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In “Language, Communication, and Psychoanalysis,” Earle Biassey discussed the diversity of communication in the language of Americans, noting the many idioms, nuances, innueudos and the tremendous variation in meaning. The therapist then needs to be very alert and absorbed to understand the imaging and communication of the patient. Language can be considered under categories such as geographical, ethnic, cultural, national, religious, generational and social, amply illustrated by Biassey. Regarding “Black English,” Biassey believes “there is no such animal,” and gave an explanation of how the term arose. The need for clarification whenever necessary in the therapy setting was stressed by Biassey who noted that the language in treatment is that learned in the home and community.
Ruth Szmarag presented “The Pain and Tyranny of Knowing Languages, “to which she was alerted by a trilingual Japanese-born patient more fluent in English than Japanese. Szmarag's paper addressed transferential and countertransferential difficulties between multilingual analysts and analysands, and the developmental neurological and biological issues involved in choosing a language. Having moved from Japan during childhood, the patient relearned Japanese as a second language. This led to difficulties such as alienation from her native culture and language and confused identity. Dealing with the relationship between languages was akin to a “linguistic prison.” Choosing a non-Japanese analyst and speaking English was not defensive. Parallels were drawn between Szmarag's and her patient's history of multilingualism and the ensuing ramifications.
In “The Bilingual Patient: A Therapeutic Challenge,” Silivia W. Olarte reviewed theories about language and thought processes, further complicated with bilingualism as a variable. Experiences registered in one language may not be accessed in another language, she observed. Sharing similar cultural background, and having integrated into the new culture, Olar