Play is a child’s first language. It allows children to communicate their experiences and emotions in a complete and complex way without words at all. For Miriam, play is a way to connect and understand. It gives her a window into a child’s inner world and helps to build trust and safety so that the child can have the freedom to be themself. Miriam is a graduate intern, currently completing her master’s degree in Couple and Family Therapy at Antioch University Seattle. After earning her BA majoring in Psychology and Spanish, she spent a number of years working in childcare before pursuing her master’s degree. Miriam chose Antioch to learn theories like Emotionally Focused Therapy and Narrative therapy to enhance her work with families. She seeks to understand all of the factors that impact the family system, from family history to cultural context to current events. In addition to her master’s degree, Miriam is working towards a Play Therapy certification and is hoping to become a registered play therapist. With this certification, she is learning Child Centered Play Therapy (CCPT) as her primary way of working with children. CCPT is non-directive and child-centered, supporting Miriam’s passion to help children develop a variety of skills. Through play therapy, she hopes to support children with emotional regulation, feeling identification and expression, independence, self-confidence, and much more. Miriam hopes to create a safe, supportive, non-judgemental environment, and collaborate with children and families to achieve their goals.