A Little About Me

I chose a career helping people. I never imagined just how close to home that choice would become.

Hi, I'm Alison — audiologist, researcher, business owner, wife and mum of two.

My journey into audiology wasn't exactly a straight line.

I originally began studying psychology, driven by a fairly simple desire: I wanted a career where I could genuinely help people. I'd previously worked in the corporate world and, while there was nothing particularly wrong with it, I struggled with the idea of spending my working life chasing outcomes that didn't necessarily make a positive difference in someone's life.

I wanted to do something that mattered.

And then I found audiology.

I began my career working with children, and it was such a rewarding change. I loved the combination of science, problem-solving and human connection. Most importantly, I loved knowing that the work I was doing could genuinely improve someone's quality of life.

Over the years, I've been fortunate enough to work across many different areas of audiology. I started in Brisbane, working within Queensland's Healthy Hearing program, conducting audits and research, alongside diagnostic hearing assessments for babies in hospital settings.

My love of research eventually led me to undertake my PhD, and from there I moved into leadership roles within Indigenous ear health programs. These roles gave me the opportunity to combine research, clinical care and community-based services, working to improve access to hearing healthcare for people who really needed it.

Then life took us in a slightly different direction.

With two young children in tow, my husband and I moved to Moranbah so we could spend more time together as a family. Family has always been my priority, and it was here that Peak Hearing began.

What started as a way to continue doing the work I loved while putting my family first has gradually grown into something I'm incredibly proud of. As my children have grown, I've been able to dedicate more time and energy to developing the business and providing the kind of hearing healthcare I've always believed in.

When professional experience becomes personal

Here's the part of my story I never quite expected.

Both of my children have experienced hearing loss.

My son struggled with significant middle ear disease throughout his early childhood. He required multiple sets of grommets and ongoing care, and spent much of those early years dealing with fluctuating hearing loss.

Despite being an audiologist myself, I experienced firsthand the challenges of having a child who couldn't always hear properly. The frustration, the appointments, the decisions and the impact it can have on everyday family life.

Then, at just nine years old, my daughter was diagnosed with a permanent hearing loss.

And yes, I'm an audiologist, and I didn't know!

One Christmas, she asked if I could test her hearing. It was supposed to be a routine little check, but the results came as a complete surprise. She now receives ongoing care through Hearing Australia.

As it turns out, my husband also has a permanent hearing loss that wasn't identified until after our daughter's diagnosis.

So somehow, without ever realising it, I'd chosen a career that would end up being incredibly relevant to my own family.

Life has a funny way of working things out.

What this means for the care I provide

I bring a lot of different perspectives into the consulting room.

I'm a clinician with extensive experience, a researcher who values evidence-based practice, a mum who has navigated both temporary and permanent hearing loss in her children, and a wife who understands the everyday realities of living with someone who has hearing difficulties.

These experiences have shaped the way I practise.

I know that a hearing test isn't always just a hearing test. Sometimes it's a worried parent looking for answers. Sometimes it's an adult who's been struggling to follow conversations for years. Sometimes it's someone who simply wants to understand what's happening with their hearing.

I believe people deserve time to ask questions, understand their results and feel comfortable with the decisions they make.

That's why I take a genuinely patient-centred approach to care. I don't believe in rushing people through appointments or taking a one-size-fits-all approach. If we need a longer appointment, we take the time. If something needs more investigation, we explore it. And if you simply need someone to listen, that's important too.

My goal has never been to see the most patients in a day. It's to make sure the people I do see feel heard, understood and genuinely cared for.

That's what Peak Hearing is built around, and it's what I hope every person experiences when they walk through our doors.

Dr Alison Collins, PhD

Audiologist & Founder, Peak Hearing