Behind the Scenes: Experiences of Multilingual Therapists and Trainees in U.S. University Counseling Centers

As student bodies on college campuses in the United States (U.S.) continue to diversify, university counseling centers have begun to recognize the importance of hiring multilingual therapists and trainees to meet the needs of 66 million U.S. residents who speak languages other than English. The study used a qualitative approach to better understand the experiences of multilingual therapists and trainees working at university counseling centers in the U.S. Thirty-one participants (three men and 28 women; 27 senior staff and four trainees) completed an online survey with six open-ended questions. The following themes were identified: rewards and benefits of providing multilingual therapy, supervision experiences given, and organizational support provided to multilingual therapists. Senior staff participants also make suggestions for trainees who would like to practice multilingual therapy as well as support that agencies can offer to their multilingual therapists. Limitations, practical implications, and future research directions are discussed.