Q: Can you tell us a bit about your background and what led you to become a Speech Language Therapist? Rachel: I knew that I wanted to work with children from a young age and I was tossing up between medical careers and education careers. Speech therapy was the perfect middle ground for me. Q: Where did you study? Rachel: I have a Bachelor of Speech and Language Therapy from Massey University in Auckland. I really enjoyed the programme and learned so many valuable lessons fro

Seventy-four-year-old Jan Trim loves riding pillion passenger on her husband’s Moto Guzzi motorbike, going to exercise class and making online photo books. She has had hearing differences for the past 30 years and after a long period of wearing hearing aids, received a cochlear implant in April this year. The great grandmother from Taupō says she can now have a conversation with her husband in the car, which never would have been possible previously. “It’s too good an oppo

Q: Can you tell us a little about yourself and your background? My name is Tijo Joseph and I’m a second-year student in the Bachelor of Social Practice – Social Work and Community Development programme at Unitec in Auckland. I’m 35 years old, originally from India, and I spent part of my early life in the United Arab Emirates. I’ve lived in New Zealand for the past eleven years, mainly in Auckland and Wellington. Before studying social work, I trained in pharmacy and worked f

Last week, we brought our Connect & Share sessions to Hamilton for the first time — a significant step in spreading our community connections beyond Auckland. What started as a single session quickly grew. Due to strong interest, we expanded to three groups over two days, welcoming a wide range of more than 20 kiritaki/clients and their whānau. Attendees included a computer science student, a retired teacher, a flautist and a keen bridge player. Across all sessions, there was

“I joined The Hearing House in 2018, and in my role as information and data systems lead, I manage the client database and information systems that support our services. I produce reports that help the organisation track performance and identify potential areas for improvement.\ “I am also the Privacy Officer at The Hearing House, so part of my role is also ensuring that The Hearing House is compliant with data protection laws. I am responsible for managing how personal infor

Q: Can you tell us a bit about your background? Nathan: I’ve been an audiologist with The Hearing House since 2024. I’ve worked in audiology since 2018, after completing my Master of Audiology at University of Auckland. I’m passionate about helping people from all walks of life communicate more effectively. Q: What were you doing before your master’s degree? Nathan: I went straight from my undergrad into my master’s. Before that, I had quite a mix of jobs—working as a sailmak

The Hearing House is taking its popular Connect & Share sessions into the regions with a new series of gatherings launching in Hamilton this month as demand for regional support grows. The sessions, designed for kiritaki/clients, their whānau and support people, have become a valued source of connection and reassurance for participants in Auckland. Now, after feedback from our kiritaki whānau/family support counsellor Hazel Benson-Dawe says The Hearing House is trialling the

There were many highlights from NZSL Week 2026 for The Hearing House, but one of the most special was the opportunity to spend time with Dr Joseph Murray, President of the World Federation of the Deaf, during his visit to Aotearoa. This year also marked 20 years since NZSL became an official language of New Zealand. It was an important moment to celebrate progress, reflect on the journey so far, and continue conversations about what more we can do to strengthen the rights of

“I’ve felt so much love and support throughout my journey.” Hanin received her cochlear implant in 1997 when she was six years old. She and her mother visited The Hearing House a few times a week for more than 10 years, working with their audiologists and speech language therapists to learn how to access sound – an experience Hanin describes as life-changing. Hanin also attended a mainstream primary school in Auckland, where she credits a teacher aide, Liz Callaghan, with tea