Our Social Mission

Dr. Aaron Center for Human Development and Achievement empowers people to develop their capabilities and achieve what matters most to them. Through high-quality, bespoke coaching and consulting in voice, language, communication, entrepreneurship, global mobility, and personal growth, we help individuals cultivate their potential and turn their aspirations into meaningful achievements. As a social enterprise, we are committed to extending the benefits of our expertise to individuals and communities without adequate resources through subsidized services and community partnerships.

Our Social Commitments

Access to Services

We reserve a portion of our services for reduced-fee and sponsored coaching and consulting sessions for people who face financial barriers to accessing these opportunities

Community Partnerships

We collaborate with schools, organizations, and providers to identify and reach people with limited financial resources who would benefit from coaching and consulting services

During our first year of operation, we aim to provide at least 10 hours of reduced-fee or sponsored coaching and consulting services to people who face financial barriers to accessing these services. We will track our progress, learn from the individuals and community partners we serve, and reassess our commitment annually.

From Performer to Practitioner...

For more than two decades, my path has woven together performance, languages, science, health, education, and business. I began as a professional actor and singer, then followed my curiosity into voice science and speech-language pathology, later contributed to higher education, and more recently, founded a nonprofit to expand access to healthcare.

Today, my work centers on bespoke coaching and consulting. I partner with individuals of all ages to access their voice and words to express themselves in ways that feel more impactful, more authentic, and more sustainable. I mentor entrepreneurs as they cultivate their business ideas. I assist individuals to explore where in the world they can best thrive. And I support people in becoming their best selves. Across these areas, my goal is to help people discover possibilities, build on their strengths, and pursue what matters most to them.

Languages Spoken: English (Native), Spanish (C1)

Based in SE Asia. Available globally.

View Curriculum Vitae

Meet Dr. Aaron

Testimonials

What people say about Dr. Aaron

My doctor recommended Aaron’s service to help me with a voice disorder that arose when I was singing demanding music. Aaron gave me exercises that he invented and did more to correct that disorder than anything a doctor or voice teacher had offered before. Now that problem is gone. I learned that before becoming a voice scientist, Aaron had trained for years as an opera soloist. So then I engaged him for voice lessons as well. All but one of those sessions was virtual, not in person, but I felt the experience was just as effective as in person. He helped me improve my singing further, and today I am still using the exercises he gave me to make those improvements. I recently reached out for a catch-up singing lesson, he accommodated me quickly, and it was fun and effective.

Client from United States

I can confidently say that Dr. Aaron's guidance has been transformative. Preparing for an interview can be overwhelming, but Dr. Aaron supported me not just with practical preparation, but also with the mindset and confidence needed to perform at my best. What stands out most is his ability to combine deep expertise with genuine encouragement. He quickly understood my goals and tailored each session to strengthen both my communication and critical thinking skills. He gave me constant constructive feedback, and provided strategies that made me feel prepared, focused, and calm under pressure. Dr. Aaron is more than a tutor, he is a mentor who goes above and beyond to ensure his students succeed. I am deeply grateful for his support and highly recommend him to anyone seeking a tutor who is highly professional, empathetic, and dedicated to bringing out the best in their students. I can add that I even started genuinely seeing him as a role model, and I wish him all the best in his teaching journey!

Client from Qatar

I have already taken 10 lessons with Dr. Aaron, having classes twice a week, and it has been a transformative experience. I had always felt very bad at English, but thanks to his patience and excellent teaching method, I am finally starting to communicate and understand what I hear. He is an extremely kind, professional, and dedicated person, who always takes the time to explain everything to me as many times as necessary, without making me feel bad. I wholeheartedly recommend Dr. Aaron to anyone who asks me: he has a lot of patience, knows how to teach, and you can really see the progress in each class.

