Deaf Mental Health Stories

08/28/2026

08/22/2026

First we grieve the person who is gone. Then all the secondary losses become more real, and the different layers of grief begin to surface.

We grieve the future we expected to have with the person who is gone, the traditions and routines, the family roles that don’t exist anymore, the experiences that the person will never be part of, the version of yourself that you were before the loss.



Deaf Counseling Center therapist, Sheli, explains the concept of 2nd grief/2nd loss and shares tips on how to support someone who is grieving.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR COUNSELING AND THERAPY SERVICES: https://www.deafcounseling.com

Est. 2001. Deaf Women Owned. Over 25 years in business. 35+ years of Experience. Deaf Counseling Center provides both online (videophone, web-based, online, and virtual, e-therapy, telemental health) and in-office therapy to Deaf clients on a national basis.

Board-certified Telemental Health (BC-TMH). HIPAA Compliant. 100% Private. Inbox us for more information.

______________________
Start today! www.deafcounseling.com
Disclaimer: This space is for education and reflection, not a replacement for therapy or professional care. You may want to consider diagnosis and treatment of your symptoms with a licensed professional counselor. Feel free to contact us to be connected to one of our therapists.

NOTE: We use the word “Deaf” as an INCLUSIVE term for all Deaf, hard of hearing, DeafBlind, DeafPlus, late-deafened, oral Deaf, ASL users, CI users, and other identities.

We provide Deaf therapy led by fully licensed Deaf therapists, psychologists, counselors, and social workers with more than 35+ years of experience serving the Deaf community. Our practice offers ASL therapy and online therapy for Deaf people, reaching clients on a national level and serving as a trusted resource hub for culturally grounded, multicultural, and inclusive mental health care.

© 2026 Deaf Counseling Center. All rights reserved. You must credit Deaf Counseling Center when sharing or using this content.

08/21/2026

A common dynamic between hearing parents and their Deaf children can sometimes involve hearing parents becoming overprotective or too involved in their child’s life.

This is even more true when the Deaf child is DeafPlus, or has an additional disability, such as a physical impairment, DeafBlind, autism, cerebral palsy, or an intellectual or developmental disability.

Parents worry, and in their desire to keep their child safe, they can forget that they need, and benefit from, opportunities to make decisions and be in charge of their own lives.

Thank you, Shannen, for this encouraging message to DeafPlus adults.



TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR COUNSELING AND THERAPY SERVICES: https://www.deafcounseling.com

Est. 2001. Deaf Women Owned. Over 25 years in business. 35+ years of Experience. Deaf Counseling Center provides both online (videophone, web-based, online, and virtual, e-therapy, telemental health) and in-office therapy to Deaf clients on a national basis.

Board-certified Telemental Health (BC-TMH). HIPAA Compliant. 100% Private. Inbox us for more information.

______________________
Start today! www.deafcounseling.com
Disclaimer: This space is for education and reflection, not a replacement for therapy or professional care. You may want to consider diagnosis and treatment of your symptoms with a licensed professional counselor. Feel free to contact us to be connected to one of our therapists.

NOTE: We use the word “Deaf” as an INCLUSIVE term for all Deaf, hard of hearing, DeafBlind, DeafPlus, late-deafened, oral Deaf, ASL users, CI users, and other identities.

We provide Deaf therapy led by fully licensed Deaf therapists, psychologists, counselors, and social workers with more than 35+ years of experience serving the Deaf community.

© 2026 Deaf Counseling Center. All rights reserved. You must credit Deaf Counseling Center when sharing or using this content.

08/14/2026

Kinda chic to work with Deaf Counseling Center therapists.

There’s something different about therapy when you don’t have to explain the Deaf part first.

ASL, Deaf culture, family stuff, hearing world exhaustion, all the things that are hard to put into words and really shouldn’t need a whole backstory before you can get to the actual therapy work.

Sometimes being understood before you explain is part of the healing.



TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR COUNSELING AND THERAPY SERVICES: https://www.deafcounseling.com

Est. 2001. Deaf Women Owned. Over 25 years in business. 35+ years of Experience. Deaf Counseling Center provides both online (videophone, web-based, online, and virtual, e-therapy, telemental health) and in-office therapy to Deaf clients on a national basis.

Board-certified Telemental Health (BC-TMH). HIPAA Compliant. 100% Private. Inbox us for more information.

______________________
Start today! www.deafcounseling.com
Disclaimer: This space is for education and reflection, not a replacement for therapy or professional care. You may want to consider diagnosis and treatment of your symptoms with a licensed professional counselor. Feel free to contact us to be connected to one of our therapists.

NOTE: We use the word “Deaf” as an INCLUSIVE term for all Deaf, hard of hearing, DeafBlind, DeafPlus, late-deafened, oral Deaf, ASL users, CI users, and other identities.

We provide Deaf therapy led by fully licensed Deaf therapists, psychologists, counselors, and social workers with more than 35+ years of experience serving the Deaf community. Our practice offers ASL therapy and online therapy for Deaf people, reaching clients on a national level and serving as a trusted resource hub for culturally grounded, multicultural, and inclusive mental health care.

