Helena Löwen-Åberg, a specialist physiotherapist in mental health and tinnitus, will speak about her work with patients experiencing tinnitus and sound sensitivity.

The lecture is based on the book Tinnitushjälpen: ett fysioterapeutiskt helhetsperspektiv, a combined reference and self-help guide written by the authors and specialist physiotherapists Helena Löwen-Åberg and Lina Ahlman. Published in June 2025, the book provides in-depth knowledge about tinnitus together with practical exercises and CBT-based strategies to reduce and better manage tinnitus — both psychologically and physically.

Tinnitushjälpen explains the underlying causes of tinnitus — hearing-related, somatically related, and anxiety- or depression-related — and what can be done from a holistic physiotherapeutic perspective. The book describes various CBT-based coping strategies, practical exercises, and patient stories that help those suffering from tinnitus or sound sensitivity regain their quality of life, say the authors and specialist physiotherapists Helena Löwen-Åberg and Lina Ahlman.

Helena has experienced the deep frustration felt by many people with tinnitus, as healthcare services often cannot offer sufficient help. This frustration became a driving force behind her decision to write this self-help book.

Helena Löwen-Åberg has 35 years of experience in clinical treatment and rehabilitation within primary care in Gothenburg, working with patients affected by tinnitus, sound sensitivity, dizziness, mental health conditions, and stress-related disorders. Her dedication to this field is also rooted in her own experiences of tinnitus, which has given her a deep understanding of the challenges faced by people living with the condition.

Tinnitushjälpen aims to reduce the suffering of those affected by tinnitus by showing how physiotherapy, combined with CBT, can be an effective tool in managing tinnitus as well as sound sensitivity. Through the book, Helena aims to convey hope while spreading knowledge and understanding to the reader.

 

Chief Executive, Osteopathy Europe

Steering Committee Member, WHO World Rehabilitation Alliance

Maurice has a background in strategy development and marketing, before specialising in professional association management. He was Chief Executive of the UK’s Institute of Osteopathy from 2013-2025, during which time he served as Chair of the UK’s National Council for Osteopathic Research (NCOR), and Treasurer and Board member of the Osteopathic International Alliance (OIA).

He was appointed as Chief Executive of Osteopathy Europe in 2018, and in 2025 onto the Steering Committee of the WHO’s World Rehabilitation Alliance. His focus is that osteopaths should be recognised as an intrinsic part of modern healthcare provision, playing a key role alongside other health professions, while maintaining and building on the uniqueness of osteopathic approach to patient care; and as a result, in the UK, osteopathy is recognised as an Allied Health Profession, which has opened up a variety of opportunities for osteopaths in the NHS and in private practice. He also works to support the leaders and boards of the osteopathic professional associations, who are so critical to the sustainable and growing future for the profession.

Matthew was appointed as Chief Executive and Registrar of the General Osteopathic Council (GOsC) in July 2020 after serving as Acting Chief Executive and Registrar of the organisation from September 2019. He has been with the GOsC since October 2000 and prior to his appointment as Chief Executive and Registrar he was Director of Registration and Resources, a post held for eight years. 

Since 2019, Matthew has been a Trustee of the National Council for Osteopathic Research and is the GOsC representative attending Osteopathy Europe and the Osteopathic International Alliance.

Matthew is an accountant and a fellow member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants and the Association of Accounting Technicians. He also sits, in a Non-Executive capacity, on the Joint Audit Committee of the Kent Police Crime Commissioner, and on the Audit and Risk Committee of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. Previously he has sat on the Finance, Risk and Audit Committee of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy.

Originally from Bermondsey, South-East London, he now lives in East Sussex having relocated in 2021. Matthew enjoys creative writing and the theatre, and is a keen chess player often participating in tournaments around London and the South-East.