CHHA-NL is very proud to welcome, Dr. Tyler S. Richard!!!
On June 15th, 2021 from 1- 2:00 pm via Zoom, Dr. Richard will be giving a presentation on using a Mindful Approach to Tinnitus.
This free, online event was initiated by our Spring 2021 BSW Student Intern, Hilary Hennessey. For some background information, Hilary is very interested in mindfulness from being a social work student and was curious on the potential benefits that harnessing a mindful approach may have on individuals living with Tinnitus. Given this, Hilary reached out to Dr. Richard, as he is a clinical Audiologist at The University of Western Ontario who specializes in Tinnitus. As there have also been a lot of recent studies pertaining to Mindfulness and Tinnitus in the United States, Dr. Richard has been invested in this approach and has created a new method of treatment called; The Tinnitus Activity Treatment, which focuses on being mindful.
As shared by Dr. Richard,
“Tinnitus affects many of us and there is no cure. Counseling and Sound Therapy can be affective for many. In this presentation, you will see that we cultivate a Tinnitus Activities Treatment approach, which focuses on the four primary areas affected by tinnitus – thoughts and emotions, hearing, sleep and concentration. Many patients also benefit from a wide variety of low-level, partial masking sounds, but individual preferences are large. As discussed, Mindfulness, the guided experience of focusing full consciousness, can often help tinnitus patients with accepting their tinnitus experience. Being mindful helps us understand the importance of separating the condition, tinnitus, from the reactions to tinnitus. The tinnitus itself is a sound, neither good or bad. Guided Mindfulness helps the patient focus on their tinnitus in the moment, without being judgmental. It can help them be aware of the sound, attending to it, and then not attending to it. Studies have shown that many tinnitus sufferers find relief from Mindfulness applied to tinnitus. I am looking forward to educating folks at your Association on this technique to potentially better their overall experience with tinnitus!”
If you are interested in attending this free, online event, please click the button to register below.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact, Hilary Hennessey, at chhanl@chha-nl.ca
