Ben Thompson: Audiologist & Founder of Treble Health
One day, I had a patient scheduled to see me for tinnitus therapy at the best hospital in San Francisco, California. At that moment, Treble Health was born and my life forever changed…
As an audiology resident at UCSF Medical Center in California, I was working hard every day to diagnose and treat hearing loss and tinnitus. It was fulfilling work, but I wanted a lifestyle different than the typical clinical job in a hospital.
I started to think, how can I use the internet to serve those with hearing loss and tinnitus?
I didn’t know where to start, but I slowly started to learn about telehealth. Still, I didn’t see a direct way for me to do this as an audiologist.
I was fortunate that I went to a new audiology program that offered the most immersive tinnitus courses available. I realized that I loved working with tinnitus patients because of the psychology, learning how to control our mental reaction, and the holistic approach to recovering from tinnitus.
I was accepted into the UCSF residency program. UCSF is the premier tinnitus management center in Northern California. I was working directly with incredible mentors and learned how to manage tinnitus by using evidence-based research.
One day, I had a patient scheduled to see me for tinnitus therapy. I learned that they were feeling stressed, angry, and confused trying to manage their tinnitus on their own. They weren’t sleeping well. They constantly found themself stuck in negative thinking and depressed.
In their hometown, they saw their primary doctor and their Ear, Nose & Throat doctor. Both of them said, “OK, you have tinnitus. There’s no cure for tinnitus. There’s nothing you can do. You have to learn how to live with it.”
My patient was in despair. They knew there must be someone who could help them. They started to look on the internet. They found our hospital clinic and the patient travelled four hours to San Francisco for our appointment. I learned that my patient was in a dark place, but fortunately they found our services at the perfect time. I went through their detailed history to learn about what they’ve tried so far. I taught them strategies for how to improve their symptoms. My patient left that appointment satisfied and thanked me for helping them create a clear path forward to recover from their tinnitus.
My skill and passion for helping tinnitus patients was in much higher demand than I realized. My patient was willing to drive four hours to see a tinnitus specialist. At that moment, I realized that working as a tinnitus doctor was the best way for me to help individuals using telehealth.
After a few years of research and planning, I created Treble Health, formerly known as Pure Tinnitus. We have a team of world-class audiologists who provide telehealth consultations for tinnitus and hearing loss. That means those who need help with tinnitus are no longer limited by where they live and which experts live in their hometown. If you’re looking for help with your tinnitus, you’re in the right place.