I sincerely welcome you to this website, and would like to share with you a story of how it all began…

In 2002, my colleague, Dr. Borys Hoshowsky (Otolaryngologist) and I ran into one another in the hallway at our office.  He asked me if I had ever worked with people who had Tinnitus.  At the time, I had not.  He told me how so many of his patients over the years had suffered tremendously with this condition.  He indicated that there was not yet a surgery or drug that could correct tinnitus, but emphasized how much these people needed help and how much despair he had seen in his patients over the years.  Out of concern and compassion, he asked me if I would be able to  help them?

I was very intrigued by this and immediately went on the internet to research available counseling for Tinnitus.  I was most struck by the statistics in both the United States and Canada.  In the US, the American Tinnitus Association reported that 50 million people have tinnitus, with 12 million seeking help and 2.5 million experiencing severe psychological distress by it.  The Canadian Tinnitus Association reported that 3 million people have tinnitus and about 600,000 are severely incapacitated by it.

I found these numbers staggering, and given the magnitude of this condition across North America, I could not believe how seemingly limited the resources were for the person with this condition.  My research continued and as I read more and more, something naturally evolved literally from that brief talk in the hallway between my colleague, and myself.  I not only became intrigued that day, I became inspired.  I feel indebted to ‘Dr. B’ for introducing me to an area that I have truly become passionate about. 

My curiosity around how a Psychologist could help the person with tinnitus, has led me to dedicating a significant part of my practice to offering both help and hope.

It is ‘Hope For Tinnitus’ that this website is all about…

Though many people with tinnitus will seek help, I have discovered that many have not been given direction or resources on how they may learn to help themselves.  It has also become evident over the years, that many people have heard the message that ‘there is nothing else that can be done...learn to live with it’.   Unfortunately, this message does not inspire hope; for some, it can be diminished.

It may seem evident that until there is a cure, that one does need, to live with it.  But stating the obvious, without offering the tools that can facilitate the person learning “HOW”, could leave them struggling in despair. The person with tinnitus not only wants to eliminate the sound; they want and need to reduce the distress that accompanies it. 

I believe that there is much that can be done, and it is my purpose to empower you to learn how to enhance the quality of your life rather than tinnitus being your life.   It is my intention to reframe the message away from “Learning to Live With It”, to “Living Again, While Having It”.

Please join me as you search through the pages to discover the hope that I believe exists for the person with tinnitus.