About CBT-Hear International

What is CBT-Hear International?

CBT-Hear International is a structured clinical training, supervision, and professional development pathway designed to support clinicians working with tinnitus, hyperacusis, and misophonia. The programme integrates cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), audiological expertise, hearing science, and interdisciplinary rehabilitation within an evidence-based professional framework.

Designed around competency-based development and reflective clinical practice, CBT-Hear International supports clinicians in delivering safe, ethical, and patient-centred care for individuals experiencing sound-related distress.

What Makes CBT-Hear International Different?

CBT-Hear International combines structured clinical education with longitudinal supervision, mentorship, and professional registration within a clearly defined scope of practice framework. The programme has been developed through decades of specialist clinical work, research, and therapeutic innovation conducted by Dr Hashir Aazh in collaboration with international clinicians, researchers, and multidisciplinary teams working across tinnitus, hyperacusis, misophonia, audiology, psychology, psychiatry, neuroscience and hearing rehabilitation.

Key features of the programme include:

  • Competency-based clinical training
  • Fellowship-oriented professional development
  • Structured clinical supervision
  • Defined scopes of practice
  • Public professional registration
  • Interdisciplinary and evidence-based care
  • Small international learning cohorts
  • Hybrid and online learning pathways
  • International institutional collaborations

The programme is informed by extensive clinical and research experience relating to psycho-audiological assessment, patient education, behavioural interventions, and specialised rehabilitation strategies targeting distress associated with tinnitus and sound intolerance. Training addresses the distinction between diagnostic assessment, symptom severity assessment, functional impact assessment, and confidence-based rehabilitation planning within tinnitus and sound intolerance care.

Clinicians are introduced to psycho-audiological frameworks used to differentiate between various forms of sound intolerance, including loudness hyperacusis, pain hyperacusis (noxacusis), fear-related sound intolerance, noise sensitivity as a personality trait and misophonia. Training also includes the application of psychometric and screening tools designed to assess symptom severity, broader life impact, emotional distress, and patient confidence in symptom management. These include the Sound Sensitivity Symptoms Questionnaire (SSSQv2), Tinnitus Impact Questionnaire (TIQ), Hyperacusis Impact Questionnaire (HIQ), Misophonia Impact Questionnaire (MIQ), Noise Impact Questionnaire (NIQ), Screening for Anxiety and Depression in Tinnitus (SAD-T), and the 4C Assessment and Management Tools used to evaluate and strengthen confidence, coping, and self-management.

The programme also addresses the safe modification of audiological assessment procedures for individuals with tinnitus and sound intolerance, including approaches to hearing assessment and loudness discomfort testing in sound-sensitive populations. Clinicians are introduced to psycho-audiological assessment frameworks and audiological criteria used in the identification and differentiation of sound intolerance presentations.

A central principle of CBT-Hear International is helping clinicians conduct in-depth assessments and differential formulation to distinguish distress primarily related to tinnitus and sound intolerance from distress arising from broader psychological, medical, or social conditions. CBT-Hear International therefore equips clinicians to apply specialised CBT-Hear rehabilitation strategies to tinnitus- and sound intolerance-related distress while recognising when additional psychiatric, psychological, medical, or social interventions may be required. The programme emphasises interdisciplinary collaboration, appropriate signposting and referral, and integrated person-centred care that recognises the interaction between auditory, emotional, cognitive, behavioural, medical, and social factors.

Who is CBT-Hear International For?

CBT-Hear International is designed for qualified healthcare and social care professionals seeking advanced competency in tinnitus and sound intolerance care.

Suitable applicants may include:

  • Audiologists
  • Psychologists
  • Counsellors
  • Hearing therapists
  • Hearing aid dispensers
  • Psychiatrists
  • Otologists
  • Occupational therapists
  • Speech and language therapists
  • Nurses
  • General medical practitioners
  • Teachers of the deaf
  • Social workers
  • Other appropriately qualified healthcare professionals

Applicants are expected to hold qualifications at BSc, MSc, doctorate, or equivalent professional level in a relevant discipline.

No prior experience in tinnitus, hyperacusis, or misophonia management is required.

