Cultural & Social Diversity

Understanding and embracing cultural and social diversity (CSD) is essential for professionals committed to providing inclusive and effective care. Clients come from diverse backgrounds, each with unique identities, experiences, and needs. Expanding your cultural competence not only enhances your practice but also helps create a more equitable and supportive environment for all individuals. This page provides guidance on meeting CSD requirements, selecting relevant training, and integrating diverse perspectives into your professional development.

1. How does APT define Cultural & Social Diversity?

APT defines Cultural and Social Diversity (CSD) as the recognition, appreciation, and inclusion of the diverse range of individual and group differences in society. Culture refers to the shared identities, traditions, beliefs, attitudes, values, and practices that foster a sense of belonging, unity, and cohesion among group members. APT recognizes culture as a broad concept that extends beyond race and ethnicity, such as one’s lived experiences and the complexity of one’s intersecting identities. Social diversity is centered on recognizing, celebrating, and including various perspectives and identities within society, including cultural belief and value systems, race, ethnicity, ability status, sexual and gender identity, religion, socioeconomic status, and more.

2. What is the importance of having an awareness of Cultural & Social Diversity in play therapy?

The purpose of being aware of Cultural & Social Diversity in play therapy is to deepen one’s understanding of the lived experiences of both the child and their family to 1) understand the context of the child’s play and 2) build a relationship with the family in a meaningful and supportive way. Through this deepened understanding, the play therapist can cultivate safe and inclusive therapeutic experiences where children and families can feel empowered, understood, and respected regardless of their background. The practice of CSD aims to center the voices of children and families we serve, informing clinical judgments to meet clients' unique needs with intentionality and recognition of their cultural background, social context, and lived experiences because treatment is not “one size fits all.” Play therapists are encouraged to practice cultural humility to engage clients effectively and responsively in treatment. Please refer to FAQ #3 for more information on cultural humility.

3. What is cultural humility and how is it different from cultural competence?

Cultural humility is the ongoing practice of self-reflection, life-long learning, and demonstrating a willingness to acknowledge that one will never be fully competent in another's culture. Additionally, the play therapist is proactive in examining their cultural awareness, biases, and identities, and addressing power imbalances that affect the treatment process.

Cultural competence refers to the acquisition of knowledge, skill development, and developing awareness about other cultures to appropriately engage with clients to prevent harm. Tasks associated with cultural competence include but are not limited to, continuing education and formal training about working with culturally and socially diverse populations in clinical practice.

4. What qualifications and considerations make an effective APT approved continuing education provider for topics on CSD?

a) Cultural and Social Diversity Integration: Providers must integrate CSD concepts as outlined in the Play Therapy Competencies, ensuring that the program addresses diverse cultural, social, and identity factors in a meaningful way.

b) Accurate and Empirical Content: The CE materials must clearly outline the accuracy and relevance of the content, including their empirical foundation and potential limitation to ensure the material is evidence-based and has practical applicability. Providers are expected to explicitly state when practice-based evidence is being used and acknowledge the communities from which the evidence is normed.

c) Intellectual Property Compliance: Providers must must respect intellectual property rights, including trademarks, copyrights, and service marks, and appropriately acknowledge the rights of third parties in their content. Additionally, when using social, cultural, or community-based information, it is essential to credit the specific communities and cultures from which the information is derived to prevent harm from acculturation or misappropriation of the culture(s).

d) Decolonizing/De-Westernizing the Material: Providers should intentionally work to decolonize continuing education (CE) materials by acknowledging and crediting epistemologies that have been historically marginalized or appropriated from their cultures of origin. For instance, providers should recognize and address the influence of Westernized or colonized perspectives across all areas of clinical practice, such as diagnosis, conceptualization, and treatment planning. As such, providers should offer culturally responsive strategies that decolonize these frameworks and adapt them to meet the needs of diverse populations.

By adhering to these principles, APT Approved Providers ensure that their materials are 1) rooted in current research and best practices 2) respect the diversity and complexities of the population of interest, 3) foster inclusive, ethical, and effective learning environments for attendees, and 4) ignite a powerful therapeutic process.

