Playing While Black: Addressing the Needs of African American Children in Play Therapy
Presenter(s): LaKaavia Taylor, PhD, LPC-S (Texas), NCC, RPT, Certified CCPT-S, Certified CPRT-S
NASW-NYS Members: $30
NASW Other Chapter Members: $60
Non-Members: $75
This workshop is approved for 3.0 continuing education credit hour(s) for licensed social workers, licensed mental health counselors, licensed marriage and family therapists, and licensed psychologists.
Workshop Description
African American children have unique needs that are often overlooked and misinterpreted in clinical settings. In particular, they face heightened risks of developing mental health concerns due to historical adversity, systemic oppression, cultural differences, and socioeconomic disparities (Harris & Graham, 2014). The intersection of these factors significantly impacts the overall psychological adjustment of African American children and families. Specifically, the social, emotional, and behavioral strengths needed to navigate racial stress and trauma, societal perceptions, and microaggressions related to the lived experiences of being a Black child in America (Belgrave & Allison, 2015). However, African Americans often have limited access to culturally responsive counseling services. Therefore, clinicians need to be prepared to address the concerns of African American children.
In this workshop, participants will learn how to use play therapy skills, interventions, and attitudes to address the unique needs and cultural strengths of African American children and families. Participants will also have opportunities to explore their own beliefs and biases.
Learning Objectives
After the completion of this webinar, participants will be able to:
- Describe the unique mental health needs of African American children.
- Identify 4 signs of race-related stress and challenges that may appear in African American children’s lives and play therapy sessions.
- Describe 3 relevant play therapy attitudinal traits, skills, and methods needed to work effectively with African American children and families.
- Identify 2 considerations for creating a culturally inclusive playroom for African American children.
This workshop is approved for 3.0 continuing education credit hour(s).
NASW-NYS is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers (Provider ID #0014), licensed mental health counselors (Provider ID #MHC-0053), licensed marriage and family therapists (Provider ID #MFT-0037) and licensed psychologists (Provider ID #PSY-0088).
LaKaavia Taylor, PhD, LPC-S (Texas), NCC, RPT, Certified CCPT-S, Certified CPRT-S, is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the counseling program at the University of North Texas, where she earned her PhD in counseling with a specialization in play therapy. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor, National Certified Counselor, and a Registered Play Therapist. Dr. Taylor has counseling experience with children, adolescents, and families in various settings, including community agencies, schools, private practice, and university clinics. Her clinical expertise is multicultural counseling. She also has extensive experience working with children to address trauma, socio-emotional development, racial identity, and behavioral concerns. Dr. Taylor has specialized training as a Certified Child-Centered Play Therapist Supervisor and a Certified Child-Parent Relationship Therapist Supervisor. She is the first researcher in the field to conduct a randomized controlled trial exploring the effectiveness of play therapy with African-American children. Dr. Taylor has delivered presentations at numerous national and state professional conferences, published research on play therapy, and contributed to A Therapist’s Guide to Child Development: Extraordinarily Normal Years and Multicultural Play Therapy: Making the Most of Cultural Opportunities with Children. Through her current and past leadership positions in various counseling organizations, she engages in advocacy efforts for children and adolescents in counseling.