© 2026 Deaf Counseling Center. All rights reserved. You must credit Deaf Counseling Center when sharing or using this content.

08/11/2026

We usually think of stimming as something that only people on the autism spectrum do, such as rocking their bodies back and forth, flapping their hands, or repeating words.

But stimming is actually something that we all do to an extent - think twirling your hair, doodling, bouncing your leg, or fiddling with a pen between your fingers.

Thank you, Patty, for this positive explanation on how stimming works and the information we can learn from it.



TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR COUNSELING AND THERAPY SERVICES: https://www.deafcounseling.com

Est. 2001. Deaf Women Owned. Over 25 years in business. 35+ years of Experience. Deaf Counseling Center provides both online (videophone, web-based, online, and virtual, e-therapy, telemental health) and in-office therapy to Deaf clients on a national basis.

Board-certified Telemental Health (BC-TMH). HIPAA Compliant. 100% Private. Inbox us for more information.

______________________
Start today! www.deafcounseling.com
Disclaimer: This space is for education and reflection, not a replacement for therapy or professional care. You may want to consider diagnosis and treatment of your symptoms with a licensed professional counselor. Feel free to contact us to be connected to one of our therapists.

NOTE: We use the word “Deaf” as an INCLUSIVE term for all Deaf, hard of hearing, DeafBlind, DeafPlus, late-deafened, oral Deaf, ASL users, CI users, and other identities.

We provide Deaf therapy led by fully licensed Deaf therapists, psychologists, counselors, and social workers with more than 35+ years of experience serving the Deaf community.

© 2026 Deaf Counseling Center. All rights reserved. You must credit Deaf Counseling Center when sharing or using this content.

08/07/2026

Sign it LOUD and clear:

ASL Access = Better Mental Health!

The data is in. Deaf children whose families sign are in much better mental health shape than those whose families don’t sign.

Thank you, Kimberly, for spreading the message.



TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR COUNSELING AND THERAPY SERVICES: https://www.deafcounseling.com

Est. 2001. Deaf Women Owned. Over 25 years in business. 35+ years of Experience. Deaf Counseling Center provides both online (videophone, web-based, online, and virtual, e-therapy, telemental health) and in-office therapy to Deaf clients on a national basis.

Board-certified Telemental Health (BC-TMH). HIPAA Compliant. 100% Private. Inbox us for more information.

______________________
Start today! www.deafcounseling.com
Disclaimer: This space is for education and reflection, not a replacement for therapy or professional care. You may want to consider diagnosis and treatment of your symptoms with a licensed professional counselor. Feel free to contact us to be connected to one of our therapists.

NOTE: We use the word “Deaf” as an INCLUSIVE term for all Deaf, hard of hearing, DeafBlind, DeafPlus, late-deafened, oral Deaf, ASL users, CI users, and other identities.

We provide Deaf therapy led by fully licensed Deaf therapists, psychologists, counselors, and social workers with more than 35+ years of experience serving the Deaf community. Our practice offers ASL therapy and online therapy for Deaf people, reaching clients on a national level and serving as a trusted resource hub for culturally grounded, multicultural, and inclusive mental health care.

© 2026 Deaf Counseling Center. All rights reserved. You must credit Deaf Counseling Center when sharing or using this content.

08/01/2026

Friendship Anxiety can lead to Friendship Masking.

Healthy friendships never force you to lose or hide parts of yourself just to keep the friendship. If you find yourself experiencing people-pleasing behaviors, conflict avoidance, or faking agreement, you might be masking too hard.

Deaf Counseling Center therapist, Sheli, explains the concept.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR COUNSELING AND THERAPY SERVICES: https://www.deafcounseling.com

Est. 2001. Deaf Women Owned. Over 25 years in business. 35+ years of Experience. Deaf Counseling Center provides both online (videophone, web-based, online, and virtual, e-therapy, telemental health) and in-office therapy to Deaf clients on a national basis.

Board-certified Telemental Health (BC-TMH). HIPAA Compliant. 100% Private. Inbox us for more information.

______________________
Start today! www.deafcounseling.com
Disclaimer: This space is for education and reflection, not a replacement for therapy or professional care. You may want to consider diagnosis and treatment of your symptoms with a licensed professional counselor. Feel free to contact us to be connected to one of our therapists.

NOTE: We use the word “Deaf” as an INCLUSIVE term for all Deaf, hard of hearing, DeafBlind, DeafPlus, late-deafened, oral Deaf, ASL users, CI users, and other identities.

We provide Deaf therapy led by fully licensed Deaf therapists, psychologists, counselors, and social workers with more than 35+ years of experience serving the Deaf community. Our practice offers ASL therapy and online therapy for Deaf people, reaching clients on a national level and serving as a trusted resource hub for culturally grounded, multicultural, and inclusive mental health care.

© 2026 Deaf Counseling Center. All rights reserved. You must credit Deaf Counseling Center when sharing or using this content.

07/24/2026

Reposting, because we can always use a helpful reminder when choosing our words. 💚

When someone dies, most of us struggle to find the “right” words to say to the grieving family, because we so desperately want to offer even the tiniest bit of comfort.

