About Tinnitus Relief

TANIA LINFORD

BSc, MAud, MNZAS, PGDip Couns

Senior Clinical Audiologist, Consultant Audiologist, specialised in Tinnitus and Hyperacusis

I am the Director of Tinnitus Relief and I provide tailored online Tinnitus and Hyperacusis management plans for clients across New Zealand and overseas.

A woman smiling stands in front of a sign that reads 'Tinnitus Relief' with a stylized ear logo, in an office setting.

A bit about me

I am a Senior Clinical Audiologist who has specialised in tinnitus and hyperacusis for many years, with a particular interest in the brain, including the hearing system, cognition, and brain injury.

Formerly a Professional Teaching Fellow at The University of Auckland, I taught Master of Audiology students in the clinic, in lectures, practical sessions and tutorials. I worked in the clinic with tinnitus and hyperacusis clients, and took part in research into tinnitus and hearing devices.

I have been involved with a wide variety of research programmes for tinnitus.

I have co-authored on several papers and book chapters on the clinical management of tinnitus, including articles on sound therapy, hearing aids and counselling. I have been on the faculty of workshops for tinnitus management and undertaken within-clinic mentoring of audiologists specialising in tinnitus.

Summary of Tinnitus Research Publications

I have contributed to a wide variety of research papers designed to improve the outcomes of people living with the effects of Tinnitus. These include the following:

  • Searchfield GD, Linford T. (in press). Tinnitus Treatment: Clinical Protocols. 2nd edition. (Edited by Tyler RS and Perreau, A). Chapter 8.

  • Searchfield, G. D., Fok, C., Donaldson, T., Durai, M., Kleinstäuber, M., Linford, T., & Maslin, M. (2020). An Evaluation of a Continuing Education Workshop for Audiologists on the Assessment and Management of Tinnitus. Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions, 40(2), 125-130.

  • Searchfield, G. D., Boone, M., Bensam, J., Durai, M., Hodgson, S. A., Linford, T., & Vogel, D. (2020). A proof-of-concept study of the benefits of a single-session of tinnitus instruction and counselling with homework on tinnitus. International journal of audiology, 59(5), 374-382.

  • Searchfield, G. D., Linford, T., & Durai, M. (2019). Sound therapy and aural rehabilitation for tinnitus: a person centred therapy framework based on an ecological model of tinnitus. Disability and rehabilitation, 41(16), 1966-1973.

  • Searchfield, G. D., Durai, M., & Linford, T. (2017). A state-of-the-art review: personalization of tinnitus sound therapy. Front Psychol. 2017; 8: 1599. Epub 2017/10/04 PubMed PubMedCentral.

  • Searchfield GD, Linford T, Kobayashi K, Crowhen D, Latzel, M (2018) The performance of an automatic acoustic-based program classifier compared to hearing aid users’ manual selection of listening programs. International Journal of Audiology, 57(3), 201-212.

  • Spiegel DP, Linford T, Thompson B, Petoe M, Kobayashi K, Stinear C, Searchfield GD. (2015) Multisensory Attention Training for Treatment of Tinnitus. Scientific Reports, 5, 10802.

  • Searchfield GD, Spiegel, Linford T, Thompson B, Petoe MA, Kobayashi K, Poppe T, Sundram F, Russell B, “Multisensory Attention Training and Fluoxetine for Treatment of Tinnitus”, 9th International TRI Tinnitus Conference Tinnitus: From Cochlea to Brain and Back, Ann Arbor USA, 07 June 2015.

  • Presentation: Poster presentation at the 8th International TRI Tinnitus Conference, Auckland, New Zealand, 10 - 13 March 2014. Spiegel, D. P., Thompson, B., Petoe, M., Kobayashi, K., Linford, T., & Searchfield, G. D, “Multisensory tinnitus treatment and saccadic eye movements”.

  • Linford, T. (2014). A multisensory approach to training for tinnitus (Doctoral dissertation, ResearchSpace@ Auckland).

CREDENTIALS:

  • Qualified and experienced senior clinician specialised in tinnitus and hyperacusis care.

  • Full member of the New Zealand Audiological Society (MNZAS).

  • Works closely with funding organisations (ACC, Ministry of Health, Veteran Affairs, and Insurance companies).

  • Post-Graduate Diploma in Counselling (PGDipCouns).

  • Advanced knowledge and experience in tailoring tinnitus treatment plans to the individual, including making appropriate referrals, and expertise in setting hearing aids for complex Tinnitus and Hyperacusis clients.

  • Involved in Tinnitus Focus Groups, community of practice, developing tools, and teaching, for advancing knowledge and resources in the specialist field of Tinnitus and Hyperacusis.

  • Has a special interest in brain injury, and works closely with brain injury rehabilitation units, including presenting to brain injury rehabilitation units on Tinnitus and Hyperacusis.

  • Involved in teaching the ‘Sound Therapy and Auditory Rehabilitation for Tinnitus: Introduction and Masterclass 2019’ Workshop held at The University of Auckland, to assist audiologists from across the country in upskilling in Tinnitus assessment and treatment.

BOOK AN APPOINTMENT

“Dear Tania, I would like to thank you so much for being of special help for me during a time in my life that I felt a sense of extreme desperation having the relentless noise in my head. The process to adapting feels like walking though an endless tunnel, having had guidance from you helped me to shed light and infuse hope, that this slow process can and will be possible to overcome. A big thank you again for your guidance”

— Mr N.F.