Breaking Language Barriers: Using Interpreters in Play Therapy (Best Of)

Original Air Date: November 28, 2023

In this groundbreaking episode, Lisa Dion is joined by Ludmila (Mila) Golovine, CEO and President of MasterWord Services, to explore a topic rarely addressed in play therapy: working with interpreters.

Interpreters play a critical role in helping children heal, but their experience and the challenges they face are often overlooked. Lisa and Mila dive deep into how therapists can collaborate effectively with interpreters to create safe, attuned, and trauma-informed play therapy sessions.

What You'll Learn:

• The role of the interpreter and how to honor the client's preferred language
• Recognizing cues in sessions when a child speaks their primary language or the language of their trauma
• Supporting both the child and interpreter as external regulators during trauma processing
• Setting boundaries that protect interpreters' window of tolerance and emotional safety
• Why family members should not act as interpreters
• Navigating cultural and language differences, non-verbal cues, and possible session ruptures
• Understanding attribution bias and its impact on client-therapist-interpreter relationships
• Practical strategies for attuned collaboration that promote healing for children

Mila also shares trauma-informed resources for interpreters and offers actionable guidance for therapists working with children across languages and cultures.

This episode is essential listening for therapists committed to inclusivity, attunement, and best practices in cross-linguistic play therapy. Tune in to gain insight, awareness, and tools to navigate these complex and critical sessions. 💕

Additional Resources:  

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