Emotions in Bilingualism: Focus on Bilingual Identity in the Therapeutic Process

Abstract

In bilingualism, differences in the dynamics of social relationships and personal identity become apparent. Considering that each spoken language can produce different identity traits, resulting in diverse forms of verbal expression, it is postulated that the use of bilingualism in psychotherapy can be a potentially relevant resource. This study aims to examine how bilingualism and the emotional experience associated with this phenomenon manifest in people's lives and how they interfere with the individual's identity and the expression of their emotions. It was used a questionnaire answered by 130 participants (f = 102; m = 28), with an average age of 24.67 years (SD = 8.66). Descriptive quantitative data analysis and thematic analysis of responses were conducted. Most participants reported feeling a change in their identity when speaking another language. They recognize the use of bilingualism in therapy as advantageous since there are words in another language that can better express feelings and allow for emotional distance that can help when talking about difficult topics. It is discussed that bilingualism can be an important therapeutic resource, despite being rarely explored in psychotherapy due to therapists' and patients' lack of awareness of this resource.