Incorporating Religious Holidays in Therapeutic Spaces POINT


is Unnecessary and Limits the Neutrality of the Space THERESA FRASER, MA, CPT-S


Clients commit to therapy for a variety of reasons, and each client has an intersectionality of identities (Crenshaw, 2017), meaning they may view themselves in many ways simultaneously. Spirituality and religion may be important components of identity for some clients (Aten & Hernandez, 2004).


    al., 2008, p.382). Those who identify as religious may adhere to some or all of the beliefs, practices and traditions of a particular religion. Spirituality, in contrast, can be thought of as a “search for the sacred, a process through which people seek to discover, hold on to, and, when necessary, transform whatever they hold sacred 


Thoughtful therapists work to ensure that there is expansive cultural representation in their play therapy space, such as toys and sand tray miniatures, yet the presence of these may make some individuals uncomfortable. This can be particularly true if their religious practice forbids exposure to symbols of other religious practices. There may also be contradictory attitudes that are held simultaneously within communities that appear to hold a shared world view (Jacobs, 2013). Additionally, the therapist may only have symbols of the predominant religious holidays of the community while inadvertently ignoring others.


Some individuals (unbeknownst to the therapist) may have


 religious community. This includes those who have been impacted


THE MIDDLE GROUND Incorporating Religious Holiday Decorations in


Therapeutic Spaces: A Delicate Balance RODNEY FRY, MS, LPC, RPT


     decorations. For many, these festive adornments are a source of joy and        comes to therapeutic spaces, which are dedicated to healing and comfort, the decision to include religious holiday decorations becomes a nuanced     maintaining an inclusive environment that respects the diverse beliefs and backgrounds of all clients while honoring our ethical requirements of not imposing our desires and wishes on our clients. According to Abrams  or somewhat important in their lives.


Intent Matters: Decorating with Purpose 


18 | PLAYTHERAPY


 own religious views but rather about adding a layer of warmth and cheer to the environment. They should serve as a backdrop that enhances, rather than detracts from, the feeling of safety and acceptance that is essential in such settings, especially when dealing with children.


For instance, twinkling lights and neutral winter-themed decorations can            textiles. These universal symbols of of the winter season can lift spirits while avoiding potential alienation. According to Oman in  Spirituality Matter for Public Health, myriad studies show that religious or spiritual involvement improves mental health and can be useful for coping with trauma. By centering the patient and their existing beliefs, mental health


by oppression, colonization, or marginalization because of religious  Oppression is not just personal or structural but also cultural and exists when one group is labeled, promoted, or assumed dominant over another (Scammell, 2016). Examples of such populations that may lack symbol representation in the play therapy room could be the myriad communities within the LGBTQ+2 or First People’s communities.


Lee et al. (2019) acknowledges the stigma that surrounds addressing spiritual or religious content in therapy and states that this may be        may assist therapists in building awareness that dominant cultural holiday representation without also the representation of other religious holidays is an example of cultural oppression. Abrams (2023) states that more training may be required to ensure mental health clinicians can both ethically and effectively create spaces that embrace both religion and spirituality, which include the acknowledgement of religious holidays. It is therefore important for the play therapist to understand the intersectionality of identity of all who are served and protect the  and values are being challenged or disrespected. Thus the play therapist needs to be concerned that the representation of various religious holidays may not only be unnecessary but may also limit the neutrality of the therapeutic space.


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