Transcultural Psychotherapy with Cambodian Refugees in Paris

Rechtman, Richard

doi:10.1177/136346159703400305

Cited by 15 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…Nightmares and khmoc encounters are also typical Cambodian idioms of distress (Ang, 1980;Eisenbruch, 1991;Rechtman, 1993Rechtman, , 1997.…”

Section: The Cultural and Family Explanationsmentioning

confidence: 98%

Stories of Trauma and Idioms of Distress: From Cultural Narratives to Clinical Assessment

Rechtman

2000

Transcult Psychiatry

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In the case of long-term major traumatic events such as the Cambodian tragedy there is a close relationship between the individual's clinical history and the collective history of his/her ethnic group. Most of the refugees who have survived a given historical event share the same history with nearly the same trauma, the same loss, the same flight to escape, the same difficult resettlement and so on. However, even if refugees have lived the same events, this does not mean that they have experienced the same trauma. Both trauma and culture shape human experience and may give the illusion of a common destiny that would flatten out varying individual fates, whereas in fact different destinies are contingently linked together. These questions pose a challenge to clinicians' knowledge of the relationship between trauma, culture and subjectivity and of course they challenge the concept of post-traumatic stress disorder as well. While knowledge of cultural differences is essential for clinicians, it is equally essential to be aware of how the individual's psyche may find hidden paths within the constraints imposed by culture, or even by trauma itself. To illustrate this issue, the article focuses on the case study of a Cambodian refugee to France.

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“…Nightmares and khmoc encounters are also typical Cambodian idioms of distress (Ang, 1980;Eisenbruch, 1991;Rechtman, 1993Rechtman, , 1997.…”

Section: The Cultural and Family Explanationsmentioning

confidence: 98%

Stories of Trauma and Idioms of Distress: From Cultural Narratives to Clinical Assessment

Rechtman

2000

Transcult Psychiatry

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“…Furthermore, if the interpreter is supposed to be both ‘of the world’ of the client and the therapist, then they run the risk of diluting the client’s explanatory model when trying to make it appropriate to that of the therapist (Rechtman, 1997, p. 365). If the interpreter is to (a) try to identify with the client on a cultural level (muddy waters if we problematise the notion of ‘culture’) and (b) decide which of the client’s expressions require additional explanation, their power and responsibilities in the therapeutic triad will manifestly increase (Baker-Shenk, 1986).…”

Section: The Role Of the Interpretermentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The transference and countertransference in interpreter-assisted therapy need not be a hindrance to the success of the therapeutic work: as Rechtman (1997) notes, therapists would do well to ‘allow the client to converse freely with whoever they want – clinician or interpreter – as the transference in either relationship will be important’ (p. 363). Thus, the personality and interpersonal style of the interpreter – and the transference this evokes from the client – can provide important insights into the client’s way of relating.…”

Section: Conditions For Therapeutic Change: the Role Of The Therapistmentioning

confidence: 99%

Psychotherapy with a language interpreter: considerations and cautions for practice

Hunt

Swartz

2016

South African Journal of Psychology

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We examine the extent to which psychotherapy can be successfully conducted with the aid of an interpreter. We propose that, even if we assume idealistic levels of training on the part of the interpreter and the therapist, and openness on the part of the client, there are still many challenges inherent in interpreter-assisted therapy. We focus on some of the characteristics common to client experiences of effective psychotherapy, as well as the characteristics and habits of effective therapists, and show how the insertion of an interpreter into the therapeutic relationship could affect both. Where the literature provides, we also note steps which could be taken to minimise the harmful impacts and maximise the positive contributions which the therapist–interpreter–client dynamic could yield. In South Africa, where informal interpreters play the invaluable role of facilitating essential communication between psychotherapists and their clients, it is imperative that informal interpreters, and clinicians working with interpreters, are aware of some of the complex issues at play in interpreted interactions. The issue of interpreting in mental health care is commonly addressed only in regard to the question of the competence of interpreters; we suggest that attitudinal and skill issues are equally important for clinicians. We conclude that successful therapy with an interpreter necessitates a consideration of the dynamic interaction between all parties involved.

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“…Consultations with a specialized ethnopsychiatric team create a transitional space where the clinician's interventions mediate the collective symbolic worlds ofthe immigrant's country of origin and of France (55). New models of service are being developed beyond such highly specialized ethnopsychiatric clinics (56). However, recent challenges to the republican model by North African and other immigrant groups who have experienced economic marginalization and racism have yet to be adequately reflected in general models of care.…”

Section: Models Of Mental Health Care For Multicultural Societiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Future of Cultural Psychiatry: An International Perspective

2000

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Cultural psychiatry has evolved along 3 lines: 1) cross-cultural comparative studies of psychiatric disorders and traditional healing; 2) efforts to respond to the mental health needs of culturally diverse populations that include indigenous peoples, immigrants, and refugees; and 3) the ethnographic study of psychiatry itself as the product of a specific cultural history. These studies make it clear that culture is fundamental both to the causes and course of psychopathology and also to the effectiveness of systems of healing. The provision of mental health services in multicultural societies has followed different models that reflect their specific histories of migration and ideologies of citizenship. Globalization has influenced psychiatry through socioeconomic effects on the prevalence and course of mental disorders, changing notions of ethnocultural identity, and the production of psychiatric knowledge. A cultural perspective can help clinicians and researchers become aware of the hidden assumptions and limitations of current psychiatric theory and practice and can identify new approaches appropriate for treating the increasingly diverse populations seen in psychiatric services around the world.

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Transcultural Psychotherapy with Cambodian Refugees in Paris

Cited by 15 publications

References 19 publications

Stories of Trauma and Idioms of Distress: From Cultural Narratives to Clinical Assessment

Stories of Trauma and Idioms of Distress: From Cultural Narratives to Clinical Assessment

Psychotherapy with a language interpreter: considerations and cautions for practice

The Future of Cultural Psychiatry: An International Perspective

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