Abstract
Through the lens of de Cervantes’s classic Spanish novel, Don Quijote de la Mancha, we discuss the nature of language and reality and the idea of therapeutic story-sharing or chismorreo (gossiping). Within the Latinx community, the oral practice of chismear or chismorrear is a common communicational practice that involves imagination, fascination, and novelty (Tanaka, Fermentum. Revista Venezolana de Sociología y Antropología 17:646–672, 2007). In this chapter, we explore how Spanish-speaking marriage and family therapy (MFT) supervisors and therapists, at Our Lady of the Lake University, San Antonio, embrace their novelistic imagination to explore clients’ resourceful identities, peripheral stories, and undefined journeys.
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Notes
- 1.
We, Carlos, Jimena, and Alvaro, embrace the term Latinx to refer to our linguistic and cultural commonalities while also embracing our cultural idiosyncrasies. Born in Venezuela to Cuban parents, Carlos emigrated to Miami as a toddler. Jimena is from Cali, Colombia, and she has been living in the USA for over 10 years. Alvaro was born in Mexico and emigrated to Texas as a child.
- 2.
The words chismorrear, chismear, or chusmear will be used interchangeably throughout this chapter. These words are used in different Latin American countries to refer to the linguistic and sociocultural practice of telling chismes, that is, of sharing intimate stories about others who are not present (Tanaka 2007). We are using the word gossiping as the closest translation in English; however, we acknowledge that the felt sense of the chismear cannot be captured in translation.
- 3.
In a review of the literature, Tanaka (2007) noted that the practice of gossiping has been studied in different social contexts throughout history. Some studies focused on highlighting negative and serious consequences of the practice (e.g., moral sanction and public humiliation), whereas others have pointed toward its positive aspects (e.g., promoting friendship and facilitating group cohesion, among others).
- 4.
The conversation with Lina was conducted in Spanish. The team members who participated during the initial conversation included the co-therapists (Alvaro and Erric), the supervisor behind the mirror (Jimena), and four other therapists in training (i.e., Celeste, Ann, Areli, and Valerie). During the follow-up session, Carlos was the supervisor behind the mirror.
- 5.
In this chisme, Alvaro was one of the therapists, and Carlos was the supervisor observing behind the one-way mirror. All conversations were in Spanish.
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Ramos, C.A., Castro, J., Velez, J.A.G. (2021). Therapeutic Latinx Story-Sharing or Chismorreo. In: polanco, m., Zamani, N., Kim, C.D.H. (eds) Bilingualism, Culture, and Social Justice in Family Therapy. AFTA SpringerBriefs in Family Therapy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-66036-9_7
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