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🎙️ Session Audio Protocols — Research & IP Guide

The script catalog is indexed in sessions-backlog.csv (breathing + audioGuided rows). This doc is retained as the authoritative IP/copyright clearance + full script detail reference — the backlog's ip_status column summarises; this is the source of record.

Date: 2026-04-23

Purpose: Complete reference for audio session script development. Covers all session types, copyright status, freely available sources, variation options, context-specific variants, and additional mindfulness exercises.

Technique IP Status Safe to Adapt?
PMR technique Public domain (Jacobson d. 1983) Yes — write own script
Diaphragmatic breathing Public domain Yes
4-7-8 breathing technique Technique unprotectable; Weil's text/brand protected Yes — write own script, attribute to pranayama
Autogenic training technique Public domain (Schultz d. 1966) Yes — write own script
Crisis breathing (physiological sigh, box) Public domain / unprotectable Yes
Body scan technique Ancient practice, unprotectable Yes — write own script
MBSR programme name Trademarked by Kabat-Zinn Do NOT use "MBSR" in product
Kabat-Zinn's specific scripted text © Jon Kabat-Zinn Do NOT reproduce verbatim
ACT framework and techniques Academic, freely teachable Yes — write own scripts
ACT exercise names (Leaves on Stream etc.) Concept freely usable; exact book wording is © Write own scripts around concepts
Jastreboff habituation model Peer-reviewed science, freely citable Yes
TRT clinical protocol Associated with Jastreboff/commercial book Describe model only; do not reproduce
CBT techniques (attentional bias, etc.) Academic theory, unprotectable Yes
Grief arc / adjustment models Public domain / academic Yes
VA/DoD materials US government public domain Fully usable — primary script source
Tinnitus UK materials © Tinnitus UK, freely distributed Reference/inspire; do not reproduce commercially
Loving-Kindness (Metta) Ancient Buddhist practice Yes — write own script
Mountain Meditation concept Metaphor — not copyrightable Yes — write own script
RAIN structure (Brach) Structure not proprietary; exact text © Yes — write own script
3-Minute Breathing Space structure Structure © Guilford Press; widely documented free Yes — write own narration
Urge Surfing concept Public domain (Marlatt d. 2011) Yes
Self-Compassion Break structure Structure not proprietary; GGIE Berkeley free version Yes — check commercial terms for ggia.berkeley.edu
Noting Practice Ancient Buddhist, public domain Yes
Walking Meditation Ancient Buddhist + MBSR, public domain Yes

Primary free sources (bookmark):

Context-Specific Variant Templates

These modifications apply across all relevant sessions — defined once rather than repeating per session.

Sleep-onset modifications

  • No re-arousal instruction at close — session ends with "allow consciousness to dissolve"
  • Pacing: 5–8 sec inter-phrase pauses (vs. 2–3 sec standard)
  • No tracking cues ("open your eyes briefly")
  • Voice delivery: quieter, lower-pitched, more monotone
  • Body scan sleep variant: begin at head and move downward (matches subjective heaviness of sleep onset)

Post-spike recovery sequence (8–10 min, assemblable from existing assets)

  1. Physiological sigh (60 sec) — fastest acute sympathetic downregulation
  2. Box breathing (90 sec) — stabilise and extend
  3. Cognitive defusion (2 min) — break "spike = disaster" thought pattern
  4. Scan-only body check (3–5 min) — re-establish somatic grounding

Workplace / commute compatible (eyes-open, upright)

  • Adapts well: box breathing, cognitive defusion, noting practice, 3-Minute Breathing Space, physiological sigh
  • Does NOT adapt: full PMR (conspicuous tensing), full body scan, guided imagery, autogenic training

Morning versions

  • Begin body scan at feet, move upward; slightly faster pacing
  • Close: "notice yourself here, awake, beginning this day"
  • Optional 1–2 min values intention: "What matters to you today?"
  • Physiological sigh as activating morning tool (3–5 cycles)

Group A — Breathing & Relaxation

Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR)

Originator: Edmund Jacobson (1908/1929). Clinical adaptation: Bernstein & Borkovec (1973).

