Free weekly meditation Weds, 6pm PT
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86237863961
Peter Vernezze PhD, LCSW is a
licensed behavioral health therapist. He is on the national provider list for
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT is endorsed by the VA & the International
Society of Traumatic Stress Studies, as a best practice for the treatment of
PTSD.) He is also a qualified
teacher of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and a meditation teacher
trained in the Shambhala tradition. His article, A Therapist’s Personal Journey
Managing Tinnitus, appears in the December 2021 issue of Tinnitus Today.
VIDEO: Comments from previous class participants
MENTAL HEALTH INTERVENTIONS FOR YOUR TINNITUS
***Individual Therapy available for AZ residents . Accepting insurance (Currently in network with Aetna, Cigna, BCBS AZ, United Health Care, Optum, Oscar, UHC Medicare Advantage)
My name is Peter Vernezze and I am a mental health therapist living with tinnitus. If you are like most of my tinnitus clients, you are laboring under a misconception. You think the problem is the sound of your tinnitus. The problem with tinnitus is not the sound of the tinnitus. It's how your body and mind are reacting to the sound of tinnitus. As a result of the sound of tinnitus, your body is going into a state of what is known as fight-or-flight. And your brain is following suit, generating catastrophic thoughts and distressing emotions that only compound the physical distress.
While we can't control the sound of our tinnitus, through mindfulness training we can alter how our mind and body respond to the sound of tinnitus, ultimately viewing our tinnitus (and all of our experience) in a non-judgmental manner, neither pushing away nor being overwhelmed by it. This non-reactive attitude towards tinnitus is the key to habituation.
I work with both individuals and groups. I teach an online mindfulness class for tinnitus clients (see below). This class provides the groundwork for rewiring the nervous system to respond to our tinnitus in a different way (neuroplasticity).This is a live, online course where you will learn with other tinnitus challenged individuals, a situation which I have found to be as important to the healing process as the methodologies themselves. In addition, I do one-on-one tinnitus coaching. Finally, if you are a resident of Arizona, I also provide individual, online therapy for tinnitus-related anxiety and depression (see 'Services' page).
The American Tinnitus Association website lists cognitive therapy and mindfulness as among the evidence-based interventions to assist in reducing tinnitus distress. If you are currently having a mental health crisis, please call the National Mental Health Hotline at 988.
Here is a list of resources for CBT and Mindfulness compiled by Keith Field, moderator of the Seattle Tinnitus Support group.
Beyond CBT: A Mental Health and Tinnitus Newsletter offers evidence-based mental health strategies you can use in managing your tinnitus. When you subscribe, you will receive the special issue that outlines five areas of mental health that can support your tinnitus journey and provides you with essential resources in all of these areas.
Train the brain: classes starting regularly
VIDEO: MINDFULNESS FOR TINNITUS