Happy Hearing

In this 30th episode of the Happy Hearing Podcast, Dr. Ruth Reisman and Carly Sygrove are joined by Zara Musker. Zara is a clinical scientist in audiology, captain of the England Deaf Women's Futsal International Team, cochlear implant user, and passionate Deaf advocate.

Zara shares her personal journey with hearing loss, including experiencing sudden hearing loss in adulthood, navigating identity, discovering the Deaf community, and finding confidence through sport and representation.

Zara’s links

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zara_musker3/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zara-musker-9b72b6188/  

Email: [email protected] 

In Episode 29 of the Happy Hearing Podcast, we are joined by award-winning writer, editor, speaker and mentor Bruce Hunter.

Bruce shares his lifelong journey with hearing loss, his experience living bimodally with a cochlear implant and hearing aid, and the profound emotional impact of hearing new sounds later in life, including birdsong for the very first time.

The conversation explores creativity, disability, resilience, identity and the idea of finding your “superpower” through adversity. Bruce also discusses how hearing technology transformed not only his hearing, but his writing, relationships and connection to the world around him.

Bruce’s website: https://www.brucehunter.ca/

In this episode of The Happy Hearing Podcast, we’re joined by documentary cinematographer and filmmaker Brian Ceci, who was born with moderate to severe hearing loss.

Brian shares his personal journey from being bullied for wearing hearing aids as a child, to rejecting them in his teens, and ultimately rediscovering sound and embracing his hearing loss as an adult. 

He opens up about identity, stigma, the challenges of living between the hearing and Deaf worlds, and the importance of finding community.

We also discuss Brian’s new documentary, Heard, where he explores the varied experiences of people across the hard of hearing spectrum.

Brian’s links:

Heard website: https://heard-film.com/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brianceci/ 

Email: [email protected]   

Note: There is a brief audio dropout around the 25-minute mark. During that moment, Carly is referring to the film Sound of Metal. 

Carly Sygrove and Dr. Ruth Reisman speak with Dr. Miles Aron, co-founder of Neurotone AI, about Lace AI Pro, the AI-powered app transforming auditory training.

Learn how it improves listening, builds confidence, and even lets you train with the voices of loved ones.

Plus, hear insights on cochlear implant rehab and tinnitus management.

Find out more about Neurotone AI: https://www.neurotone.com/  

In this episode of the Happy Hearing Podcast, Carly Sygrove and Dr. Ruth Reisman speak with lipreading teacher Rachel Barber about how lipreading and hearing-management strategies can transform communication and confidence for people with hearing loss. 

Rachel shares her personal journey of growing up with severe hearing loss, the skills she developed over time, and why lipreading is most effective when combined with context, body language, and proactive communication strategies such as requesting “keywords” in conversation. 

The discussion explores how learning lipreading can reduce isolation, build self-advocacy, and empower people of all hearing levels to stay connected in social, professional, and family settings. Rachel also explains what happens in lipreading classes and why learning these skills early can make future hearing changes easier to navigate.

You can find out more by visiting Rachel’s website: www.living4moments.com 

In episode 25 of the Happy Hearing podcast, Carly Sygrove and Dr Ruth Reisman are joined by Jaspreet Bahra (Jas), an award-winning Audiologist and founder of Your Hearing Clinic, based in Stansted Mountfitchet, England. 

Jas shares how she came to work in audiology and talks about changing the narrative around hearing health, and why hearing care so often ends up as an afterthought.

They also discuss how people adjust after hearing loss, and the importance of the hearing loss community, in particular for young professionals. 

Jas’s links:

Website: https://www.yourhearingclinic.co.uk/ 

Email: [email protected]  

Socials: @yourhearingclinic

In this year-end episode, hosts Dr. Ruth Reisman and Carly Sygrove reflect on a year of growth, learning, and advocacy in hearing healthcare.

They discuss cochlear implant rehabilitation, auditory fatigue, hearing health disparities, the power of shared stories, and why celebrating small wins matters, both professionally and personally.

The conversation closes with a look ahead to the year to come and continued commitment to awareness and support.

In this episode, Hearing Loss Coach Carly Sygrove and Audiologist Dr. Ruth Reisman talk with Dr. Gladys Sanda, a London-based audiologist, about the psychology of tinnitus.

Together, they explore how therapeutic approaches such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), mindfulness, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) can empower people to manage tinnitus more effectively and find greater calm through sound.

Dr. Gladys Sanda’s links:

Website: https://drgladys.co.uk/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tinnituswithgladys

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61559515141052

Book: https://drgladys.co.uk/book/

In episode 22 of the Happy Hearing podcast, we’re joined by Shanna Groves, writer, advocate, and the voice behind Lipreading Mom.

In this episode, Shanna talks about being diagnosed with hearing loss in her twenties while navigating life as a new mum. She reflects on her early adventures with a cochlear implant, received just over a month ago, and reveals her favourite new sound… no spoilers, you’ll have to tune in!

Shanna’s links:

Blog: https://lipreadingmom.com/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shanna.groves.lipreading.mom 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LipreadingMom 

Meet Natalie Cantini, an educational therapist and former international school teacher based in Austria. After experiencing burnout, Natalie discovered she had undiagnosed hearing loss, a realisation that changed her life.

Today, she works closely with dyslexic students and sheds light on how often mild hearing issues go unnoticed in education. 

Natalie is currently leading a campaign to raise awareness about mild and undiagnosed hearing loss and is passionate about encouraging others to get tested.

Listen to Natalie’s story and join the conversation to help bring more attention to this important issue.