Mental Health is, without a doubt, a key to a healthy lifestyle, even more in uncertain times like these when everything seems so chaotic and confusing around us, times that have some of us far away from our families. In these kinds of situations, we have to remain conscious about how we feel, and how it is affecting us, we have to talk about it to get better – with a friend, a relative, your partner, or with a psychologist or psychiatrist.
We have to normalize Mental Health and avoid making it a taboo or keeping it inside, the more we speak about it, the more people we will help. Mental Health professionals attend hundreds of people in one year, and many of them come from Spanish-speaking countries, we know that counseling native-Spanish speakers can be hard when that’s not your native language. So, this is why in today’s blog we introduce you to this guide with mental health terms in Spanish to assist you in your journey of helping others. Learn psychology terms in Spanish here, print out the PDF, and communicate better with your patients.
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Spanish Phrases for Counselors
| ENGLISH PHRASES | SPANISH PHRASES |
|---|---|
| My name is ….., is a pleasure to meet you. | Mucho gusto, mi nombre es... |
| I’ll be your counselor. | Seré su consejero. |
| What brought you here today? | ¿Qué lo/ la trajo aquí hoy? |
| How do you feel today? | ¿Cómo se siente hoy? |
| I recommend that… | Le recomiendo que … |
| Tell me what happened, please | Dígame lo que pasó, por favor. |
| How long ago did it happen? | ¿Hace cuánto tiempo pasó? |
| How does that make you feel? | ¿Cómo lo/la hace sentir eso? |
| Tell me more about that, and how does that make you feel. | Cuénteme más acerca de eso y como lo hace sentir. |
| Tell me, how have you tried to fix it so far. | Cuénteme como lo ha tratado de resolver hasta ahora. |
| To Relax. | Relajarse. |
| To explain. | Explicar. |
| Please explain more about the issue. | Explíqueme más acerca del problema, por favor. |
| Breathe deeply. | Respire profundamente. |
| Speak more slowly. | Hable más despacio. |
| Take your time. | Tómese su tiempo. |
| I recommend that you go to an appointment with a psychiatrist. | Le recomiendo que vaya a una cita con un psiquiatra. |
| I recommend that you come to therapy at the same time each week. | Le recomiendo que venga a la terapia cada semana a la misma hora. |
| Tell me about your relationship with your (insert type of relationship). | Hábleme de la relación con su (insert type of relationship). |
| How do they make you feel? | ¿Cómo lo hacen sentir? |
Types of Relationships
| ENGLISH TERMS | SPANISH TERMS |
|---|---|
| Family | Familia |
| Father | Padre |
| Mother | Madre |
| Brother/s | Hermano/s |
| Partner | Pareja |
| Friends | Amigos |
| Partners from work | Compañeros de trabajo |
| Boss | Jefe |
Mental Health Terms in Spanish
| ENGLISH TERMS | SPANISH TERMS |
|---|---|
| Mental health | Salud Mental |
| Counselor | Consejero |
| Therapist | Terapeuta |
| Psychologist | Psicólogo |
| Psychiatrist | Psiquiatra |
| Post-traumatic stress disorder | Síndrome de estrés post traumático |
| Depression | Depresión |
| Anxiety disorder | Trastorno de ansiedad |
| Bipolar syndrome | Síndrome bipolar |
| Agoraphobia | Agorafobia |
| Panic attacks | Ataques de pánico |
| Dissociative syndrome | Síndrome disociativo |
| Hysteria | Histeria |
| Neurosis | Neurosis |
| Psychosis | Psicosis |
| Schizophrenia | Esquizofrenia |
| Stress | Estrés |
| Low self-esteem | Baja auto-estima |
| Trauma or abuse | Trauma o abuso |
| Emotional abuse | Abuso psicológico o emocional |
| Physical abuse | Abuso físico |
| Sexual abuse | Abuso sexual |
| Neglect | Negligencia |
| Adjustment disorder | Trastorno de adaptación |
| Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder | Desorden de Déficit de Atención e Hiperactividad |
| Intermittent Explosive disorder | Trastorno explosivo intermitente |
| Phobia | Fobia |
| Mysophobia | Misofobia |
| Chronic fatigue syndrome | Síndrome de fatiga crónica |
| Codependency | Co-dependencia |
| Compulsive buying disorder | Oniomanía |
| Compulsive gambling | Ludopatía |
| Kleptomania | Cleptomanía |
| Pyromania | Piromanía |
| Bulimia nervosa | Bulimia |
| Anorexia nervosa | Anorexia |
| Personality disorders | Desorden de personalidad |
| Dependent | Dependiente |
| Narcissistic | Narcisista |
| Paranoid | Paranoico |
| Avoidant | Evitativo |
| Borderline syndrome | Trastorno límite de la personalidad |
| Cyclothymia | Ciclotimia |
Medication Names in Spanish
| Prescription Drug Name in English | Prescription Drug Name in Spanish | Medication Name in Spanish (Brand Names) |
|---|---|---|
| Ziprasidone | Ziprasidona | Ziprasidona, Geodon, Zeldox. |
| Sertraline | Sertralina | Sertralina, Serenata, Altruline, Deprax, Emergen, Implicane, Trakos, Equivac, Zoloft, Seronex. |
| Risperidone | Risperidona | Risperidona, Spiron, Risperin, Rimox, Risperdal, Rispyl, Reskizof, Vidacil, Ridal. |
| Olanzapine | Olanzapina | Olanzapina, Olanzyl, Zyprexa, Sincris, Midax, Zapinax. |
| Metoprolol | Metoprolol | Metoprolol, Metorol, Prontol, Betaloc, Lopressor. |
| Methylphenidate | Metilfenidato | Metilfenidato, Ritalina, Rubifen, Ritalín, Tradea, Minfel, Aradix, Concerta. |