IP: Public domain. VA scripts are public domain. Therapist Aid scripts (©2017) are separately copyrighted — do not reproduce.

Core structure: Tense each muscle group 5–7 sec → release 20–30 sec → notice contrast.

Free sources:

Tinnitus adaptation: Avoid instructions drawing attention to auditory sensation during face/neck sequence.

Variations:

Variation Duration Notes
Express (4-group) 5–7 min Daily habit / onboarding. Hands/arms, face, torso, legs.
Standard (7-group) 15 min Core clinical version — Bernstein-Borkovec
Sleep-focused 20 min Apply sleep-onset modifications
Scan-only (no tensing) 12–15 min For users with pain or high arousal from tension phase

Recommended MVP: 3 (Express, Standard, Sleep)

Diaphragmatic Breathing

IP: Fully public domain. Coherent/resonance breathing (5 bpm) by Lehrer & Gevirtz from 1990s.

Free sources:

Tinnitus adaptation: Frame extended exhale as interrupting the tinnitus→anxiety→more-tinnitus feedback loop.

Variations:

Variation Duration Notes
Belly breathing basics (4 in, 4 out) 5 min Introduction
Box breathing (4-4-4-4) 5 min Structured calming; eyes-open/commute compatible
Extended exhale (4 in, 8 out) 5 min Most evidence-based for acute calming

Recommended MVP: 3 (Belly basics, Box, Extended exhale)

4-7-8 Breathing

Originator: Dr. Andrew Weil, MD (2015). Roots in pranayama.

IP: Technique unprotectable. Do NOT reproduce Weil's scripted text.

Free sources (reference only):

Variations:

Variation Duration Notes
Standard (4 cycles with full instruction) 2 min Core technique
Extended practice (8 cycles) 4 min Sustained session

Recommended MVP: 2 (Standard, Extended)

Autogenic Training

Originator: Dr. Johannes Heinrich Schultz (1932). 6 standard exercises.

IP: Public domain (Schultz d. 1966). VA has public domain script.

Free sources:

Tinnitus adaptation: Forehead cooling phrase (Exercise 6) particularly relevant. Optional 7th phrase: "inner quiet/stillness" — strong tinnitus differentiator.

Variations:

Variation Duration Notes
Introductory (heaviness + warmth only) 5–8 min Week 1 onboarding
Full 6-exercise 15–20 min Complete standard protocol
Sleep-oriented 20 min Apply sleep-onset modifications

Recommended MVP: 3 (Introductory, Full, Sleep)

Crisis Breathing

Sources: Physiological sigh — Yadin, Feldman, Huberman (2023, Cell Reports Medicine, PMC9873947).

Free sources:

Tinnitus adaptation: Frame physiological sigh as interrupting the tinnitus spike→anxiety loop within seconds.

Variations (all serve distinct distress levels — all recommended for MVP):

Variation Duration Use
Physiological sigh 30–60 sec Instant crisis response at spike
Box breathing (4-4-4-4) 2 min Sustained settling; eyes-open/commute compatible
Grounding breath + 5-4-3-2-1 5 min Full sensory re-anchor for prolonged distress

Recommended MVP: 3

Body Scan

Originator: Jon Kabat-Zinn, 1979 (MBSR). Derived from Buddhist vipassana.

IP: Technique ancient/unprotectable. MBSR™ trademarked — do NOT use in product. VA has public domain script.

Free sources:

Tinnitus adaptation: When attention reaches ears/head, explicitly normalise tinnitus as "just another sensation to observe without judgment."

