Hearts, Minds, Hands: A Dream Team for Mental Health

Interpreting in a mental health setting with hearing staff members and deaf clientele, the ethical situations fly fast and furious, providing the interpreter with a wealth of war stories with which to regale neophyte students of this dynamic profession. Much has been written to improve the many and varied mental health services being extended to deaf populations. The most commonly described dyads are that of hearing therapist and deaf patient. However, consider the case of a deaf psychologist treating hearing clients. In this instance, the interpreter becomes the liaison between the deaf professional and the hearing patient. When an interpreter not only works primarily with one deaf professional among hearing staff members but also serves as a de facto member of the treatment team, ethics are challenged differently, unexpectedly, and often. The interpreter and the psychologist must function as a team, and the role of the interpreter will vary from more prosaic assignments. With the tables turned, the deaf professional must find ways to capitalize on the interpreting service so he or she can fully address the needs of his or her hearing clients and function smoothly among his or her hearing colleagues. Clearly, a commitment to teamwork and collegiality is fundamental to ensure a sense of professional satisfaction for both the psychologist and the interpreter

Impact of deaf client and therapist moods on sign language interpreter recipient mood

This study extended the findings of the 2002 study, “The Impact of Sign Language Interpreter and Therapist Moods on Deaf Recipient Mood” which initiated an examination of the impact of sign language interpreter involvement beyond the issue of facilitating therapist - client dialogue. Professional sign language interpreters are trained to be impartial conduits who neither add nor subtract from the primary dyadic relationship. However, the 2002 study found that despondent interpreter mood caused significant negative mood changes in the deaf participant even when the therapist mood was neutral / slightly cheerful. This current study examines the reverse: whether the mood and affective behavior of the deaf client and therapist can impact on the mood of the working sign language interpreter. Results indicated that the moods of both therapist and deaf client significantly impacted on the mood of the sign language interpreter. Furthermore, deaf client mood had a greater impact than the therapist mood on sign language interpreter mood. Findings suggest a potential for triadic influences in therapy settings. By perceiving, understanding, and utilizing those influences, the quality of the therapeutic alliance can be enhanced