| Melatonin | Melatonina | Melatonina, Dormirax, Revenox, Oniria. |
| Lithium | Litio | Litio, Psicolit, Litocarb, Carbolit, Kalitium, Theralite, Carboron,Plenur. |
| Gabapentin | Gabapentina | Gabapentina, Neurontin, Gabictal, Gabantin, Ritmenal, Nopatic, Gabex, Regalden, Neupentin. |
| Fluoxetine | Fluoxetina | Fluoxetina, Sostac,Foxetin, Confium, Pisaurit, Actan,Farmaxetina, Fluoxac. |
| Escitalopram | Escitalopram | Escitalopram, Lexapro, Cipralex, Exapra, Escolam, Esc, Celtium, Ezentius, Avestalo,Lextor. |
| Duolexetine | Duloxetina | Duloxetina, Realta, Duxetin, Dulpicap, Dalaful, Duceten, Alacir, Inmox, Lervitan. |
| Diazepam | Diazepam | Diazepam, Valium, Ziapam, Dazam. |
| Citalopram | Citalopram | Citalopram, Zinnetron, Celexa, Zenitius. |
| Diphenhydramine | Clorhidrato de Difenhidramina | Benadryl, Brudifen, Hidrigort, Alergil, Vicnte. |
| Arprazolam | Alprazolam | Alprazolam, Sedipral, Xanax, Alplax, Alzam. |
| Valproic acid | Ácido Valproico | Äcido Valproico, Ferbin, Depakine, Depakene, Valcote, Flaxvan. |
Cultural Diversity in Mental Health
Being a mental health professional you’ll encounter hundreds of people from different ethnicities, lots of them from Spanish-speaking countries and, as a Counselor in Spanish, you have to be able to transcend the cultural differences in order to create an environment of acceptance and mutual respect in which the patient feels free and safe and enhances the clinical experience for patients.
At the same time, be aware of the cultural diversity, some of your clients may talk fast, they will have different accents, idiomatic expressions, vocabulary, slang, and different cultural manifestations of the same issue. Actually, not that different from an American, British, and a New Zealander if we compare them!
You have to get prepared for these things as a whole, improving your vocabulary and understanding of the language, as well as your ability to understand different accents and idiomatic expressions.
Keep also in mind the cultural differences in mental health, there are lots of cultures in which mental health is still a taboo subject, something to be ashamed about in society, so try to have a sensitive approach and understand that some people may take more time to open up.
Let the patient “desahogarse” (English: unburden/blow off steam), let them explain everything to you, the issue, and how they tried so far to resolve it, be patient and gather all the information that you can to afterward make some questions. Let them talk at their own pace, and if you can’t understand something, you can always ask about it. Spanish-speaking patients are always going to be appreciative that you are making an effort to try to understand everything in-depth, and they’re always going to respond positively to a question like that. Same thing if you commit a grammar mistake or a pronunciation one, they will not judge you for that, and is an instance to learn.
Medical Spanish Tutors
If you need help to improve you can always get an online medical Spanish tutor that will help you improve your medical Spanish vocabulary & pronunciation, also they can create personalized lessons for you and teach you about the cultural differences in sensitive subjects like grief counseling for example and how to approach it appropriately in Spanish.
With the help of a medical Spanish tutor, you can create your own Spanish mental health glossary PDF, with all the information and concepts relevant to you. Print it out, have it somewhere convenient at work, and you will be on your way to learning medical Spanish.
That way, you will learn only what’s useful for you and your career.
APA.org Spanish Resources
The American Psychological Association also has Spanish Fact sheets and Handouts available in Spanish for Parents, Counselors, and Mental Health workers in general. This is a great tool for counselors working in Spanish-speaking communities.
About the Author:
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Bio: 28-year-old graphic designer and writer with 7 years of experience, passionate about communication in all its aspects as the main tool to forge links. I consider myself a detailed, patient, and empathetic person, so even if you consider yourself a difficult student, I will know how to guide you to reach the level of Spanish you need for whatever activity you have in mind. As a student of Literature, I always had the same love for books and their stories, as well as for the Spanish language and its formation. I believe that the best way to learn is to be passionate about what you are learning and that is what I always want to achieve with my students. I have worked with children, adolescents, and adults, so I have knowledge about the different learning stages that a person can go through and the different strategies to approach them.
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Disclaimer: The information found on this website is meant only to aid healthcare professionals who want to improve their Spanish skills to communicate with their Spanish-speaking patients and not to be used as medical advice. Medical professionals should not rely on the content of this website to evaluate, diagnose or treat any health related condition.