Overview:

This workshop will equip play therapists with the tools and insights necessary to provide responsive services to culturally and linguistically diverse populations. Through trauma-informed and anti-oppressive frameworks, participants will explore how cultural values, language, family roles, migration narratives, and identity development shape the playroom experience. Emphasis will be placed on recognizing and honoring the child’s cultural worldview and how this influences their use of metaphor, symbolism, and relational engagement in play. Therapists will learn how to assess and respond to cultural and linguistic dynamics throughout all phases of play therapy—intake, assessment, early sessions, deepening work, and termination—while avoiding common pitfalls of cultural misunderstanding.