Core Clinical Pillars of CBT-Hear International

Assessment

Comprehensive assessment forms the foundation of CBT-Hear clinical practice. This includes psycho-audiological assessment, screening for comorbidities, formulation, outcome measurement, and identification of appropriate referral pathways where required.

Patient Education & Holistic Support

CBT-Hear International emphasises psychologically informed patient education alongside practical and holistic support strategies. These may include sound management approaches, behavioural strategies, relaxation methods, breathwork, somatic care, and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Targeted CBT

The programme equips clinicians to distinguish distress directly related to tinnitus, hyperacusis, and misophonia from distress arising from broader underlying psychological conditions. Stage 2 focuses on delivering structured CBT-Hear interventions for individuals without significant psychological comorbidity. Stage 3 develops competencies in working with individuals who also present with psychological comorbidities, enabling clinicians to address tinnitus and sound intolerance-related distress while referring patients to mental health professionals for assessment or treatment of distress linked to difficulties beyond tinnitus and sound intolerance.

CBT-Hear Training Pathway

CBT-Hear International offers multiple training routes within a structured professional framework.

Stage 1 (CBT-Hear Certified)

A foundational in-person masterclass pathway focused on psycho-audiological assessment, counselling, patient education, multidisciplinary management, and introductory CBT principles.

The Belgium masterclass is delivered in collaboration with Professor Bart Vinck, the ON-GEHOORD Faculty, and Ghent University.

Stage 2 (CBT-Hear Certified Practitioner)

An advanced online clinical training pathway focused on delivering CBT-Hear interventions for tinnitus, hyperacusis, and misophonia-related distress in patients without significant psychological comorbidity.

This stage combines structured learning, supervised practice, reflective work, and longitudinal mentorship.

Completion of Stage 1 is not required before entering Stage 2.

Stage 3 (CBT-Hear Certified Advanced Clinician)

An advanced clinical pathway focused on formulation, multidisciplinary collaboration, and work with more complex presentations involving psychological comorbidity.

Progression to Stage 3 requires prior completion of the Certified Practitioner pathway.

Supervisor & Fellowship Pathway

Clinicians may later progress towards:

  • CBT-Hear Certified Supervisor
  • CBT-Hear Clinical Fellow
  • CBT-Hear Faculty Fellow
  • CBT-Hear Honorary Fellow

These pathways recognise advanced contribution to supervision, research, education, leadership, innovation, and service development within the field.

International Cohorts & Hybrid Pathways

Alongside the online pathways, CBT-Hear International now offers hybrid international cohorts combining a 2-day face-to-face clinical masterclass with 12 months of online structured learning, supervision, and mentorship delivered through Hashir International Institute.

International cohorts are currently being introduced across selected locations including Australia, India, Saudi Arabia, Canada, China, Germany, Sweden, Norway, and London, with additional institutional collaborations under development.

Clinical Supervision & Professional Registration

From Stage 2 onwards, clinicians are required to maintain CBT-Hear registration and participate in a minimum of 90 minutes of clinical supervision per calendar month.

This framework supports:

  • ethical clinical practice
  • reflective learning
  • patient safety
  • professional accountability
  • and ongoing competency development.

Practitioner and advanced-level clinicians participate within a structured professional framework that includes defined scopes of practice, supervision standards, ethical guidance, and registration within the CBT-Hear professional register.

Is CBT-Hear International Accredited or Certified?

CBT-Hear International is a certified professional training and supervision programme, not an accredited university qualification. This distinction is important, particularly as there are currently no accredited international programmes specifically focused on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for tinnitus, hyperacusis, and misophonia.

Accredited Programmes

Accredited programmes are formally recognised by an external educational or professional body and are typically aligned with nationally regulated academic or professional frameworks. Accreditation usually involves external review processes, predefined educational standards, and formal recognition within higher education or regulated professional training systems.

Certified Programmes

Certified programmes are designed to provide structured specialist training and professional competency development within a defined clinical area. Rather than functioning as university degrees, they focus on practical application, supervised learning, ethical practice, and continuing professional development.
CBT-Hear International was developed to help address a recognised training gap in tinnitus and sound intolerance care through a structured competency-based framework combining clinical education, supervision, professional registration, and fellowship-oriented progression.