Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)
Year (A.D.)
2024
Document Type
Thesis
First Advisor
Nattasuda Taephant
Faculty/College
Faculty of Psychology (คณะจิตวิทยา)
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Degree Level
Master's Degree
Degree Discipline
Psychology
DOI
10.58837/CHULA.THE.2024.602
Abstract
Language plays a central role in counseling, yet its impact on counseling and psychotherapy remains insufficiently studied in Thailand. This research employed Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to address this gap by examining the lived experiences of professional Thai practitioners working with clients who do not share their mother tongue. Six practitioners were selected through purposive sampling, and in-depth interviews, reviewed with input from field experts, were conducted to capture their unique perspectives. The findings reveal four main themes: (1) Perceived Challenges: This theme uncovers internal struggles such as constant linguistic vigilance, competence anxiety, and hesitation to clarify, along with language barriers like accents and pronunciation, word choice, and nuances of language. (2) Experiencing Language in Therapy: Participants described differences in their self-perceptions across languages, contrasts in communication styles, and power shifts through language. (3) The Core Essence of Non-Mother Tongue Therapy: This theme examines what participants found to be the key elements for successful therapy in a non-mother tongue, including strengthening individual readiness through language and cultural preparation, self-care, and working relationally to foster connection through clarification, transparency, mimicking clients' language, and using cultural sensitivity to inform language choices. (4) Evolving through Non-Mother Tongue Therapy: Participants reflect on the deeper insights gained, including appreciating common humanity beyond language, embracing language imperfections, prioritizing emotional connection over language proficiency through clients’ feedback, and advocating for inclusiveness of non-mother tongue clients. These findings highlight the need for enhanced training and support systems in counseling psychology, aimed at addressing the challenges faced by practitioners in non-mother tongue therapy and promoting culturally competent practices in Thailand.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Rojanasukarn, Phatcharapan, "My mother tongue is your other tongue: experiences of therapeutic work by Thai therapists who do not share the same mother tongue with clients" (2024). Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD). 74440.
https://digital.car.chula.ac.th/chulaetd/74440