Role Relations in Interpreter-Assisted Psychotherapy

Many therapists still react with scepticism and reservations to the use of interpreters in psychotherapy. Doubts about the correctness of the translation are often cited as the first obstacle to cooperation. As justified and important as the requirement of a correct linguistic transmission is – the difficulty seems to lie more often in the act of relinquishing control. And even among interpreters there are often still inhibitions and uncertainties about working with therapists. Often these are based on a lack of knowledge about mental illness and treatment methods, so that the work context is not always easy for them to assess. How can a sustainable, trusting therapeutic relationship be built up and made use of? Guidelines developed from practical experience are presented on how to deal with each other when working in threesomes. These are based on a clear distribution of roles.