A healing journey of the bilingual self: In search of the language of the heart

ABSTRACT

This article examines the clinical challenges that occur in the treatment of the bilingual Latino/immigrant client with a bilingual therapist who speaks both Spanish and English. Language plays a crucial role in the therapeutic process, especially when therapy takes place in the client’s second language with a bilingual therapist. Several theorists established a firm view that the mother tongue was the language of emotions and the second, the language of distance and detachment. A case composite vignette will introduce language switching as a defensive function for the bilingual client and as a therapeutic tool for the clinician. The work of Winnicott, who provides a framework in which to think about language from an object relations perspective, is discussed. The concepts and dilemmas described are applicable to other bilingual clients and clinicians.

KEYWORDS:

• Bilingual
• language switching
• mother tongue
• Winnicott
• object relations