Abstract

This dissertation explored the scholarly literature and extracted important themes regarding the training and development of bilingual psychology trainees. The first theme was the language challenges bilingual trainees face due to their proficiency in Spanish when delivering services to Latinx limited English-speaking or monolingual Spanish-speaking clients when the trainee has received little or no training in Spanish. The second theme was bilingual supervision. When the trainee was matched with a supervisor who was not from the same culture or proficient in Spanish, many challenges occurred for the trainee and the supervisor. The final theme was about the trainee’s experience. Bilingual trainees faced additional responsibilities and challenges that monolingual English-speaking trainees did not experience. Additionally, bilingual trainees experienced self-doubt, stress, and anxiety about providing services in Spanish. The integration of the themes contributed to the development of an evidence-based resource manual. The primary goal of the resource is to provide practical information to help mitigate the challenges trainees and supervisors face during supervision and when providing services to the Latinx community.

Library of Congress Subject Headings

Bilingualism—Psychological aspects; Psychologists—Training of; Spanish language—Medical Spanish—Study and teaching

Date of Award

2025

School Affiliation

Graduate School of Education and Psychology

Department/Program

Psychology

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctorate

Faculty Advisor

Carrie Castañeda-Sound

Included in

Psychology Commons

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