Beyond the language barrier: Recommendations for working with interpreters in individual psychotherapy.

Abstract

The use of interpreters in health care settings is associated with improved clinical care for patients. Interpreters may also be helpful in psychotherapy sessions, as they improve communication between the psychologist and patient and may also serve as cultural brokers when appropriate. There are clear guidelines for best practices in the use of interpreters in medical settings but comparatively little guidance on the use of interpreters in the therapy setting. A creation of guidelines is warranted, as therapy sessions differ from traditional medical appointments in the length of session, discussion of intensely emotional matters, and preferably the use of the same interpreter across sessions. However, there are several challenges to using interpreters in the unique therapy setting, specifically: the potential for a dual relationship, transitioning from a dyadic to a triadic relationship, professional burnout in interpreters, potential lack of psychologist cultural knowledge, and unique considerations for termination. This paper discusses each of these challenges in turn and provides proposed solutions. Through addressing these difficulties, we hope to foster more purposeful collaboration between psychologists and interpreters, resulting in improved treatment outcomes for patients, increased patient satisfaction, and a sense of well-being for both psychologists and interpreters. Public Significance StatementThis paper addresses several challenges that may occur when collaborating with interpreters in the practice of psychotherapy. The examination of specific problems is followed by proposed solutions in order to promote effective practice that may lead to improved outcomes for the patient, interpreter, and psychologist.

Interpreter perspectives on working with trauma patients: Challenges and recommendations to improve access to care.

“…Interpreters in this study expressed a desire to manage vicarious trauma with the help of therapists at the trauma clinic and with peer support. The literature on vicarious trauma promotes engagement in self-care strategies, including personal therapy, supervision, and peer support, to prevent burnout, but these kinds of standard resources for clinicians are not always available for interpreters (Martin et al, 2020). Anderson (2011) developed the Peer Support and Consultation Project for Interpreters (PSCPI), a model to provide monthly peer support and consultation meetings for a group of certified sign-language interpreters.…”

“…Some general mental health recommendations appear relevant to managing the vicarious trauma of interpreters. For example, Martin et al (2020) provide a list of helpful recommendations for psychologists working with interpreters, one of which addresses secondary trauma experienced by interpreters. However, proposed solutions to this challenge only consisted of conducting debriefing sessions to inquire about their reactions to the session and determine whether they should refer an interpreter to seek their own treatment.…”

A comparison of interpreters’ wellbeing and work-related characteristics in the care of refugees across different work settings

“…Indeed, in previous research, seeing traumatized clients recover was often reported as rewarding in the context of interpreting in a therapy setting (e.g., [ 2 , 22 ]) and as eliciting positive feelings such as a sense of growth, hope and inspiration [ 8 ]. Besides witnessing the course of treatment and probably also the recovery process, another reason for the lower level of psychological distress in the psychotherapy setting may be that interpreters are assigned to a case or a psychotherapist who is fully responsible for long-term treatment [ 10 , 32 , 33 ]. This may help to establish a solid and trustful working relationship within the triad and therefore reduce distress.…”

“…Closely related to the psychotherapy setting is psychosocial counselling which will be referred to as counselling from now on. While interpreters in psychotherapy are typically assigned to a specific case and therefore regularly see both the client and the practitioner (e.g., a psychotherapist) multiple times [ 10 ], counselling sessions are often described as brief interventions with few appointments, which aim to support a client in dealing with a specific problem [ 11 ]. Only a small number of studies have focused on interpreters solely in a counselling setting [ 12 , 13 ], reporting similar experiences to those found for psychotherapy, such as an emotional impact on interpreters due to the clients’ traumatic experiences [ 13 ].…”

Difficult to reach mentally ill people and their psychotherapeutic supply. Chances for psychotherapy training in reducing barriers to outpatient psychotherapy for hard-to-reach clients

“…Vor allem ist dies bei schwierigen Themen notwendig, bei denen ansonsten wichtige Details verloren gehen oder nicht ausgedrückt werden können (Bierwirth und Amadou 2013). Im medizinischen Bereich gibt es zum Einsatz von Sprachmittler:innen klare Regeln, während im Setting der Psychotherapie bislang nur wenige Richtlinien zum Einsatz solcher bestehen (Martin et al 2020). Zudem besteht kein Standardverfahren, das bei Verständigungsproblemen eingesetzt wird (Kluge 2017).…”