How It All Began

Hearing loss is a subject very near and dear to my heart. THE KOOSER PROGRAM was developed as a direct result of my own personal struggles with hearing loss. As a young woman my severe hearing loss caused significant emotional pain. I remember feeling a deep sense of sadness, anger, embarrassment and frustration. I felt all alone, as if no one, not even my loved ones, understood what I was going through. Eventually I realized I needed help dealing with all of the negative emotions I was experiencing, but had a difficult time finding it. Very few mental health professionals are educated about the psychosocial impact of hearing loss and most programs available are for those who are deaf – I was not deaf.

After much searching I was able to locate a counselor who was knowledgeable about this issue.  I found the counseling to be very beneficial and consequently, I decided to return to school so I could help others as I had been helped.  In 1999 with a degree in social work, I developed THE KOOSER PROGRAM now formatted into a one-day workshop and have continued to refine it over the years.  The workshop is a highly interactive, educational support group that provides important information related to all aspects of hearing loss.  Traditional aural rehabilitation programs generally focus on audiograms, amplification and communication strategies.  THE KOOSER PROGRAM includes these topics but also spends significant time educating participants and their loved ones about assertiveness, self esteem, the emotional impact including grieving, how hearing loss affects relationships, and hearing loss in the workplace.  The addition of these important topics helps to create greater understanding and acceptance while providing the means to minimize the negative and oftentimes "hidden" impact of hearing loss.

The goal of THE KOOSER PROGRAM is to increase awareness of the "hidden" impact of hearing loss and how to effectively cope with this impact.  It is my wish that everyone who attends this workshop feels empowered to take responsibility to make helpful and oftentimes necessary behavior changes that will impact their lives in a positive way.  Although hearing loss plays a role in shaping and defining those of us who experience it, it does not have to stop us from becoming who we were meant to be nor from living the lives we were meant to live!