Lost in Translation? The Psychology of Language, Creativity and BelongingWith Dominique van Werkhoven, co-founder of The Werks Are we the same person in every language we speak? And what happens when the words we have available don't quite allow us to express who we are? In this episode of Psychologically Speaking, I'm joined by Dominique van Werkhoven, copywriter, content strategist and co-founder of The Werks, a digital marketing agency specialising in story-led marketing for cross-cultural brands. Dominique is a Londoner who has made her home in France, Austria and the Netherlands. She speaks English, French and Dutch, and has a wonderful curiosity about how language works, how stories travel between cultures, and what we learn about ourselves along the way. We start with childhood storytelling, a love letter written on Care Bears stationery and the rather unexpected consequences of learning Dutch from teenagers. But our conversation takes us somewhere deeper. Dominique shares her experiences of writing publicly, the racism she encountered after appearing in the British press, and the additional work that can come with being visible in spaces that haven't always welcomed you. We also get curious about the psychology. Does speaking more than one language make us more creative? What role does cognitive flexibility play? And how do metaphors, humour and cultural references change when we move between languages? Along the way, we explore the tension between fitting in and standing out, the importance of finding spaces where we feel safe enough to express ourselves, and what it really means to find your voice. In this episode, we explore: The relationship between multilingualism, creativity and cognitive flexibility.Why learning a language is about much more than vocabulary.Code-switching, cultural identity and expressing different parts of ourselves.The psychology of storytelling, metaphors and shared meaning.Visibility, racism and the unequal costs of putting ourselves out into the world.Why belonging shouldn't require us to flatten the things that make us different. It's a conversation about words, but perhaps even more about what happens when we feel able to use them. Find out more about Dominique and The Werks: https://thewerks.nl/about/ Explore more of Dominique's writing: Nomad Sixty-One — reflections on belonging, identity and finding your voice across cultures. Psychologically Speaking is hosted by psychologist Leila Ainge, exploring the psychology behind how we think, feel and behave. Join The Winter Reflection RoomBefore you decide whether you've had a good year, isn't it worth questioning what you've been measuring it against? The Winter Reflection Room, What Counts?, begins on 9 November 2026. Over eight weeks, we'll bring together carefully curated contemporary art by women artists, psychology, poetry and thoughtful questions to explore achievement, meaning and the things we often overlook. You'll receive weekly emails, audio reflections and invitations to two live online gatherings. £49 for the full eight weeks. Find out more at leilaainge.co.uk. And if you'd like a taster, listen to the four mini Reflection Room episodes already available in the Psychologically Speaking podcast feed.
