When working with people that report impairment in functioning and significant psychological distress associated with symptoms of Misophonia, we recommend use of

• A multidisciplinary approach

         AND

• An individualized care plan that uses evidence-based treatments and processes of change

Coping Skills and Managing Misophonia

Why Coping Skills? Why Manage Misophonia? Why Not a Cure?

• Nothing scientifically proven to treat or cure Misophonia, though early research suggests various procedures used in cognitive behavioral therapies (CBTs) may be helpful
• Though we cannot prevent the physiological "misophonic response," coping skills can:
  • Regulate attention, cognition, physiological arousal, and actions to be more skillful in preventing and coping with triggers
  • Reduce emotional distress related to Misophonia
  • Help sufferers to understand Misophonia
  • Improve functioning in relationships, at work, or at school
  • Help reduce family tensions related to Misophonia
  • Allow sufferers and their families to advocate for themselves at school and work

What are Coping Skills?

• Psychoeducational (understanding Misophonia, the nervous system, and the brain)
• Cognitive (altering thoughts and emotions surrounding Misophonia, the "misophonic response," and the people from whom trigger sounds emanate)
• Behavioral (developing new behavioral patterns of responding and regulating emotions)
• Physiological (how to calm the body and return to homeostasis)

Consider reviewing our resources tab for additional sites related to advocacy and help in your area. 

It is very difficult to find a clinician with scientific knowledge about Misophonia. This can be highly frustrating for anyone looking for help related to Misophonia. We want to change this.

A primary mission of our Center is to increase awareness about Misophonia to clinicians across healthcare settings (e.g., outpatient, inpatient) and types of clinical providers (e.g., physicians, psychologists, social workers, counselors, occupational therapists, audiologists, and others).

If you are a clinician and would like to learn more about Misophonia, please see our Resources tab for introductory information or, if you are interested in knowing about research related to Misophonia, you may read the empirical review paper about Misophonia and the Consensus Definition of Misophonia: A Delphi Study. We would also suggest reviewing our Processed-Based Therapy (PBT) page and review our recent publication Treatment for Misophonia.

If you would like your clinical practice or setting to receive a training related to Misophonia, please contact Dr. Rosenthal directly at mark.rosenthal@duke.edu

Duke University undergraduates interested in gaining research experience or learning about Misophonia and emotion regulation are invited to join our program.

We review applicants each semester and invite select students to join the program for the following semester. Please contact us early (i.e., in the Spring or early Summer to join in the Fall Semester), with a statement about your goals, your CV/resume, if you are a Federal work-study student, want to join via practicum as a Duke student, or volunteer. Be sure to include the days/times you anticipate being available. Students are expected to commit to 8-10 hours of time per week when working at CMER.

Opportunities for students include:

• Being a part of a large and active team with faculty, post-docs, graduate students, and other undergraduate research assistants.
• Learning about the research process, from hypothesis generation to data collection, data analysis, and presentation of study findings.
• Learning about data integrity and ethical considerations related to conducting scientific research.
• Assisting with the launch of new studies and management of data in ongoing studies.
• Whenever possible, involvement in scientific presentations (e.g., posters).
• For students who remain with the program over multiple semesters, Independent Study projects can be conducted.

We offer workshops and webinars to the public to help increase awareness about Misophonia.

Learn about the Next Scheduled Quarterly Misophonia Research Webinar

Duke CMER's director, Dr. Zach Rosenthal either leads or invites guest researchers to speak about their current work in misophonia. 

International Misophonia Research Network (IMRN) Director, Dr. Jennifer Jo Brout and soQuiet's Cris Edwards are usually in attendance as well to be available to answer questions.

If you have any questions regarding workshops/webinars scheduled or have suggestions about topics for future ones, you may email us.

Past Duke CMER Research Webinar Recordings

To watch past Duke CMER quarterly webinars from December 2022 to the present visit the CMER YouTube Channel.

To watch past recorded Duke CMER e-conferences/webinars (October 2021 and earlier), you will find them on this site.

For Education & Classes outside of Duke CMER

Dr. Jennifer Jo Brout, Director of the International Misophonia Research Network (IMRN), offers classes and trainings for parents, adult sufferers and clinicians. Regulate, Reason, Reassure (RRR) is a coping skills program and manual for parents, clinicians, and adults to help manage misophonia. RRR was developed by Dr. Jennifer Brout through her own experiences as a clinician, a sufferer of misophonia, and the mother of an adult child who showed signs of misophonia at a young age. To learn more, visit Dr. Brout's website.