IJSP Number 6, 2024

115 members. Previous studies have demonstrated that there is commonly a discomfort with adding a third party to the therapeutic process since the vast majority of therapy and supervision sessions do not require the services of an interpreter [8]. It is also true that interpreters find mental health settings to be the most difficult to provide their services [1]. One of our interpreters said that in two years of interpreting one of these groups, she felt the leader could not interact cooperatively with her. This included requests to perform administrative or organizational tasks. In addition, at times she felt there were unrealistic expectations about how quickly she could perform her role. She reported not being prepared by the leader or briefed on upcoming didactic topics as is commonplace in other interpretation settings. As someone new to interpreting in a mental health setting, she said she would have appreciated a collaborative and supportive relationship. Instead, she reported feeling as though she were being treated as a commodity and felt dehumanized and objectified as a result. Furthermore, she reported that the leader sometimes intentionally kept information from her which may have been helpful, for example, the leader didn’t share with her the member’s therapeutic orientations, believing this would somehow decrease the accuracy of her interpretations. The level of dissatisfaction in this case was extreme and led to the interpreter discontinuing her work for the group. It underscores how difficult some pairings of interpreters and group leaders can be and highlights the importance of establishing and maintaining a good working relationship. Showing mutual respect and support will go a long way toward achieving this. 4.10. REMIND GROUP LEADERS AND MEMBERS NOT TO SPEAK TOO FAST OR TOO LONG One of the interpreters said that her group leader allowed participants to fully express themselves without interruption for brief interpretations but asked that a summary be provided for the leader’s benefit. She said this approach enables participants to articulate their feelings in the present moment without interruption. Simultaneously, the interpreter attentively listens and conveys a condensed version to the supervisor, who may not necessarily need all the details but focuses on emotional reactions, guiding participants to delve deeply into, express, and process their feelings. Both group leaders and interpreters can also respectfully stop group members who speak too fast or too long. This can establish the norm that communication will understandably be slower in a group where everything must be repeated [2]. Speaking too fast or too long can put unnecessary stress on some interpreters who may struggle to remember everything or keep up with the speed of the communications. Many of the interpreters in our group mentioned that when members spoke too fast or too long it contributed to their feelings of fatigue or burnout.