Section 3: Feelings, identity and authenticity
Our feelings and our sense of identity and authenticity can change depending on which language we speak at any time. Multilingual people are familiar with this experience. It may even be, as it is for Cerys later in the resource, that she can only authentically express how she is feeling in her first language, Welsh. And what happens when a Welsh therapist or client doesn’t speak Welsh? Are they judged as being less authentically Welsh?
In one of the dialogues in this section a therapist slowly becomes able, after the first session, to recognise the client’s relationship with the Welsh language. The therapist isn’t sure if the client will come back for another session. But just as the therapist starts to own her initial reluctance to see the client’s hesitance, she is given an opportunity to address this with congruence and authenticity when the client comes back for another session.
In one of the dialogues in this section a therapist slowly becomes able, after the first session, to recognise the client’s relationship with the Welsh language. The therapist isn’t sure if the client will come back for another session. But just as the therapist starts to own her initial reluctance to see the client’s hesitance, she is given an opportunity to address this with congruence and authenticity when the client comes back for another session.
Listen to the course materials, and / or download the transcripts below:
Nia
This section may be used as supplementary material to Section 3 of the Multilingualism, Mental Health and Psychological Therapy course. Please see that material here.
Authenticity
This section may be used as supplementary material to Section 3 of the Multilingualism, Mental Health and Psychological Therapy course. Please see that material here.
| Authenticity |
Words
This section may be used as supplementary material to Section 6 of the Multilingualism, Mental Health and Psychological Therapy course. Please see that material here.
| Words |
Reflections
- How do you think this exchange would have enhanced the therapeutic alliance?
- How might you respond to a word that you did not understand? Can you construct some useful phrases to bring this up with your client?
Good practice
- A monolingual therapist will inevitably not know the meaning of a word from another language, but this creates an opportunity for the client to share their translation if it is useful to them for the therapist to know.
- The therapist here was intrigued about the meaning of unig and gave the decision about whether the client wanted her to know this back to the client. Sometimes our own curiosity may not be in line with what the client wants and needs.
- Monolingual therapists can create the opportunity for clients to use the language of their choice to maintain a client-centred (and not therapist-directed) position.
Next... Section 4: Connection