Variations:

Variation Duration Notes
Standard clinical 20 min Full sequence
Sleep-focused 25 min Apply sleep-onset modifications; begin at head, move down
Tinnitus-adapted 20 min Explicit ear/tinnitus normalisation at head sequence

Recommended MVP: 3 (Standard, Sleep, Tinnitus-adapted)

Group B — Guided Exercise (ACT/CBT)

Guided Imagery / Visualisation

IP: Generic guided imagery is public domain. Safe-place technique universally freely adaptable.

Free sources:

Tinnitus adaptation: Frame safe place as a location where tinnitus recedes into the background — NOT a place where tinnitus is absent (reinforces avoidance).

Variations:

Variation Duration Notes
Safe harbour (natural setting) 10 min General relaxation and grounding
Tinnitus-adapted: "sound becomes background" 10 min Integration, not avoidance framing

Recommended MVP: 2

Mindful Acceptance of Tinnitus (ACT)

Key free sources:

Variations:

Variation Duration Technique
Leaves on a stream 10 min Classic defusion
Passengers on the bus (tinnitus as passenger) 10 min Tinnitus-specific defusion
Observer self 8 min Pure perspective-shift

Recommended MVP: 3

Leaves on a Stream

IP: Concept not copyrightable. ACBS treats as freely shareable clinical material.

Tinnitus framing: "Notice the ringing, place it gently on a leaf, and watch it drift downstream. You don't need to follow it."

Free sources:

Variations: Micro (5–6 min), Standard (10–12 min), Extended with values close (18 min). Recommended MVP: 3

Cognitive Defusion — "I Notice I'm Having the Thought…"

IP: Concept not copyrightable. ACBS treats as shared clinical tool.

Protocol: "I am having the thought that…" prefix technique → "I notice I am having the thought that…"

Free sources:

Variations: Micro spike version (2–3 min), Standard (7–8 min). Recommended MVP: 2

Titchener's Repetition (Word Defusion)

IP: Titchener died 1927 — public domain. ACT adaptation concept not proprietary.

Protocol: (1) 30-sec coaching preamble; (2) 45 sec on "milk" as demonstration; (3) 45–60 sec on tinnitus word; (4) reframe: "The word is just a sound your brain learned to fear — that learning can be updated."

Variations: Short standalone (5 min), Extended with reflection + values close (10 min). Recommended MVP: 2

Committed Action Planning

IP: ACT hexaflex framework unprotectable.

Free sources:

Tinnitus adaptation: Use tinnitus-specific domains — social situations avoided, leisure activities dropped, relationships strained.

Variations: Values discovery (5 min), Committed action with tinnitus barriers (10–15 min). Recommended MVP: 2

Masking Reduction Protocol

IP: TRT protocol documented in freely available academic literature. PMC8632517 (open access).

Free sources:

App-guided format: Explain mixing-point → guided assessment → coaching instruction: reduce enrichment 5–10% per week → weekly milestone log → normalise temporary loudness.

Variations: Introductory protocol session (8–10 min), Weekly check-in narration (2–3 min). Recommended MVP: 2

Group C — Psychoeducation

All items in this group are primarily text-only cards. Light audio narration is optional post-MVP.

Session MVP Variations Key source
The Habituation Model 2 VA PTM Workbook (public domain)
Why Stress Makes Tinnitus Louder 2 PMC12474699
The Checking Compulsion Explained 2 Beukes 2025 Tonndorf Lecture (PMC12109689)
Grief Arc Normalisation 2 Zetterqvist thesis
Behavioural Activation Rationale Text card only Beukes Tonndorf 2025

Additional Mindfulness Exercises

New exercises not yet in building-blocks.csv — all recommended for addition.

Loving-Kindness Meditation (Metta)

IP: Ancient Buddhist practice. Write own script.

Tinnitus value: Very high — directly targets self-blame and "I should be coping better" patterns.

Variations: Micro metta (5 min), Standard full sequence (12 min). Recommendation: MVP

Mountain Meditation

IP: Metaphor — not copyrightable. Write own script.

