Nika Jelendorf: Therapy in a foreign language – what is lost and what is gained
"The problem of translation is to retreat to a simpler tenor of one's style and creatively adjust this to one's author" – Paul Goodman, 1966
This workshop will explore what happens when the author and translator are the same person: a client telling a therapist about their phenomenological reality.
The facilitator will briefly introduce the literature on therapy in foreign languages, with some examples from practice on including clients' native languages in therapy (even when the therapist doesn't speak the language!). There will be space to reflect on our experiences of working with ESL (English as a second language) clients.
Everyone willing to reflect on language's impact on the therapeutic relationship is welcome to attend.
About the facilitator:
Nika Jelendorf is a multilingual Gestalt psychotherapist, counsellor and public-speaking trainer who works in a foreign language. She sees clients, primarily from a migration background, in private practice in London.
