Do you think therapy is much more helpful in your native language?

Question

I stopped going to therapy before 1 year ago, right before I got active on Gag.

Before then I’ve been going on therapy on and off since I was 21, to help me manage my anxiety and fear of falling in love.

It was quite helpful.

I think of getting back to it, to the same therapist I’ve had as she speaks my native language and she has helped me in the past.

Do you think therapy is much more helpful in your language rather than other languages you speak?

I can’t imagine describing my feelings to someone as precisely as I can do in Georgian.

dynamicyandere · Accepted Answer

My sister and a friend of mine are big advocates for therapy.

However, both of them said that they had to go through many different therapists before they found one that they could really connect with.

I would imagine that if your therapist can speak in your native language, that would be ideal, assuming everything else about them as a therapist is good.

At the end of the day though, native language or not, your therapist should be someone who is properly trained and someone that you can trust and connect with.

Language is just one factor out of many that may affect fit. As someone who graduated with a Psychology degree, I learned about different schools of thought and different approaches to therapy.

For example, there’s Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and there’s Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), which both are proven to work, but they use different approaches.

So all in all, it’s important to find a therapist that you feel is helpful to you because it’s one of those things that’s definitely not one-size-fits-all.

lightbulb27 · Accepted Answer

i'd think so, it's complex enough to find the emotions that are jackin' you up in some other language.

I think it is much much more about the ability of therapist to tune into what is going on so can quickly navigate you past whatever barriers you are running into. A therapist that has had the experience before is much more able to tune in... emotionally... than one that read stuff in a book and speaking in generalities.

I'd suggest doing lot of learning on your own to augment. You have to do the work anyways, they can help you see yourself and the other person from another angle.

IslaTheWitch · Accepted Answer

It is...

Like I did in German and English. But only speaking with a therapist from Poland (cultural context) in Polish (language context) worked the best for me. The therapy is mostly about cultural context. We have to understand each other with my psychologist. So when I speak about the school, or spending time that or another way they know exactly what I mean.

Because I'm in Poland not so often as I would wish, I have online therapy with personal meetings from time to time. This setup works for me and let me progress with many things.

AutumnSerenity · Accepted Answer

If you feel more comfortable in your native language, see the therapist that speaks your native language. It’s important for you to get the most value out of these sessions, so do what’s best for you. Having proficiency in multiple languages, I've noticed that certain emotions or concepts can be better expressed or understood in different languages. The way ideas are articulated varies significantly across languages, aiding in better comprehension. Although I have a preference for English, it's not as emotionally expressive.

Massageman · Answer

Each linguistic culture may have thought/action/perception nuances that are particular to that group, so I could see how people would seek out native speakers.

NathanDavis · Answer

it makes all the sense to me that it would, yes...

the more raw of our feelings and emotions... can also come out in our "native" language too...

when very intense emotions and feeling surge, like being scared, shocked... surprised, very afraid... we might word it out in our native language because it was rooted into "us" while all other languages learned later in life... do take a bit different route in our brain

Still-alive · Answer

I would imagine it might be because there’d be little misunderstandings due to things being lost in translation. Like they might say things you have a hard time understanding in English or you might say something where it makes sense to say in your language but the context is completely different or confusing in English.

that said though a good therapist should still be understanding about that and maybe attempt to factor that into how they talk to you.

TruliAdreamerInLove · Answer

It shouldn’t have to be as long as they’re bilingual or at least share a common language with you and they’re efficient at it. There shouldn’t be any cultural bias or personal bias anyways. They should simply see the symptoms and address those and be able to encourage good communication between the client and themselves.

love_conquers_lust · Answer

I’ve never been. But I think it would be, for time sake. Your words will probably flow and resonate with ease if it’s in your native language, second nature.

I actually had a question removed recently for…reasons, that asked multilingual people which language gave them the most trouble in expressing themselves. It was about Information Rate. Maybe I’ll clean it up for the mods and post it.

Pete671 · Answer

No I disagree, in your own language there can be assumptions, a foreign language imho can be more helpful because there is more of an effort to choose correct words, and sometimes there is no word for what you feel in your own language,,,

Sometimes there is a foreign word or phrase that you can learn that describes your own feelings better,,,

Or a word has different meanings, eg in English "quite alright" can mean "very good" or "not really that bad",,,

Or calling someone a "serious fucking wanker" means they are very good at what they do, or a very incompetent person,,,

DJB72 · Answer

First language is always going to be more effective. Unless you grow up fully bilingual at home with your parents switching between languages all the time while you're very young the second language is never as clear as the first.

Lionman95 · Answer

Yes because for most people are most comfortable in their native language at least in my experience.
There might also be cultural differences concerning situations, so a therapist of your culture might understand situations without you having to explain it.

veganrogue · Answer

If there is a barrier in expressing yourself precisely in a non-native language, than perhaps a the same therapist it is a better choice. However, your English is impeccable, at least what I've read, and I'm sure you'd be able to get your point across with just as much precision, even if it requires a question here and there for clarification.

rosemilk · Answer

i think that'd be best and more relaxing because your native language flows, you don't have to think about it much

Dandelion1994 · Answer

Yes. Language and cultural communication are important. However, there's also the fit between the therapist and client no matter what.

sheikalana · Answer

Not really. It's easier for me to express in English than my native language.

Staximus · Answer

Of course because there's no language barrier or misinterpretation. The communication is clear

Guido · Answer

I think it depends on the therapist. If you had a good one and they were helpful then I would go back to them.

msc545 · Answer

Language is very important, and yes, I think it works better in your native language.

AMS700CX4u2 · Answer

I think you are right, I would think it would be even more so if you shared common cultural experience.

12karen · Answer

I think therapy is better when you can mix language , I don't know you but there's some word I can't express in English or in my native language so sometimes I mixed them.

Luméa · Answer

Of course, I think you can express herself more easily in her native language, so I think therapy in your native language is better !!

KrakenAttackin · Answer

I wound have to think the nuance's of any language are such that therapy in your native tongue is important.  Have you tried talking with your doctor?

exitseven · Answer

Yes it would not be much help if you could not understand what the therapist was saying

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