Play Therapy in Asia

This edited volume seeks to highlight the development of play therapy in various countries and cities in Asia. The editors discuss how mostly Western play therapy approaches are adapted for use in Asian countries. Having existed for years in the West, play therapy is still in its early stage of development in most Asian countries including Mainland China, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia. This is the first play therapy book written by experts from specific Asian cultures for practitioners and students who are working in the mental health field for Asian groups. Each chapter first describes play therapy development in that particular culture and then uses a case study to illustrate how play therapy can be adapted to suit specific cultural beliefs and environments in order to connect parents with their children or to address clients’ needs. This text will be welcomed by professors, clinicians, and parents of all cultures East and West.

Angela F. Y. Siu is a registered clinical psychologist and has credentials in play therapy. She is also a certified Theraplay® Therapist/Trainer, as well as a certified Filial Therapy Instructor. She specializes in strengthening family relationships through play, and conducts play therapy trainings and supervision for various international professional associations. Angela graduated from The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), with a major in Psychology. She completed postgraduate training in the Institute of Child Study at the University of Toronto, Canada with a specialization in child assessment and counseling. She further received professional training in clinical psychology. She served in various education, social service and clinical settings in Canada and in Hong Kong before she joined CUHK as a faculty staff. She is now Associate Professor at the Department of Educational Psychology, CUHK. One of her research interests is in child assessment and counseling, particularly in using play as an approach for children with special needs and their families. She has served as a consultant for non-government organizations and schools in providing intervention programs for students with various abilities and needs. She has also published book chapters and research studies, and has presented in Asian and international conferences in play therapy.

Alicia K. L. Pon has been a child psychotherapist and social worker since 1996. Her training is in general psychology, child and adolescent mental health, play therapy, sandplay therapy, Somatic Experiencing®, grief counseling and social work. Alicia’s experiences and specializations include divorce and separation, grief and loss, complex trauma, adoption and attachment, developmental stresses, and parent-child relationship. At present, Alicia is a Senior Lecturer with the Department of Social Work, National University of Singapore. Prior to this, Alicia has been a staff of and served as an Honorary Assistant Professor with the University of Hong Kong and Hong Kong Shue Yan University for six years. She continues to lecture and supervise undergraduate and postgraduate students in the areas of counseling and psychotherapy, grief and loss, child and adolescent mental health, play therapy and social work. In addition, Dr. Pon has been highly involved in the research and training on Somatic Work, play therapy, complex trauma, and end of life.