The mental health interpreter: The "third space" between transference and counter-transference

This chapter aims to provide an interpretation of the role of the mental health interpreter, using the concept of "third space" taken from the field of cultural translation and the psychoanalytical concept of transference/counter-transference. Such interpretation provides a unique and novel analysis of the work of the mental health interpreter through the perspective of the "third space", thus enabling a broader view of the interpreter's role in the therapeutic session. The authors' insights are based on a reflective journal written by the first author while working as an interpreter during a parental training in a public mental health clinic in Israel. By reviewing the different roles, powerplays, and challenges in this third space, the authors will suggest some practical recommendation regarding the training and supervision of mental health interpreters, allowing them to serve as competent and ethical mediators between the patient and the therapist.