5. What constitutes an APT-approved CSE CE course and where can I find one?

An APT-approved CSD continuing education (CE) course is designed to enhance play therapists' knowledge, skills, and awareness of culturally and socially diverse populations (including but not limited to race, ethnicity, ability status, sexual and gender identity, religion, and socioeconomic status). The course should:

a) Increase the cultural competence of attendees by expanding their knowledge and understanding of diverse populations.

b) Emphasize the ongoing practice of sled-reflection, cultural humility, and having an openness to learn from the unique cultural and social experiences of clients.

c) Provide proactive strategies for working with clients to prevent harm and promote inclusivity.

d) Meet the minimum standards outlined by APT.

APT-approved CSD CE courses focus on continuous learning, evolving one's understanding, awareness, knowledge, and skills as a play therapist, rather than achieving mastery in CSD. Please note that these courses do not guarantee mastery of all social and cultural nuances but encourage an ongoing, reflective learning process. APT recognizes that providers have unique teaching, thereby, providers must ensure that their courses align with APT requirements. APT acknowledges that the mastery of all social and cultural nuances is unattainable and recognizes clients as experts in their own experiences. 

APT-approved CSD CE courses are listed in the Find Play Therapy Training Directory on the APT website.

6. How is Cultural and Social Diversity integrated within the supervision process in play therapy?

a) Supervisors recognize the unique identities of supervisees, themselves, and clients, ensuring that cultural and social diversity factors are intentionally integrated into the treatment process.

b) Supervisors foster a growth-oriented environment to encourage open and ongoing discussions about culture to promote lifelong learning, awareness and understanding, and proactive engagement. Supervisors should remain curious about the unique experiences and identities of the clients being served and those of the supervisee by using culturally responsive strategies, such as broaching and restorative justice practices, to integrate CSD into the supervision process effectively. ** "Broaching" is a strategy utilized to open a conversation about a sensitive topic such as culturally and socially diverse identities and experiences.

c) Supervisors regularly reflect on their own internalized cultural and social biases, and assumptions to enhance their supervision, support the growth of their supervisees, and prevent harm.

d) Supervisors maintain an open, reflective approach such as recognizing that no one can be an expert on all cultural and social experiences, thus emphasizing lifelong learning with CSD.

e) Supervisors actively listen, create an inclusive space, and engage in dialogue that respects and celebrates differences.

f) Supervisors understand that challenges will arise. When they do, it is important to acknowledge ruptures and prioritize repairing the relationship.

Examples:

Social Diversity: Alex needs to fulfill the Cultural & Social Diversity (CSD) requirement for her renewal. They primarily works with children experiencing trauma, eating disorders, and members of the Asian community. To expand their cultural competence, Alex takes a training on supporting children with autism. Since this training broadens Alex's expertise beyond their usual populations, it meets the CSD requirement.

Ability: Alex attends a training on integrating Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices in therapy sessions for nonverbal children with autism and other developmental disabilities. This training enhances Alex's ability to support children with diverse communication needs, better support families, and expand their cultural competence in working with neurodivergent clients.

Ethnicity/Race: Alex completes a course on intergenerational trauma and culturally responsive care for Southeast Asian refugee families. This training helps Alex understand the historical and cultural factors influencing mental health within this community, how to see beyond their own lived experience, and ensures they provides more nuanced and effective support.

Military Culture: Alex completes a training on understanding the unique stressors and mental health challenges faced by children in military families. This training helps Alex recognize the impact of frequent relocations, military structures / language used, parental deployment, and reintegration on a child’s emotional well-being, broadening their cultural competence in working with this population.

Body Size Culture: Alex attends a workshop on weight stigma and Health at Every Size® (HAES)-informed therapy approaches. This training equips Alex to better support children struggling with body image, disordered eating, and eating disorders by addressing cultural biases around weight, adjusting the physical space at the office to better accommodate all body sizes, and promoting body diversity acceptance.

Special thanks to 2024 Leadership Academy Graduates, Alyssa Cedillo, MA, LPC-S, RPT-S and Allison Joyal, MS, LPC-Associate, NCC for their invaluable contributions to the creation of this Cultural & Social Diversity (CSD) page. Their dedication and expertise have helped shape a resource that supports professionals in fostering inclusive and culturally competent care.