Interpreters in Counselling (Third person in the room)

Due to their inability to speak English fluently some clients might need the service of an interpreter during the therapy sessions. In the UK inclusion is a value in society and access to mental health services are provided equally regardless of the person’s mother tongue. I did some research and found that a whopping 100 languages are spoken in London and 7.7% of the population are non-native speakers of English in the UK so there is a real need to work with interpreters.        

Counsellors may need to work with interpreters and there might be some challenges by doing so. The BACP has published some guidelines for therapists on working with interpreters, which is available on their website free of charge. It is crucial that a qualified interpreter is used for mental health service interpreting and preferably the other language is their mother tongue. For certain clients such as refugees or asylum seekers the chance to use their mother tongue can make them feel understood. 

However, they might resist help or get anxious. There might be some challenges when using the service of an interpreter. It can create anxiety for the counsellor to have a 3rd person in the therapy room. They might feel uncomfortable or judged by being observed. Interpreters might not be available due to funding issues or other reasons. 

 

Interpreters should be familiar with the difference between the psychotherapeutic/constructionist mode when the interpreter is primarily concerned with interpreting the intended meaning and feeling-content being conveyed rather than word-for-word. On the other hand, in the cultural broker mode, the interpreter interprets not only the spoken words but also relevant cultural and contextual variables. Culture and language are in an interactive relationship with one another.

 

Non-verbal communication including facial expressions, gestures, eye contact and postures are also shaped by culture. The interpreter may be able to assist the counsellor to decode the intended message behind gestures or expressions and minimise misunderstandings. The presence of an interpreter in the session might influence the dynamics of the therapeutic encounter. Counsellors ideally should do some training course on working with interpreters before seeing a client who needs an interpreter. If this is not possible, relevant guidelines should be checked from the BACP website or these can be discussed with a more experienced colleague or supervisor. 

 

Doing a deaf awareness training course is also recommended before working with deaf clients who need a British Sign Language interpreter. 

 

Before the session min. 10 minutes should be allocated to meet the interpreter and brief them on any issues. The purpose of the meeting needs to be clarified and they need to be made aware of confidentiality and trust issues. The interpreter may experience vicarious trauma, it may be considered how to support them. They might feel helpless, angry or powerless. At the end min. 10 minutes should be allocated to debrief the interpreter after the session. 

 

All in all, establishing a good working alliance between the client, the interpreter and the counsellor is crucial. Children, family members and bilingual staff who are not professional interpreters should never be used as interpreters.