From the Editor: Caroline M. Kobek Pezzarossi, Ph.D.

A note from your new Senior Editor, Caroline M. Kobek Pezzarossi, Ph.D. This letter from the editor also includes a short biography of Dr. Kobek Pezzarossi

Social Media Use, Acculturation, and Self-Esteem of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Adults

Social networking sites (SNSs) have become increasingly popular in modern society; however, research into the impacts of SNS use on Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing (D/HH) individuals is lacking. Through an online survey completed by 217 D/HH adults, we examined the demographic predictors of SNS use and how frequent SNS use relates to self-esteem. Deaf acculturation, age, attending a mainstream school with support services, and education level were significant predictors of SNS use for D/HH adults. Furthermore, D/HH adults with increased Deaf acculturation and frequent SNS use reported higher self-esteem

Psychologists\u27 Use of Touch in Individual Psychotherapy with Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Clients

The use of touch in psychotherapy is a topic often undiscussed in graduate training programs. Stenzel and Rupert’s 2004 study showed that nearly 90% of clinicians never or rarely offered touch to clients during a session. This study examined the use of touch in a psychotherapeutic setting with culturally Deaf clients, since touch is a culturally accepted, even expected, practice. Results indicated that there was no statistically significant difference among culturally Deaf therapists compared with the Stenzel and Rupert’s (2004) findings, but there is a statistically significant difference in those who identify as hearing and work with culturally Deaf clients. The implications of the study are also discussed