Mi-Kyong Kwon, Ph.D.

Dr. Kwon is the founder and director of HopeSpring Child & Family Clinic, LLC. Dr. Kwon graduated from Korea’s Sookmyung Women’s University in the Department of Child Welfare and Studies with a Master’s degree in Child Counseling. Dr. Kwon studied under Dr. Jae Yeon Lee. Dr. Kwon earned a Ph.D. degree in Counseling and a minor in Psychology at the University of North Texas. At that time, Dr. Kwon was the recipient of the Toulouse School of Graduate Studies Scholarship. Dr. Kwon studied under Dr. Garry Landreth, internationally known for Child-Centered Play Therapy (CCPT) and Child-Parent-Relationship-Therapy (CPRT), evidence-based psychotherapy for children.

Dr. Kwon has worked with traumatized children and their families who experience single and complex trauma. Dr. Kwon integrates brain-based research and neuroscience into psychotherapy. Dr. Kwon has also provided training for trauma specialists, educators, and mental health professionals to enhance their expertise and capacity to work more competently with traumatized children and their families in Korea and the United States (US).

Dr. Kwon has also worked with many children, adolescents, young adults, and couples with different backgrounds. Common issues among these diverse groups are as follows: Intergenerational and cultural dissonance, marriage and family issues caused by different values and expectations (e.g. Ko-Bu-Gal-Dung), family-of-origin issues (marriage, relationships, boundaries, communications, self-esteem, parenting styles, lifestyle habits, etc), acculturation discrepancies, conflicts between parents and (teen/adult) children, and discrepancies in Asian and American values within couples and families.

Dr. Kwon has also provided parent education and seminars in Korea and US on diverse topics on play therapy, Child-Parent-Relationship-Therapy (CPRT), family play therapy, sand play therapy, expressive art therapy, childhood trauma (Developmental trauma), Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), brain development, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), military family issues, parental self-regulation, parenting skills, bullying, self-care, anger management, effective communication, attachment, behavioral problems, adjustments issues, and so on.

Dr. Kwon has many publications predominately related to play therapy and Child-Parent-Relationship-Therapy (CPRT), filial therapy, and psychotherapy supervision in Korea and US for mental health professionals. Dr. Kwon has been invited to provide training and seminars for mental health professionals, educators, and parents in Korea and US since 1996. Dr. Kwon’s interests are focused on play therapy, trauma-focused integrated psychotherapy, brain development, clinical supervision and training for professionals, attachment, developmental trauma, and parent education and training.

Dr. Kwon has been working for over 30 years as an educator, psychotherapist, child and family advocator, and clinical supervisor in Korea, Texas, Maryland, and Virginia. Dr. Kwon worked for 10 years at the Center for Child and Family Traumatic Stress at Kennedy Krieger Institute providing individual, family, and group therapy. Dr. Kwon also provided mental health professionals with education, clinical training, and supervision as a faculty of the Trauma Training Academy at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. Dr. Kwon was an adjunct professor at the Washington University of Virginia. Dr. Kwon also served as a professional editor at the Korean Association for Play Therapy from 2012 to 2017.

Dr. Kwon is the founder and director at the HopeSpring Child & Family Clinic, LLC. Dr. Kwon continues to provide psychotherapy and parent education for children, adults, couples, and families as well as conducting workshops, clinical training, and supervision for the professional psychotherapists in Northern Virginia and Maryland.

Dr. Kwon is National Certified Counselor (NCC), National Certified Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) Therapist, Virginal Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Maryland Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC), Board Approved Supervisor in Clinical Professional Counselor in Virginia and Maryland, and Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor (RPT-S). Dr. Kwon’s psychotherapy approach is integrated psychotherapy based on diverse treatments, such as Expressive Arts and Play therapy, Trauma-Focused/Informed Psychotherapy, Carl Rogers’ Person-Centered Psychotherapy, Alfred Adler’s Individual Psychology, Family Systems, and Cognitive Behavioral Psychotherapy.