Becoming Hearing Empowered is EXACTLY the wonderful resource I had been seeking following sudden single-sided deafness 3 years ago. It is like sitting with a caring friend who is helping you understand your hearing loss with your mind, body and spirit. Beautifully designed, the format welcomes you to explore in a kinesthetic and deeply personal way. I learned from books that others wrote about their hearing loss journey but Katherine's book invited me to consider and express MY journey.

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Six stars. This book isn't a book, it's a guided journal. The author guides us through some heavy introspection aimed at giving us tools to become hearing empowered. It helps us learn about the (broken) mechanics of our hearing loss, to come to terms with our hearing loss, find our people and places of support, find the words on how to advocate for ourselves, how to have the best possible appointment with an audiologist and choose the aids that are right for us, and so much more. It can be used more than once. Because our hearing will change over time, what we need will change over time. We can use this book to help guide us through the introspection time and again. As someone who still struggles with how to live in the hearing world with hearing loss, can't recommend this book enough.

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Katherine's book was so helpful. I suddenly experienced significant hearing loss in one ear at the end of last year. I've did a lot of research on the Internet prior to reading this book. The book offers so much more information than a single website on pretty much any topic. What I appreciate the most is Katherine included the topics of self-advocacy and self-care. The journaling aspect of the book is also very helpful to step through. I highly recommend this book not just for people that are hard of hearing or deaf, but also for their hearing privileged love ones to gain a different perspective. My dad has hearing loss as well. I've always been mindful when speaking to him, but if I had this book 20 years ago, it would've changed the way I interacted with him. Thank you so much for publishing this book!

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As someone in their 40s experiencing hearing loss, this book has been a Godsend! I loved learning in depth about hearing loss, how to understand my hearing test and specific hearing loss better, many good tips. It helps you process the good and bad,the emotions and fatigue. Sometimes we just need quiet so our brains and ears can rest and recover from the strain of trying to hear and understand all day long. This especially Helped me recognize my stigma towards myself and feeling embarrassed for something I couldn't help. Also, I realized that hearing loss does not have to keep me from enjoying my loved ones or my life! I will enjoy them regardless! I loved all the journaling, doodling and activities to help plan, and process more fully each chapter in creative fun ways. Buy this for anyone you love with hearing loss! ❤️

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This book is a phenomenal resource. I wish I had it when I was new to my hearing loss. Even 10 years into my life with hearing loss, I found this book so helpful. I learned a lot and found so many useful tools. I led this book as a book discussion group with 25 people and everyone agreed this is an extremely useful resource for someone with hearing loss. Besides just teaching you tools, it delves deep into the emotional side of hearing loss, helps you practice your self advocacy and find words ro describe your hearing less, and reminds you of how to practice self care. Cannot recommend enough!

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Losing most of my hearing later in life, I was flailing through life. I avoided public spaces requiring interaction, like restaurants with friends and grocery stores. Rybak's book - Becoming Hearing Empowered - gave me back to me. I'm not as anxious any more since her guide helped me navigate uncomfortable situations and accept my hearing loss as part of who I am. I even let my family read through it, which helped them understand how they could help me. I'm not an expert at advocating for myself yet, but I'm working on it. And it's a book I can refer back to often.

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Love this journal and educational [content]! Beautiful drawings and exercises. I became single sided deaf 3 years ago and wish I would have had this sooner. Thank you!

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This is the book I have been hoping to find! Thank you, Katherine!

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Looking forward to using this book to provide guidance for supporting children and teens with hearing loss!

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While I haven't gotten fully into the book yet because I am waiting to read it with my SSD support group, just reading some of the tips and all the chapter titles has me really excited and thankful. I have been struggling this year with grief and acceptance over my new permanent hearing loss as well as standing up for myself due to my own internalized issues so I'm looking forward to going through it.

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Bought the book for my grandparents, very happy it exists

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This amazingly pertinent book about thriving with hearing loss offers tools to develop outstanding self-awareness and has led me on a journey towards eradicating internalized stigma increasing my self-appreciation as a person new to wearing hearing aids but not new to hearing loss. Becoming Hearing Empowered sets out to prove exactly what it says! Katherine Rybak is acutely attuned to the needs and understanding of hard of hearing people and has a special skillset for inserting tangible techniques in creative interactive ways for her audience to go from defeat and insecurity to confident and full of power over challenging circumstances. In Becoming Hearing Empowered, she gingerly encourages internal strength building through prompts that get the reader to articulate, reflect, and reframe past experiences so that we may shift our perspective and live a life proud and uplifted! Becoming Hearing Empowered is a nightstand must and serves as a journal of personal reinforcement and lessons outlining a platform for future growth and continual development! I highly recommend this book to anyone who is hard of hearing at any age because as soon as you read it, you become a better, more self-confident you!

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