Speech-language pathologist · Jerusalem & online
Speaking and singing in the situations you used to avoid
I'm Barouh Altar, speech-language pathologist and choir and orchestra conductor. I treat voice, stuttering and speech – at the clinic in Givat Shaul and online. Children and adults.
4 Pu'ah Street, Givat Shaul, Jerusalem · and online
I reply the same day on WhatsApp · Partial reimbursement possible through your Kupah
Most people arrive here through one of four doors
- “My doctor told me to see a speech therapist.”
- “Someone strongly recommended you.”
- “I want to be able to speak.”
- “Someone told me you were excellent, so I brought my son.”
If one of those sentences is yours, you're in the right place.
Who I am
I'm a speech-language pathologist, trained in France and in Israel, licensed by the Israeli Ministry of Health. I also work at Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital. I'm also a choir and orchestra conductor.
That second role isn't decoration. The ear I trained for years on music is the same ear that listens to you in the clinic – breath, timbre, rhythm. It hears things that are hard to put into words, and it is what guides the work.
Barouh AltarSpeech-language pathologist · Choir and orchestra conductor
Why Kolibari
I'm not in the business of aesthetics. I'm in the business of care. A healthy voice, not a beautiful one.
And the hummingbird: its wings beat at a phenomenal speed, and that is precisely what lets it hold steady in the air and go wherever it wants. Vocal folds do exactly that. Stability and freedom, drawn from a motion too fast for the eye to follow.
What I treat
Children and adults. At the clinic or online.
Voice
Hoarseness, vocal fatigue, loss of voice, rehabilitation after injury or surgery. Work with people whose voice is their working tool: prayer leaders, cantors, teachers, lecturers, singers.
Stuttering and cluttering
The work covers fluency and everything around it – avoidance, dread of certain situations, what happens before you even open your mouth.
Orofacial myofunctional therapy – tongue thrust
Resting postures of tongue and lips, swallowing patterns, coordination of mouth and facial muscles. Most often after orthodontic treatment.
How I work
Music as a working tool
I use music in sessions – not as a break, as an instrument. Rhythm, pitch and breath are exactly the material speech is made of.
Parents are part of the team
When it comes to a child, parents don't wait outside. They have an active place in the session and in the follow-up between sessions – they send me their questions, videos and recordings, and I get back to them.
Follow-up between sessions, included in the price
Between sessions you send me videos and recordings of your exercises. I watch, I listen, I correct. It's included in the price of the session, not an extra. What shortens the road is what happens between appointments.
Manual work on tension
I work manually on tension in the larynx, jaw, tongue and diaphragm, as part of voice rehabilitation. It's an established technique in voice therapy, aimed at releasing tension and speeding up the new habits taking hold.
A whole-picture view of the disorder
I don't treat the symptom alone. I look at the context – your work, your sleep, your stress, your history – because voice and speech don't live apart from the rest.
If you're hesitating
Sometimes people feel ashamed to get in touch.
But ashamed of what, exactly? Of wanting to feel better? Of taking charge? Of making progress? Of building awareness and letting go?
There's no judgement here. Write me two lines about what's on your mind. If it's within my field, we set up an appointment. If not, I'll point you to the right person.
What people say
For some time now I have felt a deep need to reach out and thank you… I have just returned from Selichot, where I was privileged to lead the congregation in prayer. Dear Barouh, I feel blessed to have met a faithful emissary of the Creator, who opened my throat so I could raise my voice and give thanks… You have simply changed my life – literally!!! An outsider cannot understand it, but one who teaches, who leads the prayers, and whose voice slowly fades… that is a very great anguish!!!
Dear Barouh! Thank you so much for professional and dedicated care. You listen closely to the patient's needs, and you find for each person the path that suits them best to move forward and improve. Thank you so much!
Results vary from one person to another.
The first session
It lasts one hour. We do an anamnesis – your history, what's bothering you, what you've already tried – and you leave with an assessment and a plan.
What to bring: any medical reports you have. For voice treatment, a prescription from an ENT is required.
Practical info
The clinic
4 Pu'ah Street, Givat Shaul, Jerusalem. Wheelchair accessible, elevator available.
Online
Video sessions from anywhere. Suited to voice work, stuttering and myofunctional exercises. Payment is in shekels, via PayPal or Bit.
Languages
Hebrew, French and English.
Health funds
There is usually partial reimbursement for private care, depending on your Kupah and your supplementary insurance. Terms vary: check with yours before the first session. You receive a detailed invoice.
The fee
Initial assessment, written report included – 450 ₪. Follow-up session – 350 ₪. VAT included.
Response time
I reply to WhatsApp messages the same day, except during holiday periods.
If cost is an obstacle
There is a hospital care pathway, available with a Hitchayvut (התחייבות) 92506 issued by your Kupah. Ask your family doctor or ENT for the referral, and write to me – I'll point you the right way.
Ready to start?
Write to me however suits you. I'll get back to you to arrange a first consultation.