Therapeutic Alliance in Interpreter-Mediated Psychotherapy from the Perspective of Refugee Patients: Results of Qualitative Interviews

Abstract

Background: The therapeutic alliance is considered to be one of the most important factors of psychotherapy and is a necessary requirement for a successful treatment in interpreter-mediated psychotherapy. Patients and Methods: Using interpreter-mediated guided interviews, 10 refugee patients who experienced interpreter-mediated psychotherapy were asked about factors influencing the development of a trusting therapeutic alliance in the triad. The analysis of the interviews followed the rules of content-structuring qualitative content analysis. Results: A total of 11 factors were identified which could be assigned to the interpreter, therapist, or patient. In the analysis, the central role of the interpreter in establishing a therapeutic alliance in the triad became particularly clear. Conclusions: Consideration of the factors that, from the patients’ perspective, influence the establishment and maintenance of a trusting alliance within the triad, as well as the recommendations for action derived from this for psychotherapists and interpreters can lead to an improvement in the therapeutic treatment of refugees.