This study investigated the effectiveness of short-term child-centered group play therapy in elementary school settings with Chinese children in Taiwan who experienced an earthquake in 1999. Children in the experimental group scored significantly lower on anxiety level and suicide risk after play therapy than did children in the control group. The effects of the treatment support previous studies of play therapy with American children. These findings reveal the possibility of disaster intervention services adopting Western helping techniques with school children of non-Western cultures.

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This qualitative study investigates the career placement concerns of international graduate students returning to their home countries, heading to other countries, or remaining in the United States after their education. Using a phenomenological framework, structured interviews were conducted with 24 participants (i.e., 18 international students, 1 naturalized status student, 3 faculty members, and 2 career counselors). Assertions that emerged suggested that the students possess diverse career plans influenced by numerous unique factors. Major, gender, and geography were not salient factors affecting the students' career placement needs. Students used contacts in their academic fields far more than they used campus career services, due to negative perceptions of or limited services that the center could provide. Based on these findings, more outreach to the international student community and collaboration between the career counseling and placement center and other campus departments are recommended.

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This study surveyed 86 Texas school counselors applying play therapy across cultures. Based on the counselors' own comparisons synthesized from play therapy versus talk therapy practices, counselors reported that play therapy facilitated more response from most clients cross-culturally regarding ethnicity (except Asian), gender, and special needs (including schoolchildren in special education and those with disabilities who need accommodations but are unqualified for special education). As an extension of the descriptive research methodology, Pearson correlation coefficients indicated that counselors' observation of the positive response to play therapy from each cultural group was significantly, positively, and strongly correlated with counselors' multicultural exposure. Exception to the correlation was found in Native American children. The findings also revealed school counselors modified (a) play techniques for students' special needs and (b) play materials for both special needs and cultural contexts. Suggestions for future research and practice regarding the development of play therapy in multicultural context are presented.