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Current Perspectives on Using Linguistic and Cultural Factors in Counseling the Hispanic Client

Authors:
Jeanette Altarriba at University at Albany, The State University of New York
Jeanette Altarriba
Azara L Santiago-Rivera at William Paterson University
Azara L Santiago-Rivera
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Abstract

This review of the literature examines the role of language and culture in the mental health treatment of Hispanic clients. Several innovative approaches including the use of dichos and cuento therapy are described that incorporate linguistic and cultural traits in treatment. The article proposes that the assessment of such factors as language proficiency, level of acculturation, and the degree to which cultural expressions represent symptomatology should be considered in the development of an effective treatment plan. The process of acculturation is presented as a critical dimension influencing language, cultural beliefs, and mental health. Recommendations are made for future research on issues relating to the use of language switching and language mixing in therapy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
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... The L1-L2 difference goes beyond single word/phrase processing, as bilinguals also tend to be more rational and less emotional in higher-level decision-making, e.g., when faced with moral dilemmas or financial incentive calculation (i.e., the "foreign-language effect"; Costa et al., 2017Costa et al., , 2014Gao, Zika, Rogers, & Thierry, 2015;Keysar, Hayakawa, & An, 2012;Pavlenko, 2017;Stankovic, Biedermann, & Hamamura, 2022; but see also Oganian, Korn, & Heekeren, 2016). The emotional distance manifested in L2 processing also explains why bilinguals are more at ease with describing harsh or embarrassing memories in the L2 (Altarriba & Santiago-Rivera, 1994;Bond & Lai, 1986;Dewaele & Pavlenko, 2002;Heredia & Altarriba, 2001;Marian & Kaushanskaya, 2008;Wu & Thierry, 2012) or using affectionate language in the L2 if such practice is not encouraged in the native culture (Caldwell-Harris et al., 2011). ...
... The patterns of differential affective processing observed for taboo words are also in line with previous literature that found larger L1-L2 differences in strongly negative stimuli than in positive/neutral stimuli (Altarriba & Santiago-Rivera, 1994;Bond & Lai, 1986;Dewaele & Pavlenko, 2002;Heredia & Altarriba, 2001;Marian & Kaushanskaya, 2008;Wu & Thierry, 2012). Why should negativity be a modulating factor for differential affective processing? ...
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... Studies of codeswitching describe how a change to the L2 often serves a distancing function (Gumperz & Hernandez, 1971;Javier & Marcos, 1989). The bilingual therapist Gonzalez-Reigosa (1976) described Spanish Á/English bilingual patients who employed English when discussing anxiety-arousing topics, and used English for portraying a persona of selfconfidence, calm and emotional reserve (see also Altarriba & Santiago-Rivera, 1994). Immigrants' childhood memories were more emotionally charged when described in their native language (Schrauf, 2000). ...
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... The notion regarding differential emotion processing in the first vs. the second language of a bilingual speaker has important implications for health practices (see e.g., Altarriba & Santiago-Rivera, 1994;Santiago-Rivera & Altarriba, 2002). In the work by Santiago-Rivera et al. (2009), for example, data were provided suggesting that therapeutic approaches in clinical settings should be linguistically and culturally relevant. ...
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