Sydney is a singer and licensed speech-language pathologist based in Puyallup, WA. She has clinical experience in a variety of settings: outpatient neurological rehabilitation, skilled nursing, inpatient rehabilitation, and bilingual elementary school. As a classically trained singer and active jazz vocalist, she is passionate about combining her personal expertise with her knowledge of neurobiology and physiology to help her clients find their voices.

Sydney works with clients across the lifespan, from school-age children to seniors. She believes in providing high-quality person-centered care, which is achieved by building a personal connection and tailoring therapy to individual clients. In an effort to accommodate patient schedules, Sydney offers therapy sessions in the after school/after work hours.

As a singer, Sydney is most passionate about working with the performing voice. However, she also treats non-performers for voice disorders, upper airway/laryngeal disorders, swallowing disorders, speech disorders, and language disorders. See the “services” tab for more information.

Outside the therapy clinic, Sydney frequently sings with her jazz quartet in the greater Seattle-Tacoma area. A California native, she fell in love with the Pacific Northwest when her studies took her to the University of Washington. She and her husband enjoy spending time in the beautiful outdoors snowboarding in the winter and hiking in the summer. Sydney also enjoys yoga, running, and reading.

Education

• Master’s Degree in Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences (University of Arizona, 2022)

• Multicultural & Bilingual Certificate in Speech-Language Pathology (University of Arizona, 2022)

• Bachelor of Science in Speech & Hearing Sciences (University of Washington, 2020)

• Bachelor of Science in Neurobiology, Physiology & Behavior (University of California, Davis, 2016)

• Bachelor of Arts in Music - Vocal Performance (University of California, Davis, 2016)

Publications

Kovacs, S., & Darling-White, M. (2022). A descriptive study of speech breathing in children with cerebral palsy during two types of connected speech tasks. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 65(12), 4557–4576. https://doi.org/10.1044/2022_jslhr-22-00295