Autogenic Training · Performance Coaching · Vocal Empowerment · London & Online

Find your voice.
Find yourself.

For anyone looking to find freedom in mind, body and voice. Grounded in evidence-based, practical techniques. Shaped by years of research, experience and self-reflection.

Get in Touch The Approach
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MBAS
Certified Autogenic Therapist · British Autogenic Society
MA
Voice Studies: Teaching & Coaching (Distinction) · CSSD, University of London
Dip.
Voice Teaching · Complete Vocal Institute, Copenhagen
Cert.
Mindfulness Teaching · The UK College of Mindfulness Meditation
The Approach

Turn your attention inward. The answers are there.

The word "autogenic" means self-generated. That is at the heart of my approach, as an Autogenic Therapist and as a Voice and Performance Coach: calm, confidence and the capacity for change come from within you. My job is to gently guide you in your rediscovery of them.

Autogenic Training (AT) was brought to the English-speaking world by Dr Wolfgang Luthe, who established its clinical and research foundations across decades of practice. It works by training the autonomic nervous system to shift out of the stress response through a specific sequence of passive concentration exercises. The evidence base is substantial and its applications range from managing anxiety and sleep, to enhancing performance and creativity.

Because the technique is self-generated, it is uniquely yours: safe, sustainable and empowering. You leave every session with your own toolkit of ways to navigate life's challenges and achieve your goals.

Alongside Autogenic Training, I am an experienced Voice and Performance Coach, with rigorous training in a range of evidence-based, effective voice practices, public speaking coaching and mindfulness. This integrated practice is ideal for those whose tension, anxiety or self-doubt shows up in how they breathe, how they speak, and how they hold themselves in the world. You don't even have to be a singer or public speaker — vocal techniques can be highly effective in releasing stress, enhancing communication and increasing confidence in daily life.

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Qualifications & Background
MA Voice Studies: Teaching & Coaching (Distinction)Central School of Speech and Drama, University of London
PGCert Autogenic Training — MBASCertified Autogenic Therapist, British Autogenic Society
Diploma in Voice Teaching (3 years)Complete Vocal Institute, Copenhagen
CoreSinging Certified TeacherDeveloped by Dr. Meribeth Dayme, CoreSinging integrates physical, psychological and metaphysical dimensions of voice work — applicable to performers and non-performers alike
Certificate in Mindfulness TeachingThe UK College of Mindfulness Meditation
BBC Alba BroadcasterRecent projects include Story Time and Mas Fhìor · Radio and TV presenter
Formerly Senior LecturerLeeds Conservatoire — Voice & Performance
LanguagesEnglish, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Gàidhlig, Scots
What We Can Work On

How I Can Help You

Each of the areas below can be approached through Autogenic Training, coaching, voice work or a combination of all three, tailored entirely to you.

I.

Stress & Burnout

You've been running on adrenaline for so long that rest feels impossible. Your mind is always active, your body is tense, and you can't remember the last time you felt genuinely at peace. Autogenic Training directly addresses chronic activation of the stress response, teaching your nervous system to find its way back — not through willpower, but through practice.

II.

Anxiety & Panic

Whether it's a persistent background hum of anxiety or acute panic attacks, the body is stuck in a loop. Autogenic Training is a well-evidenced approach to breaking this cycle, giving you a genuine physiological reset. Many people notice meaningful shifts within the first few weeks of regular practice. Voice and breath techniques also have a well-documented effect in reducing stress and helping us to be more fully present.

III.

Performance Anxiety

The voice trembles. Hands start to shake. The mind goes blank. Stage fright is not limited to actors and singers. Whether you're a performer, a lawyer, an executive or someone who dreads public speaking, performance anxiety is the nervous system doing exactly what it's designed to do — at exactly the wrong moment. Together we will find the mental and somatic techniques that work for you, and turn performance anxiety into performance anticipation.

IV.

Sleep & Insomnia

The link between AT and improved sleep quality is well-documented. For people who lie awake with a racing mind, whose sleep is broken or unsatisfying, Autogenic Training can offer a way back to a good night's rest. Clients have reported significant improvements, some within the first few sessions.

V.

Voice & Confidence

The voice is extraordinarily honest. It carries emotion, tension and self-doubt in ways that cannot be hidden from the listener. Being able to express oneself freely is a hugely liberating experience. Voice techniques, practical coaching tools and Autogenic exercises can be tailored to your specific goals. I have worked with everyone from West End performers, professional singers and actors to public speakers and people who simply wish to feel more at home in their own voices.

VI.