Client from Puerto Rico

When I started my transition (male to female) in 2019 the first thing I did was start voice lessons. For transwomen, voice is one of the few things you can really control, the rest is all hormones, time, and procedures. I walked into Aaron’s office having watched a plethora of YouTube videos on transvoice and had been trying to achieve a feminine voice using DIY techniques, without much success. I honestly wasn’t sure how feminine of a voice I would be able to achieve. Aaron started me out with the basics, breathing, learning to use my voice with ease and without excessive tension, next came gentle increases in pitch and warmth, and lastly came working on vowels and intonation. By the end I had a reasonably passable female voice, much more so than I had anticipated. I’ve continued to practice since and get better every day with practice and patience, the framework that Aaron gave me was invaluable to setting me up for success (today I get gendered correctly on the phone).

Client from United States

Studio photography of a diverse group of young professionals posing together in front of a blue wall featuring a painted tree mural. The atmosphere is professional yet warm and collaborative.

Event photography featuring four smiling professionals standing in a line in front of a projection screen. They are dressed in business attire and wearing conference name tags, conveying a collaborative and professional atmosphere.

Candid photography of three researchers smiling in front of academic conference posters. They are wearing conference badges, suggesting a professional and collaborative atmosphere.

Other Awards and Distinctions

Fall Voice Conference Best Poster Award (2018)
State of Hawaii World Voice Day Governor’s Proclamation (2013)
Comm Sci and Disorders Distinguished Service Award (2013)

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)

Clinical Practice Research Institute Grant (2016)
Lessons for Success Award (2015)
New Century Scholars Doctoral Scholarship (2012)
ASHA Convention Student Research Travel Award (2011)

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

NIH Clinical Research Loan Repayment Program Award (2015)
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) F31 Research Fellowship (2012)

Achievements

Striving for Excellence

Background

Education

University of Pittsburgh | 2014

PhD, Communication Science & Disorders

Dissertation: Effects of Vocal Intensity and Physical Activity Levels on Phonatory and Respiratory Function

Northwestern University | 2007

Master of Arts, Speech-Language Pathology

University of Michigan | 2001

Bachelor of Fine Arts, Theater Performance (Acting concentration)

Graduated with Distinction

Bachelor of Arts, Spanish (Latin American Studies focus)

Graduated with Highest Honors

Research and Clinical Training

Oregon Health & Science University | 2016

Certificate in Human Investigations (Post-Doctoral Fellowship)

Emory Voice Center, Emory University | 2009-2010

Clinical Fellow in Speech-Language Pathology (Voice and Swallowing)

National Center for Voice and Speech | 2005

Certificate of Vocology

Professional Voice Training

Singing
Dr. Robert Heitzinger, Classical Music, Northwestern University
Mr. Don Lawrence, Contemporary Commercial Music, NYC

Mr. George Shirley, Classical Music, University of Michigan

Speech
Mrs. Linda Gates, Theater Voice, Northwestern University

Ms. Annette Masson, Theater Voice & Dialects, University of Michigan

Certifications and Advanced Training

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association | 2010

Certificate of Clinical Competence

American Heart Association

Basic Life Support

Advanced Therapy Training

Lessac-Madsen Resonant Voice Therapy (LMRVT)

Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT Loud®); SPEAK OUT!®

Phonation Resistance Training Exercises (PhoRTE®)

