Quando il paziente proviene da una cultura differente: la fatica e il rischio dell'ascolto”

The hospitalisation of a Brasilian woman, suffering from Borderline Personality Disorder, requires the Psychiatrists to face the cultural convinctions of the patient. The patient distinguishes the field of her psychiatric pathology (that takes on the shape of the personality disorder) from the field of the magical influence (which produces her auditory hallucinations). These Psychiatrists resolve the dilemma of deciding whether to choose a priori their own culture or the patient’s. They then give up the idea of utilising the tools that allow them to understand the psychic events that their culture provided them with. Thus, we can say that the patients finally become the true protagonists of their stories and their therapy. Key Words: Hallucinations, Culture, Trans-cultural Psychiatry, Magical Influence, Borderline Personality Disorder