Bridging Cultures in Play Therapy
COE

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THE PLAY THERAPY TRAINING INSTITUTE PROUDLY PRESENTS:
Mia Kim Chang, Ph.D., LPC, NCC

Bridging Cultures in Play Therapy: Empowering Asian American Children and Families through Play Therapy
Friday, February 20, 2026 (9 A.M. – 12:00 P.M.)
On-Line Via Zoom
3 Non-Contact CEs - Satisfies the Cultural and Social Diversity Requirement for the Association for Play Therapy Credential
Overview: 
 
It is critical for play therapists collaborating with children and their families across diverse communities to engage in multiculturally oriented play therapy approaches. This workshop will highlight the evolving Asian American population, suggest play therapy’s empowering potential with this population, and aim to enhance play therapy clinicians’ and researchers’ multicultural orientation. It is critical for play therapists collaborating with children and their families across diverse communities to engage in multiculturally oriented play therapy approaches. This workshop will highlight the evolving Asian American population, suggest play therapy’s empowering potential with this population, and aim to enhance play therapy clinicians’ and researchers’ multicultural orientation.

Description of Training:
 

Individuals of Asian descent living in the U.S. make up a significant proportion of our population. Across this growing and multifaceted community, Asian children are identified as the least likely of children to use mental health resources than any other ethnic/racial group (Zablotsky & Ng, 2023). Considering this context, it is necessary to find ways to fortify this population and reduce the treatment gap. Various meta-analyses on play therapy efficacy research underscore that this modality can effectively promote positive therapeutic changes among children navigating mental health experiences.


It is important for play therapists collaborating with children and their families across diverse communities to continually reflect, develop, and implement multiculturally oriented practices and for play therapy researchers to evaluate the efficacy of play approaches on such populations to support the multicultural focus of our play therapy practice.

To respond to this need, this workshop will highlight the complexities of the evolving Asian American population, their value systems, and their mental health experiences and underscore how play therapy can empower this population’s mental health and well-being. The presenter will suggest Adlerian play therapy as a play therapy approach that can enhance Asian American children and their families, and considerations for play therapists and play therapy researchers partnering with this population. She will also share insights from her work supporting this population, her play therapy research, and lived experiences as an Asian American mental health professional practicing play therapy.

Participants will be invited to collaboratively engage through lecture, group discussions, and reflective as well as experiential activities. This workshop will support developing play therapists’ and play therapy researchers’ awareness, knowledge, and multicultural orientation (MCO) partnering with diverse communities, particularly individuals of Asian descent, in their play therapy practice and/or research and identify ways they plan to strengthen their practices to empower diverse populations, especially across today's sociocultural and sociopolitical climate.

Learning Objective: 
 
1. Describe the mental health experiences of Asian American children and how Adlerian play therapy can be a culturally empowering approach.
2. Explain the importance of cultural contributions when partnering with Asian American children and their families in both play therapy practice and research.
3. Identify at least two key considerations for intentional collaborations with Asian American children and their families.
4. Develop strategies to ensure culturally affirming, responsive, and inclusive play therapy.
Presenter Information:
  Dr. Terry Kottman

Mia Kim Chang, Ph.D., LPC, NCC. Mia currently supports children and families at a private practice in Georgia and is the instructor for the Introduction to Play Therapy course at Georgia State University. Mia is committed to addressing the mental health needs of marginalized communities and actively advocates for amplifying best practices when partnering with these multidimensional communities. Her research interests include ethnic-specific help-seeking attitudes and behaviors, Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islanders’ (AANHPI) mental health and well-being, play therapy, and culturally empowering counseling practices. Through her research, she strives to advance mental health awareness and encourage stronger mental health practices among marginalized communities.

Costs/Registration Fees Per Workshop:
Affiliation Cost
Professional $75.00
CPS Alumni $50.00
Student $25.00


*Please provide the year you graduated and Panther Card ID #.
**Current students must complete and send the Application for Student Discount Rate (p. 5) to qualify for the reduced fee.

Registration Website

https://secure.touchnet.com/C20797_ustores/web/store_main.jsp?STOREID=172

Please note: The Play Therapy Training Institute does not accept checks.

Cancellation/Refund Policy

Cancellations must be received in writing seven days prior to the workshop to receive a refund and are subject to a $10.00 processing fee.

Number of Continuing Education Non-Contact Hours Offered

3 Non-Contact Hours
The Georgia State University Play Therapy Training Institute is approved by the Association for Play Therapy to offer continuing education specific to play therapy (provider number: 10- 268).

Consistent with Rule 510-8-.02 (State Board of Examiners of Psychologists) and Rule 135-9-.01 (Composite Board of Professional Counselors, Social Workers and Marriage and Family Therapists), the accredited psychology and counseling programs in the Department of Counseling and Psychological Services provide approved continuing education programs for psychologists and counselors licensed in the State of Georgia.

ADA Accommodations

Accommodation will be made in accordance with the law. If you require ADA accommodations please contact Katie Lowry kpalmeri@gsu.edu (404-413-8012) at least two weeks before the conference date so arrangements can be made.

Questions? Please contact Jimmy Enobabor jenobabor1@gsu.edu  

Bridging Cultures in Play Therapy

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