Preface During the past decade there has been increasing interest in the potential contributions of counseling and guidance with deaf people in school settings, community agencies, mental health clinics, and rehabilitation agencies and facilities. This interest is perhaps most clearly reflected in the growing numbers of counselors with deaf people employed in college programs, in State Vocational Rehabilitation agencies, and in various other settings, as well as in the slowly increasing number of university graduatelevel training programs offering specialization in counseling with deaf people. Clearly, the field of deafness education and rehabilitation is beginning to appreciate the role the counselor can play in efforts to provide deaf people with the values, attitudes, knowledge, and skills they must have if they are to meet the challenges they face in their development and adjustment in today's rapidly changing world. While those in the field of counseling with deaf people may feel justifiable pride in the progress made in recent years, future progress depends upon critical self-examination and vigorous attempts to strengthen areas of weakness and to continue to build upon strong areas. Without this continuing self-examination and attempts to further our knowledge in theoretical and applied aspects of our work, our advances will be nullified in the face of dynamic changes in deaf people and the world in which they live. This book is intended to sharpen the focus of counseling with deaf people by presenting discussions of the major issues that confront counselors and administrators of programs that are either providing or considering providing counseling services to deaf people. Deaf people of all ages generally have been denied access to proper counseling services primarily due to the problems of communication between the counselor and the deaf client. General counseling programs have been unable to serve deaf people properly due to this problem, and, since there are relatively few deaf people in most areas of the country, it has not been possible to develop special programs for them as rapidly as needed. For this reason comparatively Little attention has been given to the many theoretical and applied considerations that are basic to the growth and development of the profession of counseling deaf people. 7 8 COUNSELING with Deaf PEOPLE For example, it would be reasonable for any general counselor or program administrator to ask the following questions with respect to counseling deaf people: (1) Are there special problems faced by deaf people that require specialized counseling assistance? (2) Must a counselor with deaf people learn special modes of communicating with his deaf clients? (3) Can the methods and techniques of counseling used with normally hearing people be used with deaf people? (4) What general and special training must a counselor have before he can work effectively with deaf people, and where can this training be obtained? (5) What research has been done in the area of counseling deaf people? These questions are of relevance not only to professionals not acquainted with deafness but also to students who are preparing to become counselors with deaf people, as well as counselors actively engaged in counseling work with deaf people. The reason? At the present time there are no books devoted to providing answers to these questions! In fact some of these questions are considered in print for the first time in this book, and for this reason it is hoped that this book will be used as a text by university training programs and as a basic reference by practicing counselors with deaf people. Four chapters in this book were co-authored by recognized authorities from the general field of counseling, and the second chapter was written by an authority from the field of counseling with deaf people. This approach was taken in order to provide a perspective of counseling with deaf people as it relates to the general field of counseling and also to bring together the current knowledge available from both areas. In some respects this is a radical departure from approaches used in the education and rehabilitation of deaf people, which for the most part have evolved without consideration of practices used with normally hearing people. We feel this new approach will add an interesting and valuable dimension to this book. A better understanding of this book can be gleaned from the events surrounding its development. In 1969 and 1970, the New York University Deafness Research and Training Center sponsored a series of conferences on "A Task Force on Counseling Deaf People." The Task Force, which had in its membership the authors of the chapters in this book as well as former Center Director Dr. Edna S. Levine, Dr. Patricia Livingston of New York University, and, subsequently, present Director Dr. Jerome D. Schein, had the objective of developing means whereby the field of counseling with deaf people would be able to reach a level of professional development similar to that of the general field of counseling. During Task PREFACE 9 Force discussions it was revealed that (1) there was very little about counseling with deaf people in the professional literature; (2) there was not a single textbook on counseling with deaf people; (3) there were no certification or training standards for counselors serving deaf people; (4) there is a widespread lack of understanding of what professional counseling consists of, as opposed to counseling done by an untrained person; and (5) was difficult to plan a method to upgrade the field of counseling with deaf people in the absence of authoritative information concerning methods of counseling the deaf, problems in counseling with the deaf, and certification and training standards. Consequently, the decision was made to prepare a book covering these issues, since such a book would provide a sound basis for future activities in this particular area. This book is the final result. It is the editors' conviction that the future development of counseling with deaf people will be determined by three factors. The first is the extent to which program administrators, consumer organizations composed of leaders of the deaf, and professional organizations such as the Professional Rehabilitation Workers with the Adult Deaf and the American Instructors of the Deaf recognize the need for and demand counselors for deaf people who are trained as counselors, have an understanding of the life problems and needs of deaf people, and can communicate with deaf people. The second factor concerns the extent to which universities and governmentfending agencies cooperate in the establishment and operation of training programs designed to prepare counselors with deaf people of all ages, induding young children and elderly people. The final factor concerns counselors with deaf people. They must become more actively involved in research designed to provide greater strength to counseling approaches used with deaf people; they must communicate better with other workers with deaf people and obtain their approval and support of counseling sernces; and, they must work through their professional and training standards. This book contains information that can be used to upgrade the qualty of counseling services for deaf people. It is not an end in itself, but a beginning. Hopefully this book will be the first of many on the subject of counseling the deaf. The editors wish to thank the contributors to this book. The effort and time they put into the preparation of their chapters are gratefully acknowledged. Special thanks are due to Dr. Edna S. Levine, who supported the early work of the Task Force on Counseling Deaf People, and to Dr. Jerome D. Schein, whose strong support permitted early publication of this book. 10 COUNSELING WITH DEAF PEOPLE Grateful acknowledgement is also made to the Social and Rehabilitation Service, United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, and to the School of Education, New York University, which together sponsor the work of the Deafness Research and Training Center. Without their support this book would not have been possible. New York City Allen E. Sussman Larry G. Stewart Introduction The chapters in this book deal with what the editors view as the major areas of concern facing the professional discipline of counseling with deaf people. These areas are felt to be vital to a better understanding of the current status of the field, and any counselor or counselor-trainee who serves deaf people should have a thorough grasp of the many issues discussed in these chapters. Chapter I, by Boyce R. Williams and Allen E. Sussman, discusses the psychological and social ramifications of deafness within the context of personal, social, and vocational development and adjustment of the deaf individual in today's world. The insights these authors bring to bear upon the subject represent knowledge that all counselors with deaf people should be expected to possess before they attempt to provide counseling to deaf clients. Chapter II, by McCay Vernon, brings the current status of counseling with deaf people into sharp focus. Current counseling services for deaf people are described, present and future needs are analyzed, and suggestions for improving the field are made. This chapter is essential to an understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of current efforts at providing counseling services to deaf people. Chapter III, by C. H. Patterson and Larry G. Stewart, presents an original discussion of principles and methods of counseling as they apply in counseling with deaf people. Patterson presents his views on what counseling is and what it is not, and Stewart relates these general principles of counseling to working with deaf people in the counseling relationship. This chapter should offer invaluable assistance to inexperienced counselors and counselors in training, as well as to practicing counselors, since it presents a discussion not only of the problems encountered in counseling deaf people but also approaches that can be used to overcome these problems. Chapter IV, by Richard W. Thoreson and Norman L. Tully, is concerned with clarifying the role and functions of the counselor with deaf people. Thoreson analyzes current views of the general counselor's role and function, and presents compelling arguments in favor of requiring professional training for all counselors. Tully analyzes current views toward the 11 79-985 - 72 - pt. 2 - 21 |