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Dr. Hindman has taught play therapy, ethics, skills, school and clinical mental health counseling practicum and internship courses, research, diagnosis, and group coursework.
Margaret L. Hindman, Ph.D., LPC, RPT™, is an Associate Professor of Counselor Education at St. Bonaventure University, a Licensed Professional Counselor in Arkansas, and a Registered Play Therapist™. Her professional and scholarly interests include play therapy, counseling ethics, child and adolescent counseling, expressive and creative approaches to counseling, and the ethical use of emerging technologies in counseling.
Dr. Hindman's clinical background includes school-based counseling with children and families in a Title I elementary school. Additionally, she has counseled college students. Her clinical and teaching perspectives are informed by relational Gestalt and person-centered approaches, with specialized training and experience in play therapy, sandtray, and expressive arts.
PROFESSIONAL LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE
Dr. Hindman is actively involved in national professional service with the Association for Play Therapy (APT). She serves on APT's Clinical Advisory Committee, Ethics and Practice Guidelines Committee, and Research Committee. Her professional contributions have included serving as an invited lead reviewer for APT's Play Therapy Best Practices, revising the Paper on the Therapeutic Use of Touch in Play Therapy: Clinical, Professional and Ethical Issues, helping develop professional guidance on the ethical use of artificial intelligence in play therapy, and providing consultation to the Chief Executive Officer of APT.
At St. Bonaventure University, she is a Chi Sigma Iota Chapter Advisor and the Counselor Education Comprehensive Exam and Materials Coordinator. She contributes to university and program governance through the Graduate Council and the Faculty Senate Technology Committee.
SCHOLARSHIP
Dr. Hindman's scholarship focuses on play therapy, counseling ethics, mental health literacy, expressive and creative approaches to counseling, and counselor development. She has delivered more than 40 refereed presentations at state, national, and international professional conferences. Recent work has addressed artificial intelligence and ethics in play therapy, culturally responsive play therapy, child-centered play therapy, group play therapy, expressive approaches, and counselor wellness and supervision.
Selected Publications
- Hindman, M. L., Schoonover, T.J., & Perryman, K. (2025, September 23). Creating a child-centered playroom for Marshallese children. Qeios. https://doi.org/10.32388/6DQUYQ.2
- Hindman, M. L., & Oster, K. W. (2025, March). The Ethical Frontier of AI in Play Therapy: Challenges and Opportunities. Play Therapy™ Magazine. https://www.a4pt.org/page/Magazine#:~:text=The%20Ethical%20Frontier%20of%20AI,therapy%20(Hindman%20%26%20Oster).
- Mangan, L. A. (Chair) and the Ethics & Practice Guidelines Committee. Kurt, O., Hindman, M., Yang, R. C., Borkan, T., Byrd, R., Donovan, A., Fazio-Griffith, L., Harris, B., Levieux, J., Libios, T., Reyna-Vasquez, P., Swan, A., & Long A. W. (2025). Association for Play Therapy. Ethical considerations for Incorporating Artificial Intelligence in Play Therapy: A reflective exercise for play therapists based on the Association for Play Therapy’s Best Practice Guidelines. https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.a4pt.org/resource/resmgr/docs/Ethical_Considerations_for_I.pdf
- Hindman, M. L. & Perryman, K. L. (2023). Gestalt applications in schools. In Corey, G. (2023). Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy (11th ed.).
- Hindman, M.L., Perryman, K. L., & Robinson, S. E. (2022). The adult public’s perception of the utility of play therapy. International Journal of Play Therapy, 31(1), 34-45. https://doi.org/10.1037/pla0000164 (Won the Association for Play Therapy Research 2022 Student Award for this article as it is based off dissertation)
- Schoonover, T. J., Hindman, M., Perryman, K., & Anderson, J. (2021). What is your superpower?: An elementary group using bibliotherapy with diverse fourth and fifth grade boys. Journal of School Counseling, 19(53). http://www.jsc.montana.edu/articles/v19n53.pdf
Dr. Hindman approaches counselor education as a relational and developmental process. She seeks to create learning environments in which students feel supported in asking questions, making mistakes, critically examining counseling theory and practice, and developing their professional identities.