Therapy in Greek
Therapy in Greek
When I first started working in London, it had never occured to me that I could be working with Greek people! However, since UK was already filled with thousands of them, why wouldn’t I help people with whom we share more or less the same culture, the language and family stories?
However, does a therapist have to be Greek, or have lived through specific things, to get it? Do they really need to mirror our difficulties?
Here are a couple of really useful points to bear in mind next time you choose a therapist:
Good command of language
Purely for practical reasons, we may choose one language over the other, because we may feel that we are better in one than the other, ie. English to Greek. This is one important distinction. However even in the case that we speak all languages equally well, we need to ask ourselves which language will serve us better to describe and essentially share our emotional needs.
Same language creates a connection
Speaking in your native tongue makes you feel that you are no longer talking about the past but instead connecting with it and feeling more present; hence the reason why choosing for a Greek therapist! Another reason why Greek people go for a Greek therapist is because both of them have emigrated from the same country. In this case, they probably share an affinity, a comforting familiarity that can quickly cut through many layers of later adaptation. It feels good, for sure, to see someone who shares cultural references and the social, political and physical landscape of one’s childhood.
Nothing gets lost in translation!
When you have reached the stage of seriously contemplating about the idea of therapy, you probably have tried out different options already. However once you are ready to pick up the phone and talk to a possible therapist, it would be worthwhile thinking what is the nature of your problem. If the nature of your problem is related for example with your parents, or your partner, and you feel that a person coming from a different cultural background won’t be able to understand the dynamics and the challenges presented, then it would be useful to consider opting for a native therapist. Since therapy is all about relationship and communication, it’s wise to go for someone with whom you will be able to communicate easier and enable you to share your pain as quickly as possible.
Feel like home again
Having found yourself living abroad doesn’t not necessarily mean that you need to change and forget everything… you are very fortunate for having the option of going for a Greek therapist. Respect your needs for now and be ready to feel a little bit like home again. What you will find in my office are Greek therapy related books to educate yourselves as well as Greek sweets (sokofretes, sokolatakia, etc) to ease the process…
Your gut feeling
Even if you share the same language or the same cultural background, you need to see how you feel, to evaluate whether there is a connection with the therapist you are planning to work with. As you would not be able to relate to all the Greek people you meet in the UK, similarly you need to ask yourself whether you could see yourself establishing a relationship with the therapist in front of you. You are responsible for making sure you have made the best possible choice, regardless of recommendations or reviews!
Go ahead and book a free 20 minute discovery call to see how you feel about it!