2024 Volume 33 Issue 1 Pages 1-17
This study explored the effectiveness of sign language gaze skills in resolving interpersonal issues between deaf individuals and those without hearing loss. The gaze of sign language is categorized into para-linguistic, non-linguistic, and linguistic information. In the current study, sign language skills were discussed from a pragmatic perspective in the therapy sessions. Generative systems theory served as a foundational theory for solving interpersonal problems with deaf individuals. Data from interview sessions of a particular case were transcribed for analysis. An interpersonal problem between a deaf client, who initially did not use sign language due to drastic changes in her interpersonal relationships, and an individual without hearing loss was identified as a process of decreasing differences in the meaning of speech acts. To address this issue, a counselor conducted a session using the client’s sign language gaze as linguistic information. Additionally, circular interviewing techniques (Tomm 1985) were employed. The session helped to restore the client’s sign language usage and resolve their interpersonal issues by introducing subtle differences in communication through the counselor’s use of sign language gaze and circular question techniques. These findings suggest that sign language gaze is a necessary skill among counselors, enabling them to help deaf individuals by introducing subtle changes in communication to resolve interpersonal problems effectively.
