438 | "Guess What?" How to Handle When a Child Insists That You Guess

Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in Child-Centered Play Therapy · Oct 1, 2026 · 15m · transcript

In this episode, I answer a question about a familiar playroom dynamic: the child who constantly wants the therapist to guess. "Guess what I ate for lunch." "Guess what I built." "You have three guesses for what I did yesterday." I explain why these interactions can serve several different purposes, including connection, self-esteem, and power and control. In this particular case, the child's insistence on making the therapist guess appears largely driven by the experience of knowing something the therapist doesn't know—giving the child temporary power, control, and authority within the…