Creativity & Flow

Research into AT and creativity mobilisation dates back to work published by Dr Luthe in 1976. For performers, musicians, writers and athletes, the goal is often not calm for its own sake but access to a flow state, where the critical, interfering mind quietens and the body's own intelligence leads. This is some of the most compelling and rewarding work in the practice.

Working Together

Services

All sessions are available online or in person in London. Just drop me a line to find out more.

First Step

Initial Consultation

A thorough initial session of around 90 minutes to explore what brings you here, explain the approaches clearly, and establish the best programme for your needs. The ideal starting point for any new client.

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Core Programme

Autogenic Training Course

A structured programme of 8 to 9 sessions in which you learn the full standard AT training protocol, with personalised support throughout. This toolkit for life is the foundation of lasting self-regulation — techniques you take away and own entirely.

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Focused Work

Performance Coaching Intensive

Tailored individual sessions focused on AT, voice work and performance coaching for those facing high-stakes performance, presentation or professional demands. Particularly suited to performers such as actors, singers, musicians and athletes, as well as public speakers and anyone needing to deliver presentations under pressure.

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Individual sessions and blocks of four sessions are also available for ongoing voice work and coaching. All enquiries welcome.

What to Expect

How we work together

01

Get in Touch

Reach out via email. A line or two about what brings you here is enough. If it's easier for you, we can then arrange a chat by phone or video call.

02

Initial Consultation

We talk through your situation, your hopes and goals, and what an appropriate programme might look like for you.

03

Your Programme

Sessions proceed at a pace that feels right, typically weekly or fortnightly. You are guided through the work and given practices to develop at home between sessions.

04

Integration

The aim is always autonomy — a truly autogenic approach. You leave with tools that become entirely yours. Many clients continue to develop their practice long after our sessions end.

Client Experiences

What people say

"

I went to see Michael after suffering from night terrors for over 20 years. Having worked with Michael over a period of 8 weeks, these have been reduced to almost non-existent. I cannot strongly enough recommend working with Michael.

Luke — Autogenic Training Client
"

He has nurtured me and educated me to a place where I can use my voice to perform again in public, opening up doors to cabaret shows, lead roles in pantomimes and singing at concerts. His teaching style feels nothing like teaching yet is the most effective and brilliant technique, with results I have never had with anyone else in my 30 years of performing.

Gemma Oaten — Actor, Singer, Public Speaker & Charity Manager, SEED Eating Disorder Support Services
"

I was feeling quite self-conscious about how my voice sounded during presentations at work. Over just a few lessons, the pitch and tone of my voice have noticeably improved and I feel much more positive about my voice in general. He combines tailored practical tips with an impressive grasp of vocal theory, and is by far the best voice coach I have tried.

A.J. — Solicitor
"

His approach is creative, personal, fluid, open and, maybe most importantly, joyful. I leave all of our sessions feeling replenished, with more confidence, curiosity and energy than I enter them. I am extremely grateful to have him as a long-time support and companion in my professional life.

Yun Huang — Actress & Creator
"

Michael is an excellent vocal coach who has created such a comfortable and supportive space. With his guidance and supervision, I have witnessed growth and results which have built my confidence and trust in my singing and artistry. There is no ego working with Michael — he has encouraged me to embrace my individuality and expression.

Patrice — Vocal Coaching Client
Michael Hill — Autogenic Therapist and Voice Coach
Michael Hill · London
About Michael

My background spans professional singing, broadcasting, voice teaching, performance coaching and lecturing in universities and conservatoires, with training and studies encompassing voice work, psychology and research — all in the service of helping people move towards greater freedom, confidence and expression in personal and professional life.

Working with highly skilled performers over many years, I began to notice that technical ability alone was rarely the whole picture. Something deeper was often at play when barriers to peak performance arose: a mind-body disconnect that no amount of vocal or performance technique could fully address. This led me to Autogenic Training. The training was transformative: not only did it give me new tools to offer the people I work with, it changed my own relationship with performance, pressure and inner stillness in ways I hadn't anticipated. The autogenic approach, which celebrates the individual's natural internal capacity to enact positive change, has since influenced and enhanced all areas of my voice and performance coaching. I see my role as that of facilitator on your path to reconnecting with your own capacity for change. In 'The Hidden Pleasures of Life', the philosopher and historian Theodore Zeldin, for whom I had the great pleasure of conducting research interviews, reminds us: 'Each work of art…is an adventure in communication…a training in courage and a small step towards the taming of fear.'

Luik in afore ye luik oot.
Growing up in Scotland, I heard this phrase often. Look inward before you look outward. It stayed with me and developed new meaning in my work with clients. The most profound changes begin not by fixing the external world, but by bringing awareness to the internal one.

