A Hero's Welcome Podcast
A Hero’s Welcome Podcast
Hosted by Maria Laquerre Diego, and Liliana Baylon, both LMFT-S and RPT-S
A Hero’s Welcome is a podcast for mental health professionals committed to culturally responsive care. Each episode features in-depth conversations with clinicians, supervisors, and consultants who bring diverse perspectives to the forefront.
We discuss mental health topics including psychotherapy models, clinical interventions, trauma-informed practices, and the role of cultural humility in therapeutic work. Our guests share their experiences serving children, families, and communities impacted by systemic stressors, offering insights and practical tools for fellow practitioners.
Whether you're looking to deepen your understanding of culturally competent care or seeking a community that values diversity and inclusion, A Hero’s Welcome offers a space for reflection, learning, and growth.
Hosts:
Maria Laquerre-Diego
maria@anewhopetc.org
Liliana Baylon
liliana@lilianabaylon.com
A Hero's Welcome Podcast
SITH Conference 2025: The Legal Arena: Playing by the Rules and Advocating for ClientsThrough Play Therapy & Clinical Expertise with Val Bruno
We welcome special guest Val to discuss her upcoming session at the SITH Conference, which focuses on helping clinicians navigate the legal arena with confidence. Val shares her expertise as a translator between the therapeutic world and legal settings, helping therapists understand how to effectively advocate for their clients in court.
• SITH (Supportive Innovations for Therapeutic Heroes) is an in-person conference in Las Cruces, New Mexico, October 9-11
• This year's conference focuses on the legal arena and court-involved cases
• Val will present on "The Legal Arena: Playing by the Rules and Advocating for Clients Through Play Therapy"
• Most clinicians feel intimidated by court appearances due to a lack of training
• Val has 14 years of experience as an expert witness and writing reports for legal cases
• The session will help clinicians understand proper documentation that works for both insurance and court
• Val specializes in working with neurodivergent children, adding another layer to her expertise
• The conference will be held at the Blue Door Venue in Mesilla
• Food trucks will provide meals with options for dietary restrictions
• Special swag, including unique stress toys, will be provided
Register now through the link below the podcast to secure your spot at the SITH Conference.
https://www.anewhopeacademy.org/sith25
A Hero's Welcome Podcast © Maria Laquerre-Diego & Liliana Baylon
Oh girls, welcome back listeners to a special episode of the Heroes Welcome podcast. I'm your co-host, maria. I'm joined by my lovely co-host.
Speaker 2:That's me, Liliana Balan, and we're here to promote SIF. Maria, tell us what is SIF.
Speaker 1:Yes. So SIF is the in-person conference I host here in Las Cruces, new Mexico. This will be our fourth year hosting. Each year we try to figure out what our community needs for professional development, support for our clinicians, and this year this year we are tackling the legal arena and all things court-involved cases which most of us cry ourselves to sleep at night when we get a subpoena, but not our special guest.
Speaker 2:I was like, yes, we do, but not Val Val. How do you want to introduce yourself and tell us what's the name of your session during SIF Good, morning.
Speaker 3:I'm Val, I'm a play therapist and a supervisor and all things. Neurodivergence in Colorado Springs and my breakout for the SIF conference, which will you remind me what SIF stands for?
Speaker 1:the SIF conference, which will you remind me what SIF stands for? Yes, thank you. It's supportive innovations for therapeutic heroes.
Speaker 3:Oh, that's so good, that's so good. The legal arena playing by the rules and advocating for clients through play, therapy and clinical expertise is what my breakout is at the SIF conference and I'm super honored and excited to come down and talk with other clinicians and professionals about, and building confidence in, their ability to navigate legal situations with their clients.
Speaker 2:Exciting and I was going to say that's exactly what we need, right, Like, can you help me feel competent or confident just a little bit, Because it's very intimidating being in a courtroom, having a judge, having lawyers asking you questions. So we are so thankful that you're coming and helping us with that anxiety almost panicky felt sense every time that we're there.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely. I think most clinicians, when we get that subpoena or we step into the court, we feel like we're the ones in trouble, right, like we feel like we got called to the principal's office, that we've done, or could potentially do something very wrong, because they don't train us to handle this situation in our programs. And I know the answer to this. But this is why I'm asking the question, val, why you? Why were you invited to come and speak on this?
Speaker 3:Well, wrong, bad timing.
Speaker 3:Well, um, wrong bad timing, I don't know, I'm just kidding.
