#9 Trauma Basics for Interpreters – When Trauma Is in the Room. Foreign Language Interpreting about Traumatic Experiences

Live Session Delivered June 15, 2022, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. ET

Presenter: Lisa Fontes, PhD, Senior Lecturer II, University of Massachusetts Amherst

This webinar is approved for 1 CCHI CE hour, 0.1 IMIA/NBCMI CEU, 1 ATA CEP and 0.1 RID* CEUs

Trauma affects interpreting. Trauma survivors often share painful stories that impact the session. They also affect the interpreter. It is extremely difficult to interpret for adults and children who have experienced trauma, whether recently or in the past. Crimes, family violence, accidents, war, medical trauma and natural disasters challenge interpreters, who may be unsure how to respond during the session or manage their own feelings during and afterwards.

This webinar will help participants understand the impact of trauma on everyone in the session—including the interpreter. It will also help interpreters manage such sessions more effectively.

Learning objectives

After attending this webinar, the participant will be able to:

1. Understand trauma and how trauma can affect an interpreted conversation.

2. Avoid some of the common pitfalls for interpreters who interpret for people in crisis.

3. Engage in deliberate self-care after interpreting around trauma.