What we do

 

Hearing disorders such as tinnitus "ringing in the ears" and hyperacusis, acute sensitivity to noise, can cause considerable distress for some individuals. A range of symptoms including irritability, anxiety, tension and feelings of depression are not uncommon as well as difficulties with concentration and sleep. For some people the activities of daily life can be significantly impacted.

 

Although hearing disorders like tinnitus and hyperacusis are not psychological conditions in themselves, a range of psychological techniques can be used to help reduce the distress associated with these conditions. For disorders such as tinnitus, psychological strategies can help reduce the awareness of the tinnitus sound.  Increasingly, research demonstrates the efficacy of a particular type of therapy - known as Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)  - in managing tinnitus and hyperacusis. 

 

Not everyone that experiences tinnitus finds it distressing - what makes one person able to cope with tinnitus whilst another might experience tinnitus as significantly affecting their quality of life? CBT examines your thought patterns, emotions and behaviours and how these affect your experience of tinnitus. This is especially important in tinnitus as the auditory system does not comprise solely of the ears. Many other parts of the brain are also involved in 'hearing' - including those associated with memory and emotion. Understanding how the auditory system functions, how emotions and other parts of the brain are involved is important as it helps us undertand tinnitus and what we can do to manage it.

 

At Psychology and Health you will undergo an initial assessment and the course of therapy will be explained to you. As well as cognitive and behavioural therapy techniques, other therapeutic approaches, including Tinnitus Retraining Therapy and Sound therapy, are also employed as treatment strategies, depending on the specific characteristics and needs of individual clients. The goal of therapy is not to 'cure' the tinnitus but to reduce the distress it causes and to reach the stage where tinnitus is less of a problem to you and to reach a point where your awareness of the tinnitus sound is reduced. To read more about tinnitus and hyperacusis click here.

 

Psychologists may also assist individuals suffering from less common conditions associated with sound such as  the fear of sound, sometimes referred to as 'phonophobia'. For more information , click here.eatment, misophonia help, misophonia cure misophonia information, misophonia cure, misophonia information, misophonia cure, misophonia treatment, misophonia help