Rana Hong, Ph.D., LCSW, RPT-S,  is a Clinical Assistant Professor at Loyola University Chicago School of Social Work and the dedicated owner and clinician at the Playful Healing Center in Des Plaines, Illinois. Her journey into academia was driven by a profound passion for researching and imparting clinical approaches cultivated through extensive experience working with diverse populations. Her research and scholarly pursuits encompass metric development, validation studies, and the implementation/dissemination of evidence-based models tailored for minority populations.

Dr. Hong is a committed advocate for using empirically-supported treatments (ESTs) in clinical practice. Clinically, Rana maintains distinguished expertise in multiple therapeutic models. She holds certifications as a Theraplay® therapist, supervisor, and trainer, as well as a Certified Parent-Child Interaction Therapy® (PCIT) therapist and within-agency trainer. Additionally, she is an EMDR Certified Therapist™ and EMDR Consultant™, a registered play therapy supervisor, and an approved provider.

She specializes in addressing a wide range of behavioral and emotional challenges in individuals, including attachment issues, anxiety, autism, trauma, and oppositional defiance. Among her therapeutic approaches, EMDR stands out as her top priority model, as it is pivotal in promoting and enhancing individuals’ capacity for self-integration and healing.