S3E24 - Parent Companion for Play Therapy: Layers of an Onion-How Children Work Through Issues in Play Therapy

Play Therapy Parenting: Real Parenting Questions Answered by a Child Therapist · Jan 5, 2026 · 8m · transcript

In this episode of the Parent Companion for Play Therapy series, I explain the idea of layers of an onion and how it helps parents understand what's really happening as children work through challenges in child-centered play therapy. Each issue a child brings — anxiety, control, regulation, self-esteem, fear — is its own layer, but none of them exist in isolation. They are all connected and influence each other as part of the child's overall growth.

I walk through how these layers develop and shift together over time, alongside the four universal outcomes of play therapy. When a child works…