The Gibraltar Hearing Issues and Tinnitus Association (GHITA) has today started its Tinnitus Awareness Week in parallel with Tinnitus UK awareness campaign in Britain.

A statement continued: “As part of our Tinnitus awareness, we distributed literature on the prevention of sound induced hearing damage and donated earplugs to the Gibraltar Scouts.

“Additionally, like Tinnitus UK we share the objective of encouraging and promoting the provision of sufficiently trained people for the management/treatment of those with tinnitus in our health service.

“GHITA has been working closely with the Gibraltar Health Authority, and we will be sponsoring the cost of two General Practitioners and an Audiologist to attend the internationally recognised Online Tinnitus Adviser Training Course organised Tinnitus UK.

“The course is being delivered by an experienced team and led by a Chartered Counselling Psychologist and Registered Psychotherapist, the course aims to build on existing experiences to enable participants to become better equipped to help and support people with tinnitus.

“The Tinnitus Adviser Training offered by Tinnitus UK is the only course of its type in the UK and is open to people from all sectors of the tinnitus community, including those outside of the UK.

“The aims of the Adviser Training are:

-to raise participants’ awareness and increase their understanding of the use of counselling skills and the counselling process, with a focus on the process of adjustment to living with tinnitus

-to provide an opportunity to practice counselling skills

-to evaluate personal strengths, concerns and issues when working with tinnitus patients/clients

-to increase participants’ understanding of the medical background to the condition of tinnitus, and introduce them to some of the practical management aids available at present

“The training consists of input on basic counselling and listening skills coupled with how to respond appropriately to the many enquiries that are received.

“There is also input on tinnitus as a medical condition and the audiological services available, so that you have knowledge to share with the people you support.

“Throughout this week we will be raising awareness on social media too.”