Vicarious trauma is a phrase often heard in the victim service and medical professions. Crisis responders witness the trauma their clients and patients experience and are routinely given opportunities to release some of the emotional baggage that their job encompasses.
Professional translators and interpreters act as linguistic tools and are expected to act as machines. However, the very real nature of interpreter assignments has an emotional and physical impact that, if not addressed, can significantly affect an individual’s ability to perform their job. Language professionals may find that they are completing their tasks on time, but cannot leave behind the images of their clients’ experience. Whether transcribing a police interview, interpreting during a medical crisis, or translating a victim’s statement, language professionals rarely get a chance to report after a stressful event.
Studies show that when our brains are activated by a dangerous event or trauma (either physical or emotional), the limbic system temporarily “hijacks” the brain. The left side of the brain shuts down and the right side takes over. Unfortunately for an interpreter, language is controlled by the left side of the brain. If an interpreter has experienced a similar event or empathizes with the client, she may have difficulty finding the right words to interpret the client’s experience. The interpreter may leave the quote saying, “What just happened? Am I usually that good at what I do?”
Interpreters and translators working on projects for the TI Center conveyed the symptoms of vicarious trauma, including anxiety, anger, and self-doubt. Our translators reported feeling agitated and sad, reading their entire translations over and over again, doubting themselves and their competence.
As a result, TI Center staff, along with staff from the Denver Center for Crime Victims, began investigating how they could help language professionals understand the impact of interpreting others’ stress and trauma and reclaim their energy to work with the public.
In response, the TI Center has launched a 6-hour workshop, titled Health Enabling for Language Professionals (HELP). Participants will learn how to deal with the physical and emotional challenges you face as a language professional. You’ll learn how the brain and body react to trauma, and then practice some proven stress management techniques. At the end of the workshop you will be a stronger and more positive person, both professionally and personally.