176. Embracing Newcomers: Cultivating Cultural Humility as Therapists with Liliana Baylon

Lessons from the Playroom

In this insightful episode, Lisa welcomes back the incredible Liliana Baylon, a bilingual English and Spanish multicultural therapist and cultural ambassador for the Synergetic Play Therapy Institute. Building on their previous conversation about the experiences of immigrants and refugees, Lisa and Liliana delve into the evolving language and understanding around newcomers, which includes migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers.

Liliana, who has over a decade of clinical experience primarily treating LatinX community members, shares her expertise on the complexities newcomers face beyond migration trauma, such as post-migration trauma, acculturation stress, and assimilation challenges. They discuss the misconceptions and biases that therapists might hold, the multi-faceted traumas newcomers endure, and the importance of creating a culturally aware and curious therapeutic environment.

In this episode, you will learn about:

• The shift from using terms like "migrants" to "newcomers" and the significance behind this change.
• The global nature of issues faced by newcomers and common misconceptions.
• The extensive range of traumas experienced by newcomers, including generational, cultural, racial, and educational traumas.
• The impact of racism and bias on newcomers and how therapists can address these in their practice.
• The concept of acculturation stress and its effects on mental health.
• How to support newcomers by fostering curiosity and understanding their unique identities and experiences.
• Practical tips for intake processes that honor the experiences and identities of newcomers.
• The importance of relationship-building and staying curious as a part of the healing process.
• Liliana's powerful TedEx talk about her personal experiences with assimilation and cultural identity.

Join Lisa and Liliana for a heartfelt and educational conversation that will deepen your understanding and enhance your therapeutic practice with newcomers. Don’t miss out on Liliana’s wisdom and practical advice for creating a supportive and culturally aware therapeutic environment.

“Beyond simple labels, such as Latina or Immigrant, our individual and collective identities encompass a range of experiences, aptitudes, and viewpoints that add to a complex and nuanced understanding of our shared humanity” - Liliana Baylon

Find Liliana’s powerful TedEx talk about her personal experiences of assimilation and cultural identity on her website at lilianabaylon.com.

Podcast Resources:

• Synergetic Play Therapy Institute
• Synergetic Play Therapy Learning Website
• FREE Resources to support you on your play therapy journey
• Aggression in Play Therapy: A Neurobiological Approach to Integrating Intensity

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