Tinnitus Habituation
treatment plan
Build practical coping skills and a daily sound therapy routine, so tinnitus takes up less space and you can get back to the life that matters to you
AN EIGHT-WEEK PROGRAM FOR MODERATE TINNITUS IMPACTS
WHAT IS THE TINNITUS HABITUATION TREATMENT PLAN
The Habituation Plan is an eight-week program for adults whose tinnitus is affecting their sleep, mood, concentration or enjoyment of life. Habituation is the brain’s natural process of learning to treat a sound as unimportant, so it fades into the background. This program gives that process structure and support.
The program is based on Progressive Tinnitus Management*, a coping skills approach developed by audiologists and psychologists in US veterans’ health services. Each week you learn a practical skill and use it in your everyday life.
WHO IS SUITED TO THE TINNITUS HABITUATION TREATMENT PLAN
The Habituation Plan will suit you if tinnitus has been around for a while and is interfering in your days. It is designed for patients with moderate impact from tinnitus, which is shown in your assessment results and report.
It suits people who want a clear structure, practical skills and regular support, and who are ready to practise a little each day.
Your Initial Tinnitus Assessment shows whether the Habituation Plan suits you, or whether another treatment plan would help you more.
WHAT THE HABITUATION TREATMENT PLAN HELPS WITH
Calmer everyday sound
You build a personal sound plan for home, work and bedtime using the free Widex Zen app and everyday sounds. Background sound at the right level helps your brain notice tinnitus less, and soothing sound gives you relief when it feels loud.
Steadier
stress response
You learn relaxation skills such as deep breathing and imagery, and practise noticing and balancing the thoughts that keep tinnitus in focus. Over time, many people find tinnitus triggers less stress and feels easier to live with.
Living
beyond tinnitus
Tinnitus can slowly crowd out the things you enjoy. You plan pleasant activities, learn ways to make conversations easier, and finish with a personal plan for harder days, so you can keep doing what matters most in your life and routine.
Stages of habituating to tinnitus: what to expect
Habituation usually happens gradually. Psychologist Richard Hallam (1989) described four broad stages people often move through
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You notice tinnitus most of the time, and it’s hard to switch off from it.
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There are moments, often during absorbing activities, when you don’t notice it. Sleep and concentration start to improve.
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Tinnitus mainly stands out when you’re tired, stressed or somewhere quiet. It feels annoying rather than distressing.
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You rarely notice it, and when you do, it no longer bothers you.
Habituation plan: assessment & treatment
HOW IT WORKS
The first session looks at how tinnitus works and how it is affecting your life, and we set your goals together. Over the following weeks you build five coping skills: using sound, relaxation, pleasant activities, communication strategies, and balancing thoughts and feelings. Each week you practise the skill at home, and we review how it went at the next session. The final session brings it all together into a plan you can keep using.
THE ASSESSMENT
Every patient starts with an Initial Tinnitus Assessment. We look at your hearing, your tinnitus, and how it’s affecting your sleep, stress and daily life. Afterwards, you receive a formulation letter and booklet, and we meet again on a call to talk through your results and recommendations. With your consent, a report goes to your doctor. The fee is $350, or $300 for seniors, pensioners and students.
THE TREATMENT PLAN (8-WEEKS)
The program runs over eight weekly one-to-one telehealth sessions of 50 minutes. Between sessions, you complete short activities through our online program, and you can send me a message if you have questions. You also use the free sound therapy app on your phone as part of your daily sound plan. Sessions are guided by the Notice → Choose → Live framework™. When you enrol, you receive Your Habituation Program Guide, which sets out each week of the program. The program fee is $2,000 (Payment plan available).
THE SCIENCE
International tinnitus guidelines recommend education, counselling and sound-based support for adults living with bothersome tinnitus (Cima et al., 2019; Tunkel et al., 2014). The Habituation Plan is based on Progressive Tinnitus Management*, a coping skills program developed in US veterans’ health services and put into practice in VA medical centres (Beck et al., 2019; Henry et al., 2010). In a small study, people who had several months of counselling and daily sound therapy reported their tinnitus as quieter and less bothersome (Burle et al., 2021). Habituation takes time, and many people keep improving after the program ends.
* Progressive Tinnitus Management (PTM) was developed by the US Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense and is a recognised, evidence-based approach for people living with tinnitus (used with permission).
How to book
Every patient starts with an Initial Tinnitus Assessment, where we work out whether the Habituation Plan suits your tinnitus and goals. The program fee is $2,000 for eight weeks of sessions and support. There is no obligation to start the program after your assessment.
REFERENCES
Beck, J. E., Zaugg, T. L., Egge, J. L., Lima, E. N., & Thielman, E. J. (2019). Progressive tinnitus management at two Veterans Affairs medical centers: Clinical implementation with modified protocols. American Journal of Audiology, 28(1S), 162–173.
Burle, N. L. O., de Resende, L. M., Alves, L. M., Garcia, V. S., & Mancini, P. C. (2021). Effect of tinnitus habituation therapy on auditory abilities. International Archives of Otorhinolaryngology, 25(1), e18–e26.
Cima, R. F. F., Mazurek, B., Haider, H., Kikidis, D., Lapira, A., Noreña, A., & Hoare, D. J. (2019). A multidisciplinary European guideline for tinnitus: Diagnostics, assessment, and treatment. HNO, 67(Suppl. 1), S10–S42.
Hallam, R. S. (1989). Tinnitus: Living with the ringing in your ears. Thorsons.
Henry, J. A., Zaugg, T. L., Myers, P. J., & Kendall, C. J. (2010). How to manage your tinnitus: A step-by-step workbook (3rd ed.). Plural Publishing.
Tunkel, D. E., Bauer, C. A., Sun, G. H., Rosenfeld, R. M., Chandrasekhar, S. S., Cunningham, E. R., Jr., Archer, S. M., Blakley, B. W., Carter, J. M., Granieri, E. C., Henry, J. A., Hollingsworth, D., Khan, F. A., Mitchell, S., Monfared, A., Newman, C. W., Omole, F. S., Phillips, C. D., Robinson, S. K., … Whamond, E. J. (2014). Clinical practice guideline: Tinnitus. Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, 151(2 Suppl.), S1–S40.
* Progressive Tinnitus Management (PTM) was developed by the US Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense and is a recognised, evidence-based approach for people living with tinnitus (used with permission).