Playful Practice: PT & Trauma x Latino Migrant Families

Presenter Biography

Milagros (Mili) Sarmiento-Shoemaker, LPC, RPT-S is a bilingual (Spanish–English), multicultural psychotherapist, supervisor, and educator based in Colorado. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor, Certified Synergetic Play Therapy® Supervisor, Supervisor Trainer, and Certification Consultant with the Synergetic Play Therapy Institute. She is also a Certified EMDR Therapist, Certified Gestalt Therapist, and Certified Family Constellation Facilitator.

Mili specializes in trauma-informed and relational work with children, adults, families, and clinicians, integrating Synergetic Play Therapy®, Gestalt therapy, EMDR, and Family Constellation approaches. She has over 15 years  of clinical experience and extensive experience working with migrants and intergenerational trauma.

Presentation Description

This workshop examines how trauma and migration shape the experiences of Latino migrant children and families within the play therapy process. We will explore how separation, loss, cultural transitions, and chronic stress influence a child’s nervous system and how these experiences show up through their play and inner world. Therapists will also reflect on what they may represent internally to Latino families—especially when the therapist identifies as white—including themes of authority, safety, power, or exclusion. Through a culturally inclusive and trauma-informed play therapy lens, participants will learn practical strategies to support regulation, connection, and healing. The workshop emphasizes cultural humility, attunement, and the importance of creating play therapy spaces where Latino migrant children and caregivers feel seen and supported.

Objectives:

1) Describe how trauma and migration experiences influence the play and inner world of Latino migrant children in play therapy.
2) Apply trauma-informed and culturally responsive play therapy strategies to support regulation, connection, and emotional expression.
3) Identify how a therapist’s racial, cultural, or power identity—including white identity—may be perceived by Latino migrant children and caregivers.
4) Demonstrate culturally humble approaches to building safe, attuned, and inclusive play therapy relationships with Latino migrant families.

Conference Policies

Eligibility Policy Educational Learning Seriesis open to mental health professionals or full-time graduate students in a mental health field. Although not eligible to receive continuing education credit, allied professionals (pediatricians, nurses, etc.) are welcome to attend.

CAPT has the right to refuse or cancel ineligible registrations at any time and shall not be held accountable for any outside fees associated with this cancellation. If you have any specific questions regarding your eligibility status, please contact [email protected].

Cancellation Policy

• Registration cancellations through eventbrite website.
• CAPT reserves the right to cancel this conference in the event of unforeseen circumstances. If such occurs, CAPT will attempt to notify registrants at least 10 calendar days prior to the conference and refund all registration, workshop, continuing education, and tour fees. In all instances, the liability of CAPT is limited to refunding such fees.

Disclaimers

• Registration and participation in CAPT workshops and other activities constitutes an agreement by the registrant to the use and distribution (both now and in the future) of the registrant or attendee’s image or voice in photographs, videos, electronic reproductions, and audiotapes of such events and activities by CAPT.
• The Educational Learning Seriesis is sponsored by CAPT for educational purposes only. The material presented is not intended to represent the only or best approaches to the topics being discussed and participants waive any claim they may have against CAPT for assurance on information presented.

Unacceptable Behavior

Professional conduct by attendees is expected while attending the CAPT conference and during sponsored events. Examples of unacceptable behavior include, but are not limited to:

• Harassment, intimidation, or discrimination in any form.
• Physical or verbal abuse of any attendee, speaker, volunteer, exhibitor, CAPT staff member, service provider, or other conference guest. Examples include, but are not limited to, verbal comments related to gender, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, religion, national origin, inappropriate use of nudity and/or sexual images in public spaces or in presentations, or threatening or stalking any attendee, speaker, volunteer, exhibitor, APT staff member, service provider, or other conference guest.
• Disruption of presentations during sessions, in the exhibit hall, or at other events organized by APT at the meeting venue, or other APTcontracted facilities. •
• Presentations, postings, and messages should not contain promotional materials, special offers, job offers, product announcements, or solicitation for services. CAPT reserves the right to remove such messages and potentially ban sources of those solicitations.
• CAPT has zero-tolerance for any form of discrimination or harassment, including but not limited to sexual harassment by participants or our staff at our meetings. If you experience harassment or hear of any incidents of unacceptable behavior, CAPT asks that you inform CAPT Board members, at [email protected] so that we may take the appropriate action. CAPT reserves the right to take any action deemed necessary and appropriate, including immediate removal from the conference without warning or refund, in response to any incident of unacceptable behavior, and CAPT reserves the right to prohibit attendance at any future conference.

Frequently Asked Questions