"Does God Have a Cochlear Implant?"

Abstract

This article describes psychological and ethical considerations when providing family therapy for parents considering cochlear implantation for their deaf/hard-of-hearing child. Family dynamics, multilevel criteria of informed consent, therapist bias, intervention strategies are illustrated. The clinical vignette of 8-year-old Tommy and his family is largely factual, with enough changes to disguise the participants' identities. I took more creative liberties narrating my daydream to best illustrate the relevant impacts of the pathological and culturally affirmative models.