Relational Dynamics Within the Context of Deafness: A Case Study of the Supervision Triad

Despite counseling's increased focus on issues of multiculturalism and social justice, the d/Deaf population continues to be underrecognized and underserved. (For the purposes of this article, the term d/Deaf is used to denote individuals who have an auditory loss as well as individuals with an auditory loss who also identify with Deaf culture.) The Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (2006) estimated that approximately 8.6% of individuals 3 years and older in the United States report having hearing problems. Furthermore, it was estimated that there are over 5 million people who are deaf in the United States who are in need of mental health treatment every year; of these 5 million individuals, only about 2% receive appropriate treatment for their mental illness. The discrepancy between mental health need and effective service provision requires counselors to be more competent in meeting the needs of clients who are d/Deaf. The lack of attention to the Deaf culture in our professional standards, research, training programs, and supervision contributes to the inequities d/Deaf individuals experience in receiving mental health services. A review of the research showed that d/Deaf individuals appeared to have more mental health concerns than hearing persons (Peters, 2007) and that d/Deaf children were two to three times more likely to experience physical and sexual abuse than their hearing peers (Critchfield, 2002). Thus, there is a paramount need for qualified professionals who are knowledgeable in the area of counseling services as well as in the area of Deaf culture and sign language fluency. Most counselors and supervisors in mental health professions are not fluent in sign language and are also unaware of Deaf culture, thus leading to possible misunderstandings and frustrations for the d/Deaf consumer and mental health professional (Peters, 2007). One way of alleviating some of the misunderstandings and lack of cultural awareness is to hire a qualified interpreter to assist in the counseling and supervision process. Another strategy to alleviate potential misunderstandings is to prepare counselor trainees who are d/Deaf. Both strategies for addressing the gap in services require counselor educators and supervisors to be more cognizant and knowledgeable about the interplay between themselves, a d/Deaf counselor trainee, and a sign language interpreter. The unique supervision situation of a hearing supervisor working with a d/Deaf counselor trainee, by way of a sign language interpreter, has gone unexamined in the supervision literature. Although there have been multiple research studies, professional writings, and professional journals focused on supervision in general (Bernard & Goodyear, 2013; Fuertes, 2004; Hird, Cavalieri, Dulko, Felice, & Ho, 2001; Magnuson, Norem, & Wilcoxon, 2000) and some research and literature focused on issues relating to deafness (de Bruin & Brugmans, 2006; Feldman, Kluwin, & McCrone, 2005; Freeman & Conoley, 1986; Haley & Dowd, 1988; Peters, 2007; Porter, 1999; Roe & Roe, 1991), we found no research exploring the unique interplay of supervisory dynamics with counselors who are d/Deaf. This qualitative case study begins to address the dearth of research and professional knowledge in the realm of supervision with a d/Deaf counselor trainee. The Need for d/Deaf Counselor Trainees As a result of legislative events such as Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, mental health counseling has become more feasible and available to individuals who are d/Deaf (Roe & Roe, 1991). Researchers have found a clear preference by d/Deaf clients in counseling to have a counselor who is also d/Deaf (Freeman & Conoley, 1986; Peters, 2007; Steinberg, Sullivan, & Loew, 1998). Because of this desire to find a counselor similar to the d/Deaf individual seeking counseling services, the need for d/Deaf counselors becomes apparent, especially given the higher rates of disorders among the d/Deaf population (Pollard, 1996). …