Therapeutic Mother Tongue and its Implications on the Work of Polyglot Psychotherapists

Abstract

Psychodynamic psychotherapy occurs in the lingual field. At its core, the “talking cure” uses the power of words to transform the psyche. Questions arise when the psychologist using language as a central means for therapy is a foreign-language speaker. Research and personal contributions of polyglot therapists in recent years show, that practicing psychotherapy in foreign languages effects the therapist’s work on many levels; technical aspects, the therapist’s self-perception and role, the therapeutic relationship, therapist’s experience and understanding of language as an element in therapy, and more. The present study interviewed nine polyglot therapists in different stages of their career using diverse and different languages in their practice. Analysis of the data in the context of Winnicott’s construct of potential space (Winnicott, 1971) and current linguistics theories regarding language embodiment (Pavlenko, 2005) brought about the suggestion of the concept of Therapeutic Mother Tongue, that refers to the language of training. Therapists’ experience of Therapeutic Mother Tongue and other languages are explored.

Expression and interpretation of emotions in multilingual psychotherapy: A literature review

“…In terms of methodology, four (Burck, 2011; Gulina & Dobrolioubova, 2018; Or‐Gordon, 2021; Verkerk et al, 2021) of the eight studies in this subsection applied qualitative methods in their research, one (Dewaele & Costa, 2013) used quantitative methods, two (Costa & Dewaele, 2012; Rolland et al, 2017) chose a mixed methods approach, and one (Santin, 2018) was a reflective paper. All of the studies are set in the psychotherapeutic environment.…”

“…Among other functions of a mostly larger emotional distance in LX than in L1, the same study by Gulina and Dobrolioubova (2018) gave an example of emotional alienation in LX on the side of the therapist, which was not considered to be positive. However, according to Or‐Gordon (2021), some participants may feel emotionally closer to their LX than L1, in which case emotional alienation can be felt towards L1. One therapist in the sample of this study remarked that they felt “more emotional and spontaneous” when speaking in LX with clients (p. 16).…”

“…A curious finding in the study by Verkerk et al (2021) is that some participants (therapists) did not have to understand their client's language, since their emotional expression was clear enough. Generally, in more recent studies (e.g., Or‐Gordon, 2021), the fluidity of the concept of emotional closeness to L1/LX is evident. In the context of multilingual psychotherapy, results show that LX can become a more emotionally close language, which may be useful to know when working with multilingual clients.…”

‘My recovery is in English’: Clients' language choices in multilingual psychotherapy

“…Emotions and multiple languages in a therapeutic setting have been mostly studied from the point of view of therapists (e.g., Gulina & Dobrolioubova, 2018;Or-Gordon, 2021), with only a little research on clients' views and perceptions (e.g., Costa & Dewaele, 2012). In accordance with the findings of these studies, along with a recent review by Verkerk et al (2023), one of the main subjects in the area of multilingual psychotherapy remains code-switching, followed by emotional charge of L1/LX, and the influence of L1/LX on a person's sense of self.…”

Is a foreign accent a sign of bravery?

“…As a child and adolescent psychiatrist with a foreign accent, I am also interested in how this may impact the therapeutic relationship. The concept of the therapeutic mother tongue emphasizes the importance of examining language and its expression for both the polyglot patient and for the polyglot therapist (Or‐Gordon et al, 2021). This concept also addresses the expression of emotion in the native language and what language means to the dynamics.…”