聴覚障害者への心理臨床の一考察

Abstract

Hearing impaired clients tend not to participate in psychotherapy, and those who do often aren't fully understood their psychic world. Particularly in Japan, there are insufficient psychological supports and few clinical psychological studies have been performed for the hearing impaired. Generally people who have lost their hearing at some point in their life can communicate somewhat using vocal language, but hearing impaired from birth can't. Psychotherapy in latter group is thought to be impossible. It may initially seem that they can't communicate with clinicians, but mutual exchange may occur if clinicians are able to use sign language. People with hearing impairment have the right to receive sufficient communications, and clinicians should be aware of the necessity of sign language. Ideally, we can use sign language, but it may take long time to master. Therefore, we must at least recognize that it is important to involve interpreters with sign language, but they tend to be troubled with many points between clients and therapists.