Play therapists understand that children need relationships for sustaining life as they need air and water. The growth of the brain is influenced by relationships, cultural contexts, and the social environment. When children are embedded within systems that are bathed in chronic stress, it creates disorganization to normative development. Racism, homophobia, misogyny, the socio-political climate, and other forms of marginalization create negative long-term health outcomes. This workshop supports play therapists in developing theoretically grounded guidelines for clinical assessment of systems and the formulation of treatment goals to include factors of chronic disconnection and shame amplified by controlling societal images, social structure, cultural, racial, class, and gender-based marginalization. The workshop challenges play therapy clinicians to engage in experiential learning which identifies intersectionality and bias within the play therapist and how those factors influence assessment and treatment. The Association for Play Therapy (2022) asserted it was essential for play therapists to, “acquire and continuously seek knowledge about how cultural backgrounds, influences, and biases operate in the lives of their clients” (p.21). Play therapists have an obligation to understand human rights as a moral imperative, and to engage clients in services which achieves safety within the therapeutic setting. This workshop will blend play therapy best practice standards with relational-cultural theory to support emerging play therapists in forming comprehensive case conceptualizations of their client systems and engage in diagnostic assessment practices with careful consideration to intersectionality and diverse experiences.
Primary Area: Play Therapy Special Topics & Play Therapy Cultural and Social Diversity Topics
Play Therapy Competencies Addressed: Knowledge & Understanding of Play Therapy
Theoretical Basis: Other
Webinar Schedule:
5:00-6:30 pm Present Content
6:30-6:45 pm Break
6:45-8:15 pm Present Content