I have delivered masterclasses for the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, the Actors Centre, the State Theatre in Romania and for Clinical Excellence Networks within the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists. I have presented research at the World Voice Consortium Congress, and my work continues across performance, broadcasting and private practice.

Research & Publications

"The Body Knows How to Sing" — chapter in Essentials of CoreSinging: A Joyful Approach to Singing and Voice Pedagogy, Rowman & Littlefield, 2022.

"An Autogenic Approach to Warming Up the Voice" — research article for the British Autogenic Society, 2020.

Great Gaelic Singers — book funded by the Gaelic Books Council, Scotland (in progress).

Ghaists o Ma Vyce / Ghosts of My Voice — MA research on linguistic discrimination and vocal identity.

Get in Touch

Available Worldwide

Wherever you are, we can work.

All sessions are available in person in London or via video call. Clients work with me from across the UK, Europe and beyond. You simply need a good internet connection, a willingness to learn and explore, and the motivation to practise between sessions.

∞
Common Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Autogenic Training is an evidence-based self-regulation technique developed over 100 years ago, with researchers continuing to study its effectiveness and develop its applications to this day. AT works through a specific sequence of mental exercises, centred on passive awareness to areas of the body, that gradually train the autonomic nervous system to shift from a stress response to one where rest and repair can happen. Because the technique is self-generated, the practitioner becomes fully independent; you are not reliant on a therapist, an app or a particular setting. The evidence base spans anxiety, chronic health conditions, insomnia and performance, making it one of the most thoroughly researched relaxation approaches available.

The Australian Autogenic Society describes AT as "self-hypnosis, meditation, mindfulness, relaxation therapy and biofeedback training all rolled into one — and more." The British Autogenic Society notes that "AT is not meditation of the type we might normally associate with the name, but the meditative state which can be induced is often very deep and brings key insights to the surface." Ultimately, Autogenic Training is unique: a simple yet profound approach to addressing mind-body imbalances, giving us access to the tools we already have within.
Yes, and this is one of the most important applications of AT. The psychophysiological effects of Autogenic Training are, in the words of Luthe and Schultz (1969), "diametrically opposed to changes elicited by stress." This means that regular practice creates a new habit of tapping into the parasympathetic rest-and-repair response, rather than defaulting to panic. Many people begin to notice meaningful changes within the first three to four weeks of regular practice.
This varies between individuals. Some begin to notice a shift in sleep quality, in general wellbeing or in their response to stress within the first week or two of daily practice. For others, change accumulates more gradually over the 8 to 9 week training and beyond, as the practice deepens and becomes a lifelong habit of mind-body wellbeing. Clients often come to view the practice as a form of mind-body 'hygiene', much like cleaning your teeth or taking a shower. AT is practised in short sessions of a few minutes, three times a day, and this consistency is what builds the lasting change. Since it is autogenic, your experience of balancing body and mind will be uniquely yours.
This is one of the most compelling areas of the work. Research into AT and creativity mobilisation dates back to Luthe's work in 1976, and autogenic techniques have since been used in sports psychology, the performing arts, and even with search-and-rescue pilots. Practising AT regularly helps us be fully in the moment and access a state of calm, confidence and flow even in situations of high stress — developing an inner trust before stepping on stage, entering a boardroom, or running the race.
Yes. Because AT is a self-directed practice, what you are developing is an internal skill rather than something dependent on a physical setting. As long as there is a good internet connection, allowing us to connect and for me to observe your practice, good work can be done. Whether we meet online or in person, you are learning the same technique and building the same capacity. For many clients, working from their own environment is actually preferable — you are practising in the spaces where you will most need these tools.
Yes. Autogenic Training, voice work, performance coaching and mindfulness are each offered as distinct practices, and it is always made clear to clients which approach we are working within at any given time. Many clients come purely for AT with no voice concerns at all. Others come specifically for vocal work. And for some, a genuinely integrated approach across all three produces results that no single approach could achieve alone. We discuss this at the outset and shape the work entirely around your actual needs.
Occasionally, yes. AT is very safe and gentle, but it has some contraindications, which is why a thorough intake process is an essential part of beginning any programme of work. I use a detailed questionnaire and consent process to ensure that the approach is appropriate for each individual. AT works alongside rather than in place of any existing medical or psychological care. If you have questions about suitability before getting in touch, please include them in your initial email.
Get in Touch

Ready to find out more?

Send a brief email — a line or two about what brings you here is enough. I look forward to hearing from you.

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London & Online Worldwide
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