You may be able to describe your week perfectly well in English, then find that the words for a family memory arrive first in Farsi. Or the opposite may happen. English might give you enough distance to say something that feels harder to approach in the language you grew up speaking.
Neither response means you are using the wrong language. For many bilingual people, language is connected to place, relationships, age, and experience. The words you use at work may not be the words you use with a parent, partner, or childhood friend.
Therapy does not require you to choose one language and stay there. If your therapist offers care in Farsi and English, both can have a place in the room.
Do I have to choose Farsi or English before the first session?
No. You can tell the therapist which language you expect to use most, while leaving room to change your mind.
Some people begin in English because that is the language they use for appointments, school, or work. Farsi may appear later when the conversation turns toward family, belonging, grief, or an experience that happened in that language. Others begin in Farsi because it feels more natural, then use an English word when it is clearer or more familiar.
You do not need to translate every sentence neatly. You can pause, try the same thought a different way, or say, “There is a word for this in Farsi, but I am not sure how to explain it in English.” That uncertainty is useful information, not a failure to communicate.
Why can the same story feel different in another language?
A language can carry more than vocabulary. It may also hold particular relationships, memories, humour, expectations, and ways of showing respect or closeness.
Research suggests that emotional experience can shift with language, but it does not support a simple rule that a first language is always more emotional. A study of Persian-English bilingual speakers found differences in how positive and negative emotions were expressed across languages. Earlier experimental research with another bilingual group also found that the emotional effect depended on the person and the language context, rather than following one universal pattern.
In everyday terms, Farsi may feel closer for one subject and English may feel safer for another. The useful question is not, “Which language is more authentic?” It is, “What changes for me when I say this in each language?”
What if I know mental health words only in English?
That is common enough to bring up directly. Perhaps you learned words such as anxiety, boundaries, attachment, or burnout through school, social media, or a previous therapist in English. You may understand the idea clearly without having a Farsi phrase that feels equally natural.
You do not need to prove fluency in either language. A bilingual session can include English clinical terms, Farsi descriptions, half-finished translations, and ordinary language that feels more like you.
A therapist should also explain unfamiliar terms instead of assuming that a label means the same thing to everyone. Clear therapy is not about using the most technical word. It is about building a shared understanding of what you are experiencing.
Can I switch languages when a conversation becomes emotional?
Yes. Switching may happen deliberately, or you may notice it only after the words have changed.
Sometimes a different language brings you closer to a feeling. Sometimes it creates a little breathing room. Either can be worth noticing. Your therapist may ask what the shift was like, but should not treat every language change as having one fixed meaning.
You can also ask to slow down. If a sentence feels more intense than expected, it is okay to pause, return to English, return to Farsi, or leave the thought unfinished for the moment. Therapy should move at a pace that allows you to remain part of the conversation.
How can bilingual couples sessions work?
Couples do not always share the same language preferences. One partner may be more comfortable discussing emotions in Farsi while the other relies more on English. A couple may also use one language with each other and another with their families.
Talk about this during the consultation. Ask which languages the therapist can provide therapy in, which language each partner understands, and how the therapist will make sure both people can follow the conversation. Therapy should not leave one partner repeatedly waiting for a summary or wondering what was said.
The goal is not to decide which language is better. It is to create a conversation in which both partners can participate meaningfully. Depending on the couple, that may mean using one shared language most of the time, switching for particular words, or stopping to clarify when meaning gets lost.
Does speaking Farsi mean the therapist will understand my culture?
Shared language can reduce the amount of explaining you need to do, but it should never become permission for a therapist to make assumptions.
Farsi-speaking communities are not one experience. People differ in family structure, migration history, religion, gender, sexuality, generation, region, and how closely they identify with cultural traditions. Two people can use the same phrase and mean very different things by it.
Culturally responsive therapy stays curious. A therapist may recognize that family expectations or community context matter without deciding in advance what they mean in your life. You should be able to correct an assumption, explain that something does not fit, or say that culture is not the main issue you want to discuss.
What should I ask during a consultation?
You do not need a polished explanation of why language matters to you. A few practical questions are enough:
- Do you provide psychotherapy in both Farsi and English?
- Can I switch languages during a session?
- How do you handle a couples session if each partner has a different preference?
- What is your exact regulated title and registration number?
- Do you work with the concern I am bringing?
- Are appointments online, in person, or both?
- What are the fee and session length?
- How do privacy and confidentiality work?
In Ontario, Registered Psychotherapist and Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) are regulated titles. You can verify a clinician’s registration through the CRPO public register. The CRPO Professional Practice Standards also require registrants to explain consent, confidentiality, fees, and relevant practice arrangements.
Insurance coverage varies by plan. Before a paid appointment, ask your insurer whether services from the clinician’s exact regulated category are eligible. A receipt does not guarantee reimbursement.
Therapy in Farsi and English at Anchor & Bloom
Rashin Heydari-Alamdari, Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying), CRPO #21595, offers individual and couples psychotherapy in Farsi/Persian and English. She works with concerns including anxiety, emotional regulation, self-esteem and identity, relationships, life transitions, and the impact of past experiences.
Appointments are available virtually across Ontario and in person at the Anchor & Bloom office in Mississauga. A free 15-minute consultation is a place to ask how language, format, fees, and fit would work before booking a full session.
Read more about therapy in Farsi and Persian or review Rashin’s approach and credentials. If you are uncertain which language you would use, you do not need to decide before reaching out.
This article provides general information for bilingual clients in Ontario. Language preference, clinical fit, insurance coverage, and the structure of therapy depend on the individual circumstances and should be discussed directly with the treating clinician.