In episode 64 of the Counselling Tutor Podcast, Ken Kelly and Rory Lees-Oakes discuss what to do when a client uses language that you might be uncomfortable with or not understand. Findings from the present study suggest that clients may switch languages for several different reasons. In addition to asking clients about their preferences for using a particular language in session, discussing potential benefits and limitations of bilingual counseling may be helpful during the initial phase of counseling. Although the participants in Vaquero and Williams (2019) were seasoned professionals who had worked with bilingual families for an average of 15 years, they recognized the challenge of switching languages without excluding a particular family member. Some of the participants believed that the shared identity of being bilingual fostered therapeutic relationships with clients. Could you please provide he free PDFs. Failing to make eye contact. Originally conceptualized as . We are in a cultural moment where it is okay to talk about being in therapy. With this in mind, this systematic analysis of existing literature on bilingual counseling suggests that very few studies have examined the experiences of linguistically diverse clients in counseling settings. Lambert, M. J., & Shimokawa, K. (2011). Active Listening: The Art of Empathetic Conversation. Nonverbal communication factors to consider include: As with any skill, reflection and practice are valuable tools for improving communication in therapy and counseling. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 42(1), 5564. Was it the topic, the words, or just a feeling it [], Are you a good listener? All of your nonverbal behaviorsthe gestures you make, your . endobj Five sayings therapists use all the time and what they actually mean: "This is all part of the process.". Language is the easiest source of dual communication. In this study, Rolland et al. Such training curricula should address the effectiveness of evidence-based approaches to providing interpreter-mediated counseling services (Mirza et al., 2017). <>20]/P 23 0 R/Pg 38 0 R/S/Link>> What may seem like a simple concept to a trained professional can be an utterly confusing ideal for a client. What was memorable about it? The present review is organized into three areas: client perspectives, counselor perspectives, and training and supervision. In addition to paying close attention to and comprehending their client, it is therefore vital that therapists consider what they say based on the understanding received. The site is requesting payment of $17. Results revealed that participants were more likely to engage in emotional disclosures in the language-switching conditions than the participants in the English-only settings (Ramos-Snchez, 2007). Exploring the themes related to the rupture can help uncover more general problems, issues, and concerns. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6427.2004.00288.x, Atkinson, D. R., Poston, W. C., Furlong, M. J., & Mercado, P. (1989). Furthermore, some counselors may have an opportunity to offer counseling services to clients in collaboration with an interpreter. 2023 PositivePsychology.com B.V. In addition to Nguyen and Santiago-Rivera et al., Johal (2017) and Trepal et al. The Family Journal, 23(1), 1317. Reflecting on verbal and nonverbal communication can help us remove misunderstandings while clarifying the needs and meaning behind clients actions and identifying the changes they wish to make and the goals they want to set. In 2004, Fuertes published a review of the existing literature on this topic and conceptualized bilingual counseling as a special form of counseling (p. 85). 6 0 obj also noted that some counseling interns in their study might have experienced increased anxiety for not only practicing counseling for the first time but having to do so in a bilingual setting. Nonverbal factors add to verbal communication by improving its accuracy and efficiency. Gallardo-Cooper, M. (2008). Reflect on a recent session with a client and consider the following: Good communication is essential to the process and outcome of therapy and counseling, and we have many resources that will help. Its ingrained in us from the moment we step into graduate school. These counselors noted that caregivers spoke with their children in Spanish to communicate their affection, whereas English was often used to discipline children. https://doi.org/10.1080/00377317.2013.747396, Mirza, M., Harrison, E. A., Chang, H.-C., Salo, C. D., & Birman, D. (2017). Multiculturalism, diversity, and cultural competency are currently hot and important topics for mental health professionals (Pistole 2004, Whaley & Davis 2007). Our apologies for the confusion! 