Speaker 3:I'm just kidding, I have been working in the, so the way that I kind of explain this to friends is that I'm a translator, so I play with kids and I get their voice and that's my therapeutic world, and I also am really efficient and competent at translating through the legal arena and not just like with judges and lawyers and people that are involved in custody things, but also police, that I've got a background in security and being in the Air Force and translating to teachers, and so I get the difference, like the breakdown between I'm a lawyer and I went to school for law and I know the law and I'm a judge, versus you play with a kid and they took a snake and put it on a dollhouse, and that's one of the bigger takeaways that I've found is really helpful for clinicians is the translation of what our clinical notes need to look like to get away with being in court and also getting paid by medical insurances, because there's a big difference in what we are required to document and it's really intimidating if you don't know, if you've never experienced it, and so I've been doing that professionally for about 14 years and I've been um, uh, there's a word for it, that's on my resume that I chronically forget.
Speaker 3:I've been sworn in as an expert witness in many, many, many, many cases and I've been sought after to write stories, not depositions. That's the lawyer's part, but different what's the word Like?
Speaker 3:report Recommendation. Yes, thank you, reports and recommendations. It's early in the morning. Thank you Reports and recommendations for legal folks in the community regarding cases and being a blind witness and basically being a translator between the therapeutic world with our kids and families. And then really fast to hop on that. I specialize working with neurodivergent kids and families, so it's a kind of added bonus to say like I get the difference and I also get the difference with the difference on top of the difference, and to be able to articulate that it's been pretty valuable.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely Absolutely. I know you know a Sith is happening in New Mexico, but a lot of the legal pieces and how to appear in a courthouse, in a courtroom, like all of that is pretty standard across states and I'm really, I'm really very excited for you to come and just because in your presence when we've talked about cases or we've done consultation, like I've always just walked away going oh yeah, no, I know what I'm doing now, Like I got, I got this, and just the sense of like, validation and confidence is so, so helpful because, yes, this legal world, like we, we don't have the education and background for this, and I've learned from you to also step back and go. Well, neither do they the other side doesn't have our background and knowledge either. Well, neither do they the other side doesn't have our background and knowledge either.
Speaker 1:Um, and you've been really helpful in just humanizing the whole process for me because it you know before that it was like yeah, and I was like I'm gonna go and I'm gonna say one wrong word and they're gonna take my license and I'm not gonna have a practice anymore and I'm the one in trouble and, um yeah, so I'm really excited for you to share that with my community and those that are coming, and also I just get to like thank you for being that person, because there's not a lot of that kind of support.
Speaker 2:No, I'm honored Now. So all of you who are coming in, if you have not registered yet, hurry up. There's still spaces. But yeah, all of you are going to be in for a treat. We have a witness we have been coached by, and well, it's just amazing. So, maria, can you remind them what are the dates for SIF?
Speaker 1:Yes, it's October 9th through the 11th. It's going to be in Las Cruces, New Mexico. We're actually just going to be just inside Mesilla, which is our little old town and a really adorable venue, the Blue Door Venue, which has only been for weddings until this past year. So we're one of the first big events that's not a wedding happening there. I'm very excited and I was just sharing with you two before that. We were like finalizing our lunch options and we're leaning into like food trucks and tacos and all the yummy goodness, Because, well, I mean, you two know this about me, but anytime I have a thing like I'm going to make sure that we have food and good food and lots of it. So I'm very, very excited.
Speaker 2:Not only you're feeding us, but you are aware of diet restrictions, and not everyone is aware of that, and we are so thankful because we can eat when we go with you.
Speaker 1:Yes, it's important to me, right, like food, is one of my love languages. Not that I cook it, because I don't do that.
Speaker 1:And if you know me, you know that's true, Um, but I'll find us good food and I'll bring good food and I'll make sure everyone has something that they can eat. Um, and, and we do have some pretty fantastical swag. Um, I forgot to grab one and bring it to the office, but we might've talked about a very special shaped stress toy to play with that might make you feel a little bit more official. So if you're not, if you're- not coming for Val. You're missing out, but at least come for the swag.
Speaker 2:We can say that you're going to have a blast. Everyone is going to be taking pictures with that toy and everyone is going to be feeling like I got this. Thank you, val, for being here and for sharing about your session. We're so excited. We can't wait to learn from you and for everyone who is listening, the information for the link for the registration will be below the podcast. We can't wait to see you, so hopefully you'll join us. Thank you, val, thanks for having me yeah, see you soon.
Speaker 1:See you soon.
