Background

When Paul Madaule came to Toronto to start The Listening Centre (originally called the Tomatis Centre), his first assignment was to teach listening training with the Tomatis Method to the newly appointed staff of the Centre. Prior to coming to Toronto, Paul led the Tomatis Professional Teaching Team in Paris and worked in this capacity in several European countries and South Africa.
Keeping on with this orientation, The Listening Centre was instrumental throughout the 1980’s in introducing the Tomatis Method to the United States, Mexico and Panama.

In the 1990’s, Paul was involved in developing a streamlined, “back to basics” audio-device with the intent to make listening training available in schools, in countless small and remote communities in countries like Canada, and in the developing world. To do so, it was important to simplify the equipment without compromising what makes the Tomatis approach so potent. The result was the LiFT® ( Listening Fitness Trainer), a portable, battery-run and user-friendly audio device. The first application of the LiFT was to provide the possibility to some out-of-town clients to pursue an extended program at home.

Defining Listening Fitness

In response to a growing interest in the LiFT from practitioners, The Listening Centre’s team decided to develop a course to teach “Listening Fitness” with the LiFT.

35 years of experience in the practice and teaching of the Tomatis Method enabled Paul to define the framework of Listening Fitness as a technique in its own right. Listening Fitness, as a remedial technique, is more educationally-oriented than the Tomatis Method, with an emphasis on skill enrichment and the enhancement of well being and quality of life. Moreover, while The Tomatis Method is usually the central mode of intervention of a clinical practice dedicated to its application, Listening Fitness is one of the techniques available for a practitioner to complement their area of expertise. In other words, it provides the listening training dimension to a Speech Pathologist, an Occupational Therapist, a Voice Coach or to the Remedial Teacher. The intent of the Course is to introduce a new tool for use within an already established practice.

Listening Fitness Instructor’s Course and Certification

The course is offered in a friendly and interactive small group environment. It consists of an evening of orientation followed by 3 days of instruction over a prolonged week-end. The short course is only possible because it is complemented by a comprehensive and easy to follow written manual that contains the step-by-step protocol needed by an Instructor-in-training to start working on her/his own. We believe that the hands-on experience of the work leads the instructor to formulate questions. The real learning starts after the course is over. This is why the Course includes a period of work under the supervision with one of the teachers. The LiFT Instructor’s Course is the most practical and systematic professional course on listening training and sound stimulation available to date.

Listening Fitness Instructors

Since1999, the time of the first Listening Fitness Instructor’s Course, our network has grown to include more than 100 practitioners from 20 different countries. These professionals come from the fields as varied as voice pedagogy, special education, audiology, occupational and physical therapy, speech and language pathology, music therapy, counseling, psychology and second language acquisition.

Requirements to Become a Certified Listening Fitness Instructor

• University or college degree/diploma and/or professional designation related to human development for remedial and well-being applications (these include but are not limited to the fields of education, psychology, counseling, audiology; speech, occupational, music or art therapy; naturopathic or homeopathic medicine);
OR
University or college degree/diploma and/or equivalent combination or education and experience in the performing arts or your chosen field of skill development or enhancemet (these include but are not limited to the practice of Voice, Music, Acting or Language teaching/instruction).
• 5 years of professional experience
• Agreement to use the LiFT® within the boundaries of the practitioner’s area of expertise.

Steps to Certification as a Listening Fitness Instructor:

• complete a 3.5 day Instructor’s Course which includes:
  • assessing Listening Fitness
  • identifying listening profiles
  • developing sound programs
  • operating the LiFT®
  • incorporating the LiFT® in the instructor’s practice consultations
• complete a take-home test following the course. Each instructor receives individual feedback.
• work under supervision with support from a member of The Listening Centre’s Teaching Team in the 18 months following the course. Typically, supervision consists of 15-30 hours of consultations and coaching by phone, fax and/or email.
• purchase of equipment (LiFT® Kit) from Listening Technologies Inc.

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