6163. Therefore, framing bilingualism as a clients strength rather than deficiency or barrier (Santiago-Rivera & Altarriba, 2002) is crucial in fostering a genuine rapport with the client. (2009) indicated that SpanishEnglish-speaking bilingual counselors in their study switched from English to Spanish in order to establish a strong rapport with clients, engage or redirect clients in session, facilitate a clients self-reflection and emotional expression, or foster self-awareness. With that in mind, mental health professionals must care about whatthey and the client say and how they say it (Wachtel, 2011). Such connections build on effective communication: what we express and how we express it (Wachtel, 2011). https://doi.org/10.1080/14790718.2017.1259009, Santiago-Rivera, A. L., & Altarriba, J. Fifteen empirical articles were included in this study. Two counselor educators formed a research team for this study. Language is a complex system of symbols; it is the source of human thoughts. The authors reported no conflict of interest Whitney Goodman, LMFT, is a writer and licensed psychotherapist working with high conflict couples and individuals impacted by chronic illness in Miami, FL. According to Verdinelli and Biever (2009), some participants believed that clients switched languages to avoid engaging in a deeper level of self-exploration. https://doi.org/10.1037/lat0000115, Verdinelli, S., & Biever, J. L. (2009). For example, concerns regarding lack of control during treatment may exist in other life domains. The participants in Johals study (2017) made an essential point; that is, it should not be assumed that bilingual counselors know how to provide counseling in more than one language simply because they speak the language. The primary limitations among the aforementioned studies (Prez Rojas et al., 2014; Ramos-Snchez, 2007, 2009) include having a small sample size and using volunteer college students in a controlled laboratory setting as opposed to actual clients. To most people, language comes naturally. This point was reflected in Trepal et al.s (2014) study, in which the counseling interns expressed their concerns about engaging in bilingual counseling because they had not received any training on bilingual counseling. Participants in these studies were college students as opposed to actual clients. Studies on EEG feedback tend to be poor quality, lacking control groups and proper blinding. endobj In this study, a doctoral-level psychology student served as the counselor and conducted interpreter-mediated counseling sessions with six clients whose primary language was not English. Empathy. For example, some bilingual supervisors were able to help the participants learn different terms and provide a clear example of a counseling process in Spanish (Vaquero & Williams, 2019). Our communications are more than simple interventions; they shape the climate of the relationship and the tenor of the alliance (Wachtel, 2011, p. 3). It is important to acknowledge that some scholars (e.g., Kakaliari et al., 2013; Rolland et al., 2017) in more recent years have conducted studies that involved multiple languages. These challenges notwithstanding, participants from five studies (Costa & Dewaele, 2014; Kokaliari et al., 2013; Trepal et al., 2014; Vaquero & Williams, 2019; Verdinelli & Biever, 2009) stated that the shared language and ethnic background with clients nurtured therapeutic bonds. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 33(1), 3038. Culturally responsive school counseling for Hispanic/Latino students and families: The need for bilingual school counselors. Psychologists, social workers and psychiatrists can all provide therapy, but there are differences in their training and specialization. 2. The review revealed that the studies published within the past two decades have focused on examining counselors perspectives on bilingual counseling. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1556-6678.2004.tb00290.x, Coleman, H. L. K., Wampold, B. E., & Casali, S. L. (1995). Given the Latinx population being by far the largest bilingual group within the United States, this group seems to have received the most attention among linguistically diverse groups. Use the Practice Verbal Communication Skills worksheet in a group setting to practice verbal communication and reflect on skills you could improve. Several scholars (Johal, 2017; Kokaliari et al., 2013; Mirza et al., 2017; Nguyen, 2014; Vaquero & Williams, 2019) mentioned a small sample size as a common limitation of their studies. Three articles in particular (Santiago-Rivera et al., 2009; Vaquero & Williams, 2019; Verdinelli & Biever, 2009) involved SpanishEnglish-speaking bilingual counselors, and four articles included bilingual and multilingual counselors with various language combinations. Of course, God created language and he uses it all the time. As an essential element of emotional intelligence, empathy promotes change and is a vital aspect of therapy and counseling. Based on 16 meta-analyses, they found the following to be vital (Angelis, 2019): With the therapeutic relationship as essential as the treatment method, communication and collaboration become increasingly valuable to the overall outcomes of therapy and counseling (Angelis, 2019). These results suggest that bilingual counselors may be expected to fulfill various needs of linguistically diverse students and clients in addition to providing counseling services. https://www.psycholo