Culturally Attuned Play Therapy: Honoring Stories, Not Stereotypes
- Liliana Baylon, LMFT-S, RPT-S
- Jul 8
- 3 min read
Children communicate their inner worlds through play long before they can articulate their pain in words. As play therapists, we are invited into these rich, nonverbal narratives. However, what happens when we enter the playroom without examining our assumptions? When we interpret play through our cultural lenses instead of theirs?
As a bilingual, bicultural therapist, and play therapy supervisor, I have seen firsthand how
culture shapes the way children play, attach, and heal. I have also seen how easily we, despite good intentions, can misread or minimize their stories if we are not attuned to them.
Cultural humility is not just a concept; it is a way of being. It is a practice. One rooted in
curiosity, accountability, and relational awareness. Unlike cultural competence, which often implies mastery or completion, cultural humility asks us to stay teachable. To hold space for what we do not know. Moreover, to honor each child’s story as valid, even when it does not align with our expectations or training.
Let me share an example.
A young girl in play therapy continued to build fences with blocks and place a doll behind them. A therapist unfamiliar with her migration journey might see this as abuse, avoidance or defiance. However, through a culturally humble lens, this became a story of displacement, border trauma, and longing. Recognizing the symbolism opened the door to deeper work and attunement.
In our upcoming workshop, Culturally Attuned Play Therapy: Honoring Stories, Not Stereotypes, on August 01, 2025, we will explore how to:
Define and practice cultural humility in real-time, not just as a value but as an action.
Identify the biases we carry into the playroom, conscious or not.
Move beyond tokenism in our toy selection by using research-informed frameworks, such as those shared by Chung et al. (2023), to create inclusive and intentional spaces.
Engage families in the therapeutic process in culturally responsive ways, drawing from Gil, Drewes, and Grant’s (2021) work on family collaboration.
Avoid stereotyping by asking questions instead of making assumptions. What does safety look like to this family? What stories does this child bring from home, community, and migration?
Through experiential activities, reflective exercises, and case-based dialogue, you will walk away with tools to create sessions that are safer, braver, and more authentic. This is not about being perfect. It is about staying present and committed to learning. As Lisa Dion and Eliana Gil remind us in their conversations on multiculturalism in play therapy, culture is dynamic, not static. It is evident in tone, rhythm, values, silence, and the toys that children choose not to touch. When we practice cultural humility, we allow children to show up fully, not just as clients but as narrators of their healing.
What stories are your clients trying to tell you?
Are we listening with curiosity or interpreting through assumption?
Let us reframe how we enter the playroom not as experts but as guests.
Liliana Baylon has a master’s degree in counseling & Marriage, Family, & Child Therapy as well as an MBA from University of Phoenix in Colorado. Since entering the therapy field, Liliana has developed an interest and niche in treating children and families who have experienced trauma, and multicultural issues from an attachment lens. To better treat these populations, Liliana has received training in different modalities, some of which she is a trained educator.
Liliana is an AAMFT Approved Supervisor, EMDRIA Approved Consultant, Registered Play Therapist Supervisor, Synergetic Play Therapy Consultant, EFT Supervisor, EMDR Certified, TheraPlay Level 1, Independent Facilitator of the Becoming a Love and Logic Parent Curriculum, Bring Baby Home Gottman Trained Educator, Gottman Seven Principles Program Educator, Completed Level 2 Training in Gottman Method Couples Therapy. Liliana’s brings a unique cultural lens into her therapy and supervision sessions. Liliana is passionate about working with fellow mental health professionals to embrace curiosity, inspiration, and discover meaning to rise to their full potential from attachment and cultural lenses. Liliana offers workshops in the field of Mental Health and Cultural Opportunity for Psychotherapist, Psychologist, Psychiatrist, Teachers and Consultations for Agencies, Schools, Private Practices, Mental Health Centers, & Non-Profits in English, and Spanish.
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