Tinnitus value: Excellent — "you are the mountain; tinnitus is the weather." Most vivid metaphor for the core coaching goal.

Variations: One standard version (15 min). Recommendation: MVP

RAIN Technique (Tara Brach)

IP: Structure (Recognize, Allow, Investigate, Nurture) not proprietary. Free PDF at tarabrach.com.

Tinnitus value: Exceptionally high — designed for persistent difficult sensations. Investigate stage defuses "tinnitus = catastrophe."

Variations: Spike-adapted compact (5 min), Standard (10 min). Recommendation: MVP

3-Minute Breathing Space (MBCT)

Structure: Stage 1: open awareness (1 min) → Stage 2: narrow to breath (1 min) → Stage 3: expand to body and room (1 min).

Tinnitus value: High — most integrable daily micro-practice. Trains habituation perceptual shift in 3 minutes.

Recommendation: MVP — position as daily micro-practice.

Mindful Listening / Sound Meditation

IP: Ancient practice, not proprietary. Palouse Mindfulness Week 3 freely available.

Tinnitus value: Highest direct fit — trains tinnitus as one sound among many rather than the foreground signal.

Staging: Contraindicated for early/acute stages. Position as intermediate practice — not Week 1.

Recommendation: MVP (intermediate staging)

Urge Surfing

IP: Public domain (Marlatt d. 2011). Write own script.

Tinnitus value: Operationalises "stop checking." Provides the "what to do instead" that the Checking Compulsion psychoeducation card requires.

Recommendation: MVP

Self-Compassion Break (Kristin Neff)

Structure: (1) "This is a moment of suffering." (2) "Suffering is part of life." (3) "May I be kind to myself."

Tinnitus value: Very high — designed for moments of suffering. Spike is the exact trigger.

Variations: Micro (3 min), Standard (5 min), Extended with body awareness (10 min). Recommendation: MVP

Noting Practice (Vipassana-derived)

IP: Mahasi Sayadaw (d. 1982) — public domain.

Tinnitus value: Noting "hearing" places tinnitus in the same category as traffic and birdsong.

Staging: Introductory version for MVP. Eyes-open commute version viable.

Recommendation: MVP (introductory only)

Walking Meditation

IP: MBSR Week 5 + ancient Buddhist kinhin — public domain. GGIE Berkeley free practice: https://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/mindful_walking.

Tinnitus value: Moving through acoustic world naturally enriches soundscape. Embodied focus competes with tinnitus.

Recommendation: MVP

Choiceless Awareness / Open Monitoring

IP: Ancient, public domain.

Clinical staging: Contraindicated for early/acute tinnitus. Without an attentional anchor, tinnitus fills the foreground and can intensify distress. Only appropriate after basic defusion skills are established.

Recommendation: POST-MVP only. Requires explicit in-app staging guard.

Master MVP Variation Count

Session MVP Variations Audio files (×5 languages)
PMR 3 15
Diaphragmatic Breathing 3 15
4-7-8 Breathing 2 10
Autogenic Training 3 15
Crisis Breathing 3 15
Body Scan 3 15
Guided Imagery 2 10
Mindful Acceptance (ACT) 3 15
Leaves on a Stream 3 15
Cognitive Defusion 2 10
Titchener Repetition 2 10
Committed Action Planning 2 10
Masking Reduction Protocol 2 10
Loving-Kindness (Metta) 2 10
Mountain Meditation 1 5
RAIN Technique 2 10
3-Minute Breathing Space 1 5
Mindful Listening 1 5
Urge Surfing 1 5
Self-Compassion Break 2 10
Noting Practice (intro) 1 5
Walking Meditation 1 5
Post-Spike Recovery Sequence 1 5
Total ~45 variations ~225 audio files

Psychoeducation group (14 sessions): text-only, no audio pipeline. ~28 text items × 5 languages = ~140 Directus items.