Faith Dolan
Breaking Barriers in Therapy – A Deaf Mental Health Advocate’s Journey Toward Inclusive Healing
Introduction
From Midland, Texas, to the frontlines of advocacy in higher education, one Deaf graduate student is reshaping how we define what it means to listen in a profession long dominated by sound. A recent graduate of Texas Tech University, she is now pursuing her Master’s in Mental Health Counseling—a journey deeply rooted in personal transformation, trauma-informed care, and social justice.
From Patient to Practitioner
Her path into mental health began with her own healing. During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, she entered therapy and was struck by the power of safe, intentional therapeutic spaces. Simultaneously, the Black Lives Matter movement ignited her passion for justice and equity, pushing her toward a career that could merge research, empathy, and advocacy.
Discovering Deaf Identity in Academia
Although she became Deaf between the ages of 11 and 13, her understanding of Deaf culture didn’t begin until college—seven years later—when she met her first Deaf professor. Through American Sign Language and Deaf Culture courses, she discovered that her deafness wasn’t a flaw to be ‘fixed’, but a vital part of her cultural identity. That realization helped shape her goal: to create a Deaf-centered private practice grounded in cultural competency.
Challenging Audism in Counseling Education
Her academic journey hasn’t been without barriers. From biased language in textbooks to therapy techniques that assume clients can hear (like guided meditations or sound-based grounding), audism is often embedded into the core of counseling education.
Instead of remaining silent, she advocates. She raises awareness, pushes for accommodations, and reminds fellow Deaf students:
“Speaking up is hard, but you deserve equal access.”
Redefining “Listening” in a Sound-Centric Field
What does “listening” mean when hearing isn’t the primary sense?
To her, listening means more than sound—it means presence, eye contact, shared silence, and emotional resonance.
She uses cochlear implants and communicates in both ASL and speech, but emphasizes that empathy, not hearing, is what truly matters in therapy.
“Listening is about creating space for someone’s truth, not just hearing their voice.”
Navigating Trauma, Identity & Representation
For many Deaf clients, trauma is compounded by systemic injustice—language deprivation, exclusion, and cultural erasure. Research supports what she knows firsthand: Deaf individuals experience significantly higher rates of trauma and mental health challenges.
These disparities don’t stem from being Deaf, she explains, but from the world’s failure to accommodate and include them. Her mission? To offer trauma-informed therapy that affirms the cultural experiences of marginalized clients—especially Deaf and disabled communities.
Advice for Aspiring Deaf Therapists
She has a message for Deaf students contemplating a career in counseling:
“There’s a misconception that Deaf people can’t be therapists. That’s simply not true. We are NEEDED in this field.”
She urges future clinicians not to let the lack of representation discourage them. Accommodations don’t make a therapist less capable—they make the profession more inclusive.
Lighting the Way Forward
Today, as she continues her graduate training, she’s also laying the groundwork for a more inclusive future in therapy—one where Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing individuals receive care that understands and affirms who they are.
Her journey is not just one of healing—it’s a call for systemic transformation.
“Acknowledge your hardship and FEEL the emotions associated with it. Once you let that fire burn, let the flame guide you on a path to helping others.”
