Language of the Heart - a film about multilingualism, mental health and psychotherapy
Therapists and Interpreters Working Together
The number of people in Britain whose first language is not English is growing. What is the impact of this for organisations which provide mental health interventions and support?
We know that to meet our clients where they are, we need to be able to speak a common language. Where possible it may be advantageous to have access to bi- and tri- lingual clinicians so that clients can express themselves directly in their own languages. However, with the growing range of language needs, this is not always possible. Traditionally clinical work and psychotherapy is conducted between two people and the idea of incorporating a third person into the therapeutic relationship can be unsettling.
Therapists and interpreters have described situations when they have had no training in working together. They have expressed concerns and anxieties about the thought of working together or experiences they have already had. Scenarios which they have described have been incorporated into this film.
The number of people in Britain whose first language is not English is growing. What is the impact of this for organisations which provide mental health interventions and support?
We know that to meet our clients where they are, we need to be able to speak a common language. Where possible it may be advantageous to have access to bi- and tri- lingual clinicians so that clients can express themselves directly in their own languages. However, with the growing range of language needs, this is not always possible. Traditionally clinical work and psychotherapy is conducted between two people and the idea of incorporating a third person into the therapeutic relationship can be unsettling.
Therapists and interpreters have described situations when they have had no training in working together. They have expressed concerns and anxieties about the thought of working together or experiences they have already had. Scenarios which they have described have been incorporated into this film.
Interpreter-mediated couples therapy session
Supervision (online) for interpreter-mediated couples therapy session
Cross Language Couples Therapy session without an interpreter
Supervision of Interpreters
The experience of interpreters taking part in supervision.
Interpreters often hear and relay distressing and heart-rending stories. How they do so can make a critical difference to clients' lives. They manage pressure, which comes from all participants in the interpreter-mediated encounter. But they have few outlets for the emotional impact this can have on them. This is why regular clinical supervision for all interpreters who work in sensitive contexts is a necessity and not a luxury.
This film gives a space to interpreters to share their experiences of supervision groups and why they prioritise them despite many other competing claims on their time. Although it can be difficult to find the space and the time to offer this support, if interpreters are left unsupported the consequences can be burnout and disconnection. We need to support the supporters if we are to provide the best possible environments for our clients to access the help they need, to heal and to thrive.
Suggested reading about interpreting, training and supervision:
Boyles, J. (2017) Psychological therapy with torture survivors in exile; a human rights approach. PCCS Books.
Boyles, J. & Talbot, N. (2017) Working with Interpreters in Psychological Therapy. London: Routledge
Costa, B. (2011) Managing the demands of mental health interpreting: why training, supervision and support are not luxuries, ITI Bulletin, March 2011
Costa, B. (2017) Team Effort – training therapists to work with interpreters as a collaborative team International Journal for Counselling Development. 39(1): pp 1-14 · December 2016
Hetherington, A. (2012) Supervision and the interpreting profession: Support and accountability through reflective practice. International Journal of Interpreter Education.4:1, 46-57.
The experience of interpreters taking part in supervision.
Interpreters often hear and relay distressing and heart-rending stories. How they do so can make a critical difference to clients' lives. They manage pressure, which comes from all participants in the interpreter-mediated encounter. But they have few outlets for the emotional impact this can have on them. This is why regular clinical supervision for all interpreters who work in sensitive contexts is a necessity and not a luxury.
This film gives a space to interpreters to share their experiences of supervision groups and why they prioritise them despite many other competing claims on their time. Although it can be difficult to find the space and the time to offer this support, if interpreters are left unsupported the consequences can be burnout and disconnection. We need to support the supporters if we are to provide the best possible environments for our clients to access the help they need, to heal and to thrive.
Suggested reading about interpreting, training and supervision:
Boyles, J. (2017) Psychological therapy with torture survivors in exile; a human rights approach. PCCS Books.
Boyles, J. & Talbot, N. (2017) Working with Interpreters in Psychological Therapy. London: Routledge
Costa, B. (2011) Managing the demands of mental health interpreting: why training, supervision and support are not luxuries, ITI Bulletin, March 2011
Costa, B. (2017) Team Effort – training therapists to work with interpreters as a collaborative team International Journal for Counselling Development. 39(1): pp 1-14 · December 2016
Hetherington, A. (2012) Supervision and the interpreting profession: Support and accountability through reflective practice. International Journal of Interpreter Education.4:1, 46-57.
Colleagues Across Borders
In 2013 Colleagues Across Borders was set up to exchange ideas, knowledge and experience of working therapeutically with people traumatised by what war, torture and exile had thrown at them. Senior psychiatrists, psychologists, therapists and counsellors, from Mothertongue and elsewhere in the UK and New Zealand, worked pro bono via Skype, to support refugees who have trained as psychosocial workers in Refugee Support NGOs in refugee camps and urban settings in the Middle East. These psychosocial workers support asylum seekers and refugees locally with desperate situations.
In 2013 Colleagues Across Borders was set up to exchange ideas, knowledge and experience of working therapeutically with people traumatised by what war, torture and exile had thrown at them. Senior psychiatrists, psychologists, therapists and counsellors, from Mothertongue and elsewhere in the UK and New Zealand, worked pro bono via Skype, to support refugees who have trained as psychosocial workers in Refugee Support NGOs in refugee camps and urban settings in the Middle East. These psychosocial workers support asylum seekers and refugees locally with desperate situations.
Support for children using their interpreting skills
The aim of this film is to offer professionals some tips on how they can best support a child who is helping with the languages spoken in a meeting. By making the meetings a positive experience, children can feel proud of their language skills and of their supportive role to others. It can, however, be easy to forget that the child is not a trained professional interpreter who is able to take on all the information they receive and relay this to the different participants. Although supporting with languages can be a positive experience for the child, it can also cause stress. The film provides an opportunity for professionals to think about these factors when a child is using their interpreting skills for a parent or a family member.
Multilingualism and Therapy paper (Costa & Dewaele, 2013)
Winner of the 2013 British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy Equality and Diversity Research Award
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My Languages Matter – needs of multilingual children in care and their families
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In Other Words - First anthology of interpreters’ stories
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In More Words - Second international anthology of interpreters' stories
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