It's safe to say that for most trans people--particularly trans women--one of the most difficult aspects of their transition journey is attaining a voice that suits you.
I can personally attest to this. While I'm perfectly comfortable going out into public without worry of being misgendered based upon my look, once I start talking my confidence wanes. I don't have a particularly deep voice, but it is unmistakably masculine, much to my chagrin. I've tried at various times to alter it on my own. Watched a few online videos and got some helpful tips. But I still can't acquire the correct pitch befitting my feminine appearance.
The reason for this, as it is for anybody who was assigned male at birth, is that during puberty, the focal cords lengthen and thicken, leading to the lower vocal range. There are surgical fixes that can alleviate these issues.
The first is the Wendler Glottoplasty procedure, which, according to the Johns Hopkins Institute, "is a minimally invasive endoscopic technique." Meaning it is performed with an endoscope and usually is an out-patient procedure.
The purpose of this technique is to shorten the vocal cords, which consequently will raise the pitch of the voice. While this surgery is effective across all age ranges, its greatest success comes with younger patients.
Another common voice-altering procedure is Cricothyroid Approximation (CTA). It is more surgically invasive than the Wendler Glottoplasty and also has limited success.
The procedure itself involves the tightening (approximation) of the thyroid and cricoid cartilages to elevate the vocal pitch. However, several studies have revealed that this surgery alone doesn't achieve the desired result. Post-op vocal training is generally required afterwards.
Vocal training is recommended in many cases no matter what surgical procedure may be used. It isn't the pitch alone that differentiates the masculine from the feminine voice.
Resonance modification is considered the most crucial technique. According to the TransVoiceLessons YouTube channel [above photo], this is achieved by "[Moving] vibration from the chest (darker, masculine) to the head/lips (brighter, feminine), often accomplished by lifting the larynx and increasing forward-focused voice placement."
Other techniques discussed in this training video are Articulation and Oral Posture, Prosody and Articulation Training, and Larynx Control. The video goes into all of these techniques and it may be worth checking it out.
Fortunately, there are any number of clinics and professional voice trainers who can help you with this training. Unfortunately, few, if any of them, are free. The upside is that if the training is combined with the surgical procedures, it may be covered by your health insurance. To get it covered, most insurance companies require letters from a doctor confirming a dysphoria diagnosis.
If you don't have insurance, or your health insurer sucks, you may want to try to do-it-yourself. In which case, the linked video above may be a good place to start.
If you have any experiences or suggestions to add to this discussion, please feel free to do so.
--- 𝓐𝓷𝓷𝓲 🏳️⚧️