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- 703-595-6988
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Reclaiming Black Childhood: Disrupting Cognitive Biases in the School-to-Prison Pipeline
The Black Play Therapy® Symposium will offer continuing education credit for the following:
Unicorn Life Training, #2031, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 01/24/2026 – 01/24/2029. Social workers participating in this symposium will receive up to 12 continuing education credits.
Up to 12 Contact CEs Sponsored by Unicorn Life Training APT Approved Provider 18-532. Play Therapy CEs Available to Mental Health Professionals & Graduate Students in a Mental Health Program.
Black Play Therapy Symposium has been approved by NBCC for NBCC credit. Unicorn Life Training is solely responsible for all aspects of the program. NBCC Approval No. SP-4918.
Unicorn Life Training is responsible for this continuing education program for play therapists, social workers, and counselors.
Continuing education credits are for mental health professionals ONLY! Please check with your licensing board for CE approval requirements.
The Black Play Therapy Symposium® is more than an event; it’s a call to action and a collective movement toward culturally responsive, healing-centered trauma care within the Black community.
The Black Play Therapy® Symposium offers a powerful space for learning, reflection, growth, and collaboration as we examine the cognitive biases that drive the criminalization and institutionalization of Black children. Participants will explore how unconscious bias operates as invisible machinery, stealing Black childhoods and perpetuating cycles of harm. This is more than a conference; it is a call to action to disrupt harmful narratives, honor Black childhood, heal, and reclaim it.
The 2026 Black Play Therapyâ„¢ Symposium will bring together mental health professionals, parents, educators, advocates, and community leaders to confront the systemic loss of Black childhood. Through in-depth exploration of the cognitive biases driving the school-to-prison pipeline, this symposium moves beyond awareness to action, equipping attendees with practical tools, critical insights, and collective support to interrupt bias, disrupt criminalization and institutionalization, challenge harmful narratives, strengthen protective relationships, and reclaim the joy, safety, and innocence that define childhood.
This year’s sessions will emphasize both personal accountability and systemic change through experiential learning and collective action. Attendees will examine how cognitive biases operate across educational, mental health, child welfare, and juvenile justice systems through an interactive panel discussion, expressive activities, and case-based examples. These sessions will provide actionable strategies to interrupt bias at every level while fostering individual skill development and community support for those committed to disrupting the school-to-prison pipeline.
We look forward to welcoming mental health professionals, parents, educators, advocates, and community leaders, all committed to supporting Black children and families through play therapy, creative arts, and expressive therapies.
Join us for the 2026 Black Play Therapy® Symposium, where every session will prepare you to recognize and interrupt the cognitive biases that criminalize Black children, challenge oppressive systems, and create the conditions for Black childhood to flourish.
We reserve the right to change the sessions, schedule, and speakers. Symposium registrants will be notified immediately of any changes.
Launched in 2019, the Black Play Therapy™ Symposium is a pioneering event dedicated to exploring the transformative power of play therapy within Black communities. The symposium aims to bridge critical gaps in mental health training and service delivery by addressing the barriers that prevent Black individuals and families from seeking and receiving the essential care they need—not just to survive, but to thrive.
Our mission is to create a safe and inclusive space where attendees can deepen their understanding of culturally responsive play therapy techniques, trauma healing strategies, and the enduring impact of historical trauma on the mental health of members of the Black community. Through workshops, keynote presentations, and interactive sessions, we strive to introduce participants to practical and advanced tools and insights to support healing and resilience in Black individuals and families.
At the Black Play Therapy® Symposium, we believe in creating a welcoming and inclusive space where individuals and professionals from all backgrounds can come together to learn, share experiences, and collaborate toward a common goal of advancing mental health equity and healing within the Black community.
Our symposium is open to individuals and mental health professionals of all levels, including master’s students, therapists, counselors, psychologists, social workers, psychiatrists, parents, caregivers, educators, researchers, advocates, and community leaders passionate about promoting mental wellness and addressing mental health disparities.
What sets the Black Play Therapy® Symposium apart is our commitment to providing culturally responsive and relevant training and information that honors the Black community’s diverse identities, experiences, and needs. Our sessions span a wide range of focus areas, including ethical standards of care, play therapy techniques, creative and expressive modalities, trauma-responsive practices, cultural competence, cultural humility, advocacy strategies, and more, each tailored to address the unique challenges and strengths within Black communities.
We believe in the power of collaboration and partnership, and our symposium offers ample opportunities for networking, knowledge-sharing, and building supportive connections with fellow attendees. Whether you want to expand your professional skills, gain new insights, advocate for Black children and families, or connect with like-minded individuals, the Black Play Therapy® Symposium is the place to be.
Thank you for considering the Black Play Therapyâ„¢ Symposium as your premier cultural diversity continuing education event. We look forward to welcoming you into our inclusive, dynamic learning, growth, and connection community.
Have a question or feedback? Reach out to us—your input is crucial for our shared journey.
703-595-6988
Join us for a dynamic learning experience that engages your whole self, head, heart, and hands. Over two days, you’ll participate in an interactive keynote, LEGO®-based and expressive arts activities, a panel discussion with professionals from schools to juvenile justice settings, case discussions in small groups, and bias-interruption practice with your peers.
Whether you’re a therapist, teacher, parent, or advocate, you’ll find practical strategies you can apply immediately and meaningful connections with others doing this work. This is learning that respects your experience while expanding your capacity: interactive, collaborative, and immediately applicable. Bring your expertise, and we’ll build on it together.
This is your chance to be part of the solution. Register today – Space is limited!
Join us for the Black Play Therapy Symposium, a groundbreaking event dedicated to addressing and healing the unique mental health challenges Black communities face. This symposium is designed to create a safe and supportive space where mental health professionals, therapists, educators, and advocates can come together to explore the powerful healing potential of play therapy within the context of the Black experience. We can collectively work towards helping Black communities heal from trauma, acknowledge the unique needs and struggles they face, and foster resilience and well-being.
The Black Play Therapy Symposium aims to achieve the following goals:
