heavily impacted by our socio-political climate and the policies that affect their daily lives (Alegría et al., 2023). If we believe in an apolitical process, we are not viewing our racialized and marginalized clients “In what ways do my political beliefs/ support for policies hinder or increase immigrant children’s opportunities to access care?"
Lastly, we must address the limitations within our play therapy training institutions and workshops. Delgado-Romero and colleagues (2021) to properly train students and clinicians on the nuanced experiences of minoritized and racialized clients. A common misstep we notice is conceptualizing immigrant clients through an individualistic lens. protocol that does not align with their client’s value system. While not all immigrant families fall within a collectivist framework, many do and may seek interdependence to achieve emotional well-being (Swan & Ceballos, 2020). Adopting a more holistic view and engaging cultural comfort and expression of cultural humility.
Cultural humility has an interpersonal and an intrapersonal being open to enter the client’s cultural experience (Watkins, 2019). Whether through our formal training or supervision, many of us hear of the be with attitudes (Landreth, 2024) as best practices for building safe and empathic client relationships. During our work with Latine clients, we have encountered a different term that more accurately
describes our clinical process. Acompañamiento is the Spanish word for ‘accompaniment’; however, the English counterpart falls short of its true meaning. Sepúlveda (2011) introduced the construct of acompañamiento into pedagogy for education research on K–12 students. Acompañamiento is a holistic way of taking action while walking with and alongside others, deepening how people experience relationships (Rodríguez Delgado, 2023). For years, we (Mónica and Peggy) have worked alongside many Puerto Rican (PR) mental health professionals as they help children heal after disasters. Many of them with, and transforming with their child clients and families (Rodríguez being with and aligns with values from many collectivist cultures.
To practice acompañamiento with immigrant communities, we must extend beyond the counseling room or playroom. We must move towards both being open to the population's experiences and working within systems from an action-oriented and anti-oppressive framework. Play therapists must acknowledge and understand how external factors impact a client’s self-concept and ability to self- actualize (Swan & Ceballos, 2020) to provide the best treatment, including action. For instance, advocating with clients can include providing support, education, and resources to the client’s family so they have the knowledge to advocate for their child within the school teachers, school counselors, or other community partners alongside immigrant parents/caregivers.
In addition to cultural humility, having a multicultural orientation responding to the client’s cultural statements or play (Owaga, et al., 2022). Similarly, as Child-Centered play therapists, we have learned to adapt some of our practices and phrasing to support a collectivist framework, thus responding to the cultural background of the child. For example, instead of, “That looks like something you can do,” we may automatically respond with, “That looks like something we can do together.” We may also say, “You are proud of your drawing, and I am proud with you.” As Spanish speakers, we introduce the room in both English and Spanish (if the child is bilingual/Spanish-speaking) and switch languages depending on what the child is using. Immigrant children may hesitate to initiate play due to cultural values (do not touch anything until you are given permission). To honor this value, we often include a pre-session with the child, introducing the playroom and giving explicit permission to touch all the toys.
Resilience and Advocacy
“Resilience is… a dynamic and multidimensional construct that refers to individuals’ ability to face critical events and to successfully 2021, p. 393). Studies in Sri Lanka (Somasundaram & Sivayokan, 2013) and Afghanistan (Panter-Brick, 2015) reported that in collectivist communities, resilience is often linked to strong connections within family and community networks. Thus, a sense of community is a
12 | PLAYTHERAPY December 2024 |
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