Dr. Moussa, a Lebanese American psychologist, shares her unique insights from years of practice in individual, couples, and family psychotherapy, as well as psychodiagnostic therapy. With her research focused on psychoanalytic and psychodynamic practitioners, and extensive experience conducting psychological assessments for religious leaders, Dr. Moussa illuminates how psychodynamic principles can help therapists explore the rich associations of language, especially when working with MENA (Middle Eastern and North African) populations.

In this captivating episode, discover:

• How Dr. Moussa's bilingual background and experiences in both Lebanon and the U.S. sparked her interest in the nuances of language in therapy.

• A powerful example of how emotional depth and cultural context can be lost when translating between Arabic and English in a clinical setting.

• Actionable insights for therapists on how to tune into "sub-symbolic processing" and the "affect lead" of a client's mother tongue, even without understanding the language.

• The psychodynamic concept of "dissociated self-states" and how inviting clients to speak in their native language can bring forth previously inaccessible parts of themselves.

• The importance of creating a co-created therapeutic space that avoids re-traumatizing clients whose language may have been fetishized or discriminated against.

Dr. Rebecca Moussa’s Contact:

PsychologyToday - https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/rebecca-moussa-weymouth-ma/1375213

Continuing Education Courses at The Multicultural Counseling Institute - https://www.tmcinstitute.org/continuing-education/recorded-webinars

Enter “FRIENDS50” for 50% off CE courses!

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Music Samples:

Intro 1 by Mykola Odnoroh - Arabic Islamic Muslim Background Music

Intro 2 by Mikhail Smusev - Heroic Quest

Outro by Alex Kizenkov - Inspirational Cinematic Adventure