneak peek of the new course! (get the recording here)
➡️ November 19th: Q&A and coaching on lessons 1 & 2
➡️ December 3rd: Q&A and coaching on lessons 3 & 4
➡️ December 17th: Q&A and coaching on lessons 5 & 6
➡️ January 7th: Q&A and coaching on lessons 7, 8, & 9 + assignment of final video project
➡️ January 21st: Presentations and coaching on final video projectÂ
Once you own Authentic Voice Academy, you'll be able to participate in all future live cohorts!
Join the AcademyWHAT STUDENTS ARE SAYING
“My life has improved in many ways! But I recognize that I am more aware than ever if I am operating from a non-authentic behavior pattern that may have been a defense mechanism that served me in earlier life. I am quicker to notice and make the shift. Really love the moment before, and am trying to implement that beyond the camera.”
— Billie, Entrepreneur
“After taking this class, I feel more normal about myself! I realize that if I change my perspective, I can let go of a lot of things I’ve struggled with because I can stop assigning danger where there is none. Now I can trust myself to get up and connect with the people in front of me. I can get out of my head about things (cause I can definitely overthink a lot!). The principles I learned in this class have changed the way I move in the world. Thank you thank you thank you, Elissa!”
— Jovel, Actor and Content Creator
“This course taught me to stand there, in that moment where I would have previously felt uncomfortable and awkward, and to instead allow the fear and anxiety to wash away as I settled into the present moment. Today is not the time to be silent, and I credit Elissa with helping me find my voice when I didn't even know I had one.”
— Katie, Creative Director
ABOUT ELISSA
I love presenting in front of others and being on camera. But it wasn't always that way.Â
Back when I first started taking "Acting for the Camera" classes during my theatre degree, I felt stiff and wooden in front of the lens. It felt like I was a robot.
And give a presentation? I'd overdo it with my enthusiasm. I could play a character, sure, but being myself in front of other people was scary.Â
But I started learning about the human nervous system, and how it can be re-trained. I started re-training mine. I also spent years teaching in theatre and public speaking classrooms, and saw that nervous system re-training was way more effective than the traditional model of endless to-do's and notes.
Today, I love speaking in front of other people. And I want to show you that you can love it, too. I've shared the content of this class with thousands of students over my 15 years of teaching, and I've seen it work over, and over, and over. I am certain it will work for you too.Â
See you in class!
Elissa
The brand new Authentic Voice Academy is on sale through November 11th!
We offer discounts for BIPOC folks and artists, as well as economic scale adjustments for folks around the world who would not be able to otherwise access this course. Please read the FAQs below for further information, and write to us at [email protected].
FREQUENTLYÂ ASKEDÂ
QUESTIONS
How is this course different than other public speaking classes?
Do I need to be a performer or public speaker?
How long is the program?
Is there homework?
Are there discounts available?
What if I can’t attend live?
Course Credits:
Authentic Voice Academy was filmed in July 2025 at Balance Arts Center in New York City.
Many thanks to:
Carlos Chiossone, videographer and editor, and the crew:Â Gabriela Belisario and HĂ©ctor Parada,
The Voice Body Connection team: Christion Ty Edwards and Sam Cooper,
The staff of Balance Arts Center: Ann Rodiger, Maggie Brockman, et al,
My teachers over the years, especially Bonnie Bainbridge-Cohen, Betty Moulton, and David Ley,
The thousands of students I've worked with over the years in physical and virtual classrooms, who have helped inform and shape this curriculum,
And the fabulous students who attended the live filming: Michael Einbinder-Schatz, Danielle Farage, Molly Godfrey, Janet Hoffmann, Florian Kiniffo, Dorothy Krauss-Eisenpress, Jovel Roystan, and Nicole Weiss
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