Let's Go Outside: Nature-Based Play Therapy Through the Lens of Cultural Humility

This chapter explores how therapists can use cultural humility to guide decision-making in play therapy. Cultural humility is a lifelong process that supports therapists in working with diverse populations by recognizing biases, power dynamics, and culture-specific needs in the therapist–client relationship. Failure to implement an anti-oppressive and anti-racist practice might unintentionally result in further marginalization of minority populations. As such, when clinicians introduce nature into the play therapy space, they require an understanding of the client’s experience and possess a willingness to follow that child’s lead. In doing this, professionals acknowledge that clients are the experts in their life and culture. This chapter presents a vignette of eight-year-old Jose and his healing journey from physical abuse and immigration-related separation from his mother using nature as a tool for transformation.