Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, visitation restrictions were imposed even in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), where parents and children are separated immediately after birth. In this study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with mothers who were separated from their babies for prolonged periods to investigate the motherhood process of mothers who experienced visitation restrictions and related social factors. The trajectory equifinality model (TEM) was used to identify the process by which a woman acknowledges motherhood, which is as follows: “Guilt and an awareness of motherhood as a result of contact with one’s baby,” “The loneliness of separation and convincing oneself,” “The joy of being reunited with one’s baby,” “Increased psychological distance from one’s baby due to separation,” and “A growing awareness of motherhood as a result of spending time with one’s baby.” As a social force that contributed to this process, separation due to visitation restrictions served as a restraining force, sometimes hampering a woman’s feeling that she was the mother of her baby. Even after she was reunited with her baby, the experience of past separation acted as a restraining force. However, in the time that she spent with her baby, the presence of the baby became a facilitating force that made the women aware of motherhood. At the same time, other processes were also at work. After the baby was discharged from the hospital, the mother felt that she did not understand her baby and she lost confidence as a parent. Therefore, further research on this subject needs to be conducted.

　　This article presents a theory on effective psycho-social support for individuals who use sign language as their first language and who experience difficulties communicating with people who primarily use spoken language. The problems faced by deaf clients when communicating with users of spoken language and solutions to those problems have not yet been identified. Moreover, circular questions for clients who use sign language and who face difficult situations involving spoken language and sign language have not yet been discussed.

　　This theoretical research was conducted based on pragmatic communication and the theory of CMM. The process by which three types of linguistic information (linguistic, paralinguistic and non-linguistic information) deviates for individuals who use sign language is explained and a problem-solving approach using circular questions is described.

　　The client was encouraged to describe the sequence of speaking with others. The therapist used descriptive circular questions to transform the act of speaking. Reflexive questions were used, with the therapist encouraging the client to construct the meaning of the act of speaking, constituting a novel use of Tomm’s circular questions.

　　Results indicated difficulties due to deficits in both auditory and visual-linguistic and paralinguistic information. These deficits led to immediate difficulties in the client’s construction of meaning. To address this, the client was encouraged to separately describe the specific act of speaking (both by herself and by the other person) and three types of linguistic information. This unique tracking method helped the client arrive at an appropriate solution to the act of speaking.

　　In conclusion, the theoretical framework of using three types of linguistic information was useful at assessing and transforming the client’s challenges. Circular questions can be used to specify ways individuals who use sign language can solve their problems when communicating with people who use spoken language.

　　The family structure during adolescence, when various life events occur, is a major factor affecting stress in children. The current study focused on resilience as a psychological characteristic related to stress. Specifically, this study examined the relationship between the family structure of adolescents and four aspects of resilience, which consist of (1) understanding of one’s personal resources, (2) utilization of those personal resources, (3) understanding of environmental resources, and (4) utilization of those environmental resources. One hundred and twenty-nine university students were surveyed, and differences in these aspects of resilience were examined using multivariate analysis of variance for each family structure cluster. Results indicated that compared to other family structures, there were significant differences in the adolescents’ perception of environmental resources and utilization of environmental resources in a family structure with a medium degree of cohesion and in an open family structure. Results revealed that both the bilateral parent-child relationship and also the tripartite family structure involving the father, mother, and child are related to the adolescents’ understanding and utilization of environmental resources for resilience, and results suggested that interventions from the perspective of family structure may be effective ways to encourage those aspects of resilience.