Cultural Dilemmas Experienced by Child-Centered Play Therapists in Korea

The purpose of this study is to explore the cultural dilemmas experienced by Korean child-centered play therapists when applying Western Child-Centered Play Therapy theory in clinical practice. To this end, Focus Group Interviews(FGI) were conducted with four experienced play therapists with over five years of clinical experience, and the data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The results revealed that participants experienced dilemmas in three dimensions due to the discrepancy between Western theory and Korean culture: 1) A dual dilemma regarding the view of the child, involving the conflict between perceiving the child as an independent being versus an interdependent being who requires discipline; 2) A structural dilemma in of the therapeutic relationship, struggling between the horizontal partner role and the vertical authority role expected in the Korean hierarchy; and 3) An internal dilemma of therapeutic authenticity, reflecting the tension between the value of ‘Being’ and the pressure of ‘Doing’ to prove professional competence. This study highlights these challenges as structural issues resulting from cultural differences rather than individual incompetence, underscoring the need for culturally sensitive supervision and the development of a distinct Korean CCPT identity.