Featured Scholarship and Media

Peer-Reviewed Publications

Yao, T. J., Ziegler, A., & Solomon, N.P. (2025). Phonation Resistance Training Exercises (PhoRTE®) and Inspiratory Muscle Strength Training (IMST) improve voice in older adults with presbyphonia: A single-subject experimental study. Journal of Voice, Available online 31 October 2025
Heitzman, A., Browy, J. R., Britton, D., Conn, J., & Ziegler, A. (2024). Impact of testosterone therapy on pulmonary function in transgender and gender expansive individuals assigned female at birth: A cross-sectional comparative study. International Journal of Transgender Health, 1-18.
Belsky, M. A., Shelly, S., Rothenberger, S. D., Ziegler, A., Hoffman, B., Hapner, E. R., Gartner-Schmidt, J. L., & Gillespie, A. I. (2023). Phonation Resistance Training Exercises (PhoRTE®) with and without Expiratory Muscle Strength Training (EMST) for patients with presbyphonia: A noninferiority randomized clinical trial. Journal of Voice, 37(3):398-409
Knickerbocker, K., Bryan, C., & Ziegler, A. (2021). Phonogenic voice problems among speech-language pathologists in synchronous telepractice: An overview and recommendations. Seminars in Speech and Language, 42(1), 73-84.
Amponsah, C., Godwin T., Gomado, L., Heitzman, A., & Ziegler, A. (2020). Preliminary findings on self-reported voice disorders in Ghana: A qualitative description study. Communication Disorders Quarterly, 42(1), 40-49.
Meehan-Atrash, J., Koran, T., & Ziegler, A. (2019). Cannabis inhalation and voice disorders: A systematic review. JAMA-Otolaryngology, 145(10), 956-964.
Ziegler, A., VanSwearingen, J., Jakicic, J. M., Verdolini Abbott, K. (2019). Phonation demonstrates
goal dependence given unique vocal intensity and aerobic workload conditions. Journal of Speech-Language-
Hearing Research, 62(8), 2584-2600.
Ziegler, A., & Hapner, E. (2020). Voice dose in older adults with presbyphonia: An analytic, cross-sectional study. Journal of Voice, 34(2), 221-230
Ziegler, A, Henke, T, Wiedrick, J, & Helou, LB. (2018). Effectiveness of testosterone therapy for masculinizing voice in transgender patients: A meta-analytic review. International Journal of Transgenderism, 19(1), 25-45.

Book Chapters and Manuals

Ziegler, A., & Hapner, E. (2026). Phonation Resistance Training Exercises (PhoRTE®): A Clinician Manual (2nd ed.)
Ziegler, A. (2026). Glottal Gaps Introduction. In J. C. Stemple, E. R. Hapner, and L. Timmons Sund (Eds.), Voice Therapy: Clinical Case Studies (6th ed). San Diego: Plural Publishing, Inc
Heitzman, A., Lavella-Perfitt, L., & Ziegler, A. (2023). Training non-verbal communication behaviors in transgender and non-binary clients. In Goldberg, L and colleagues (Eds.), Behavioral, medical, and surgical management of voice and communication in transgender female and non-binary patients. Springer
Ziegler, A., & Bryan, C. (2021). Voice disorders in children and adults. In G.L. Lof & A.F. Johnson (Eds.), National Speech-Language Pathology Examination Review and Study Guide (2nd ed., pp. 405-423). Evanston, IL: Therapy Ed.
Ziegler, A., & Hapner, E. (2013). Phonation Resistance Training Exercise (PhoRTE®) Therapy. In: A. Behrman & J. Haskell (Eds.), Exercises for Voice Therapy (2nd ed.). San Diego: Plural Publishing
Ziegler, A., & Verdolini, K. (2009). Anatomy and physiology of the voice. In: J. Feindel (Ed.). Thought Propels the Sound. San Diego: Plural Publishing

Podcasts

Ziegler, A. (April 12, 2021). Preventing and Treating Phonogenic Voice Problems. Telepractice Today Podcast
Gill, J., Ziegler, A. (March 3, 2021). The Wellness Group for Voice, Speech, and Swallowing. Clinic Chats Podcast.
Ziegler, A & Hapner ER. (April 26, 2020). Revving up the Aging Voice. Speech Uncensored Podcast.
Ziegler, A. (January 27, 2020). Specialize in Voice Therapy. Speech Uncensored Podcast.

U.S. Trademark

Phonation Resistance Training Exercises PhoRTE®. Serial No. 97509474, Published in the Trademark Gazette on 7/26/2023