Leads:
- Cornelia Protopropescu
- Patricia Rodríguez-Martínez
Sponsors:
- The Austin Bailey Foundation
Project 22 – Reflective Practice for Interpreters
What is Project 22?
Project 22 mental health support is a wellbeing initiative focused on interpreters, including those who are asylum-seekers and refugees (ASR). Its goal is to improve mental health through monthly Reflective Practice sessions. These meetings are led by trained facilitators who also work as translators and interpreters (T&I), making them especially empathetic to the challenges of the role.
Why interpreters need mental health support
T&I professionals often face vicarious trauma—they listen to stories of war, violence, torture, and conflict. These experiences can lead to stress, burnout, insomnia, and emotional exhaustion. Interpreters are particularly at risk, as they interpret in the first person, directly absorbing their clients’ emotions.
Unlike professionals in other high-stress fields, interpreters often work without the option of debriefing, counselling, or any structured mental health support.
What happens in Reflective Practice sessions?
These monthly sessions are safe spaces to:
- Share difficult experiences from interpreting assignments.
- Talk through emotional reactions like anxiety, sadness, or fear.
- Discuss ethical dilemmas in the interpreting field.
- Learn self-care techniques and stress-reducing strategies.
Between 2024 and January 2025, Project 22 mental health support hosted monthly sessions with around eight interpreters per group. In total, 25 interpreters benefitted from this supportive circle.
Expert-led wellbeing talks
To enrich the sessions, we welcomed guest speakers who shared practical tools and insights:
- Pamela Verdugo, Psychologist – How to overcome insomnia
- Ruth Davies, Acupuncturist – How to self-help using acupressure techniques to relieve stress
- Jill Duarte – The Interpreter’s role in the Counselling Room
- Charmaine Pollard – Writing for Wellbeing
A legacy of lasting change
Thanks to Project 22 mental health support, we’ve inspired other organisations that work with interpreters to include Reflective Practice in their training or wellbeing services. This is helping to normalise care for interpreters’ mental health and build a more compassionate, resilient profession.
Gratitude to our sponsor
We would like to sincerely thank The Austin Bailey Foundation for their generous support in making this project possible.
