American Journal of Orthopsychiatry
Volume 75, Issue 1, 2005, Pages 27-39

The role of interpreters in psychotherapy with refugees: An exploratory study (Article)

Miller K.E.* , Martell Z.L. , Pazdirek L. , Caruth M. , Lopez D.
  • a San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA, United States, Department of Psychology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA, United States, Department of Psychology, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94132, United States
  • b San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA, United States, Department of Psychology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA, United States
  • c San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA, United States, Department of Psychology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA, United States
  • d San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA, United States, Department of Psychology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA, United States
  • e San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA, United States, Department of Psychology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA, United States

Abstract

Findings are presented from a narrative study that examined the use of interpreters in psychotherapy with refugees. Fifteen therapists and 15 interpreters were interviewed at 14 refugee mental health treatment centers in the United States. Core findings concerned the impact of interpreters on the therapeutic alliance, the complex emotional reactions that may arise within the therapy triad, the effects of interpreting on interpreters' own well-being, the multiple roles that interpreters play in addition to translating language, and the training and supervision needs of interpreters and of therapists who work with them. Implications of these findings for agencies that use interpreters in their clinical work with refugees are considered, and specific recommendations are made concerning the hiring, training, and support of interpreting staff.

Author Keywords

[No Keywords available]

Index Keywords

doctor patient relation training refugee Therapeutic Alliance human wellbeing Refugees affect language psychosocial care psychotherapy United States Humans male female Reproducibility of Results Article emotion adult Translating interpreter Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic normal human employment mental health center
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-13844309816&doi=10.1037%2f0002-9432.75.1.27&partnerID=40&md5=f4c52efd0a313ba8c9af7c21cf35f856
DOI: 10.1037/0002-9432.75.1.27
ISSN: 00029432
Cited by: 95
Original Language: English