Collectively, these participants represented 42 nationalities and had experienced counseling as a client in 19 different countries. All spoke of the importance of providing additional training that increases awareness in culture and language. (2015). Some therapy clients strongly prefer that their therapist be male or female. Body language is the use of physical behavior, expressions, and mannerisms to communicate nonverbally, often done instinctively rather than consciously. Did you observe nonverbal as well as verbal communication? Because of the lack of findings, Ramos-Snchez suggested further exploration in language switching and conducted another study. Language spoken at home by ability to speak English for the population 5 years and over. Is your impression correct? My typical counseling sessions in the past were about 50/50 dialogue. (2015, November 3). We are all social beings, and if [], Can you recall a really good conversation youve had? Why not review the article and try out some of the communication worksheets? 15 0 obj When done well, active listening builds and maintains therapeutic alliances and bonds by . Additionally, vocabulary at age 5 is related to more general results in adult employment and mental health. They also suggest that, where possible and feasible, assessments should be conducted in the language most compatible with the bilingual clients language proficiency and dominance (p. 104). https://doi.org/10.1037/a0015933, Smith-Adcock, S., Daniels, M. H., Lee, S. M., Villalba, J. 1 doctoral-level psychology student, Note. (2013), the participants explained how some clients used their non-native language to discuss topics that are considered culturally taboo (e.g., sexual abuse, sexual orientation) or not consistent with their cultural framework. Did you use reflection (repeating back what you understood for confirmation)? March 23, 2018. Similarly, participants in the study by Trepal et al. Gaze useful for coordinating speech and collecting feedback. Several scholars whose studies focused on supporting the Latinx population offered helpful recommendations for graduate counselor education and training programs, including: (a) integrating a community-engagement and collaboration component into the training curriculum (Smith-Adcock et al., 2006); (b) creating opportunities for cultural immersion experiences (Ivers & Villalba, 2015); (c) offering courses in both English and Spanish (Ramos-Snchez, 2007); (d) delivering some content (e.g., diagnostic terms) in Spanish (Vaquero & Williams, 2019); and (e) developing standards for evaluating counselor competency in providing bilingual counseling (Verdinelli & Biever, 2009). Mindfulness encourages moment-to-moment awareness of the speakers message rather than becoming distracted. With increasing research into psychedelics, therapists want to learn more. In J. C. Norcross (Ed.). Early language development has the single greatest impact on 11-year-old reading skills. (2014), 51 Latina and 12 Latino students were asked to review one of two 15-minute recorded counseling sessions. Counseling Practice Most relationships recover after an affair. In addition, some of the dissertation studies might have not been included unless they were published in peer-reviewed journals. studies talked about the impact of language barriers faced in counselling. Having regular in-person meetings with family or colleagues goes a long way to boost confidence. As much as I try to avoid the standard therapist dialect, it always finds a way to drift into my sessions and my online content. Perceived Benefits <>1]/P 14 0 R/Pg 38 0 R/S/Link>> LnS`oeP-g; vq ?M8C Wachtel (2011, p. ix) highlights the importance of communication in the therapeutic technique and the need to move from understanding the patient or client to putting that understanding into words.. https://doi.org/10.1037/0735-7028.33.1.30, Santiago-Rivera, A. L., Altarriba, J., Poll, N., Gonzalez-Miller, N., & Cragun, C. (2009). 5 Skills of Effective Therapists and Counselors, 17 Communication Techniques for Your Sessions, A Look at Nonverbal Communication in Counseling, 6 Worksheets & Activities for Improving Communication, Under- and Over-Involvement in Communication, 17 validated positive communication tools for practitioners, Continuing Education for Psychologists (APA), Repairing ruptures (breakdowns in the therapeutic alliance). Communication can successfully strengthen relationships in therapy and counseling by gathering feedback from the client and incorporating it into treatment. Taking note of feedback is likely to improve therapeutic outcomes and reduce client dropout (Angelis, 2019). http://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2016.12.002, Nguyen, B. P. (2014). It is important to note that the search results for this present review were limited by the selected keywords and available databases. To find a therapist near you, visit the Psychology Today Therapy Directory. Join 550,000+ helping professionals who get free, science-based tools sent directly to their inbox.
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