Inkännande och neutral, brygga eller bara ett redskap? : En studie i socialt arbete om behandlares syn på tolkens roll och närvaro

Sammanfattning: The aim of this thesis was to examine how therapists’ perceive the role of the interpreter and it’s effect on the therapeutic alliance in treatment. We seek an understanding of the dilemmas that may occur in these meetings. The empirical data consisted of nine semi-structured telephone-interviews with therapists’ holding social work degrees. We applied the theory of the institutionalization process combined with the therapeutic alliance theory to analyze the interpreter’s role and effect on the relationship between patient and therapist. The study showed the importance of an alliance between therapist and interpreter parallel to the alliance between therapist and patient. Our findings suggest the need for the therapist to clarify both his and her expectations on the interpreter and the aim of the treatment beforehand in order to decrease the risk of the interpreter interfering with the treatment. Advantageous factors for the treatment’s outcome, and the process of institutionalization it entails, are that the interpreter and the therapist have a mutual understanding regarding their respective roles, and the goal of the treatment, and that there is a relationship of trust between them. This is more easily achieved if there is continuity and the same interpreter is used throughout the treatment. Furthermore, our findings bring out flexibility among therapists’ work with interpreters as preferable to engender a therapeutic alliance with the patient despite there being a third part in that constellation.