We worry about saying the wrong thing, so we overthink every sentence or sometimes even say nothing at all.

In all truth, there are no perfect words, but there are words that can comfort and words that can unintentionally wound. You don’t have to fix someone’s grief or make it make sense.

Simply showing up, acknowledging their loss, and letting them know they’re not alone often means far more than finding the “perfect” thing to say.



TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR COUNSELING AND THERAPY SERVICES: https://www.deafcounseling.com

Est. 2001. Deaf Women Owned. Over 25 years in business. 35+ years of Experience. Deaf Counseling Center provides both online (videophone, web-based, online, and virtual, e-therapy, telemental health) and in-office therapy to Deaf clients on a national basis.

Board-certified Telemental Health (BC-TMH). HIPAA Compliant. 100% Private. Inbox us for more information.

______________________
Start today! www.deafcounseling.com
Disclaimer: This space is for education and reflection, not a replacement for therapy or professional care. You may want to consider diagnosis and treatment of your symptoms with a licensed professional counselor. Feel free to contact us to be connected to one of our therapists.

NOTE: We use the word “Deaf” as an INCLUSIVE term for all Deaf, hard of hearing, DeafBlind, DeafPlus, late-deafened, oral Deaf, ASL users, CI users, and other identities.

We provide Deaf therapy led by fully licensed Deaf therapists, psychologists, counselors, and social workers with more than 35+ years of experience serving the Deaf community.

© 2026 Deaf Counseling Center. All rights reserved. You must credit Deaf Counseling Center when sharing or using this content.

07/23/2026

Survivor’s guilt describes the feeling that because you’ve survived, recovered, or moved forward from a traumatic event, you don’t deserve to be okay, when someone else couldn’t be okay.

It often shows up as guilt, self-blame, or feeling responsible for things that happened that were beyond your control, or the result of a mistake that you would do anything to undo.

Healing doesn’t mean what happened mattered less. It means learning, with time and compassion, that you are allowed to keep living even while you carry the hurt.

Survivors carry a weight that most people will never understand. Compassion will always do more than criticism or judgment.

Deaf Counseling Center therapist, Kimberly, discusses survivor’s guilt and ways of dealing with it.



TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR COUNSELING AND THERAPY SERVICES: https://www.deafcounseling.com

Est. 2001. Deaf Women Owned. Over 25 years in business. 35+ years of Experience. Deaf Counseling Center provides both online (videophone, web-based, online, and virtual, e-therapy, telemental health) and in-office therapy to Deaf clients on a national basis.

Board-certified Telemental Health (BC-TMH). HIPAA Compliant. 100% Private. Inbox us for more information.

______________________
Start today! www.deafcounseling.com
Disclaimer: This space is for education and reflection, not a replacement for therapy or professional care. You may want to consider diagnosis and treatment of your symptoms with a licensed professional counselor. Feel free to contact us to be connected to one of our therapists.

NOTE: We use the word “Deaf” as an INCLUSIVE term for all Deaf, hard of hearing, DeafBlind, DeafPlus, late-deafened, oral Deaf, ASL users, CI users, and other identities.

We provide Deaf therapy led by fully licensed Deaf therapists, psychologists, counselors, and social workers with more than 35+ years of experience serving the Deaf community.

© 2026 Deaf Counseling Center. All rights reserved. You must credit Deaf Counseling Center when sharing or using this content.

07/22/2026

Our Deaf community has experienced several heartbreaking losses in recent weeks: unexpected and too-soon passings.

While today’s tribute honors Kaylee, a public figure, we also remember every Deaf community member whose passing has touched family, friends, classmates, coworkers, and neighbors.

Every loss matters. Every life matters.

May we continue to lift each other up, with kindness, patience, and support.

Take time to check in on one another. ❤️



TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR COUNSELING AND THERAPY SERVICES: https://www.deafcounseling.com

Est. 2001. Deaf Women Owned. Over 25 years in business. 35+ years of Experience. Deaf Counseling Center provides both online (videophone, web-based, online, and virtual, e-therapy, telemental health) and in-office therapy to Deaf clients on a national basis.

Board-certified Telemental Health (BC-TMH). HIPAA Compliant. 100% Private. Inbox us for more information.

______________________
Start today! www.deafcounseling.com
Disclaimer: This space is for education and reflection, not a replacement for therapy or professional care. You may want to consider diagnosis and treatment of your symptoms with a licensed professional counselor. Feel free to contact us to be connected to one of our therapists.

NOTE: We use the word “Deaf” as an INCLUSIVE term for all Deaf, hard of hearing, DeafBlind, DeafPlus, late-deafened, oral Deaf, ASL users, CI users, and other identities.

We provide Deaf therapy led by fully licensed Deaf therapists, psychologists, counselors, and social workers with more than 35+ years of experience serving the Deaf community. Our practice offers ASL therapy and online therapy for Deaf people, reaching clients on a national level and serving as a trusted resource hub for culturally grounded, multicultural, and inclusive mental health care.

© 2026 Deaf Counseling Center. All rights reserved. You must credit Deaf Counseling Center when sharing or using this content.