There are several well defined psychological intervention opportunity tools that can be effectively utilized by audiologists while remaining within the boundaries of professional practice. Sorting through those interventions which promote successful audiologic care from those which are likely only to derail the process or open up a can of worms is easier said than done. This three hour session will address that task from the perspective of a Clinical Psychologist. Using examples from pediatric, adult and geriatric populations, I will describe and illustrate a psychological framework and tools for improving the effectiveness of patient care: achieving likability, mitigating traumatic transference, understanding a patient's psychological construction of hearing loss, eliciting transformative stories, externalizing The Hearing Loss, motivational interviewing, use of cognitive-behavioral tools, facilitating conversational pivotal junctures, collaborating and displaying transparency, unraveling the patient from the family, deliberate use of spontaneous humor and making effective mental health referrals.