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Window of Tolerance in Play Therapy: Why Kids "Bail" on Deep Play · Next Level Play Therapy: A Podcast for Play Therapy Excellence

• 0:02
  Welcome to Next Level Play Therapy, a weekly podcast dedicated to supporting the next generation of child and adolescent therapists to provide exceptional play therapy services.
• 0:14
  We'll explore all things play therapy to elevate your work with children and adolescents using the therapeutic powers of play.
• 0:23
  I'll discuss practical tips and ideas so you can provide a transformative experience for your young clients and make a real difference in their lives.
• 0:33
  So get ready to take your play therapy skills to the next level and make a lasting impact in the lives of children, adolescents, and families.
• 0:48
  Hey there.
• 0:49
  Welcome to this week's episode of Next Level Play Therapy.
• 0:55
  And today we're scu- discussing, um, window of tolerance and how does that show up in the playroom with your clients, and how can you tell when they are avoiding versus maybe that's their way of regulating their little nervous systems in the playroom.
• 1:14
  How do you tell?
• 1:16
  So if you've ever had a client, and maybe you are 20 minutes into the play therapy session, and they are doing some work, and maybe you're having, like, a massive battle with swords, or maybe you've been chained up and having… or having a, a, a rambunctious series of good gup, good guy, bad guy play, and then the next thing you know, they shift, and now they wanna do some Play-Doh, or now they wanna do some drawing To me, we're looking at that in terms of, like, how are they using that play therapy process?
• 1:59
  How are they using play to work through whatever it is that they need to work through?
• 2:06
  I also think of this kind of like if we're doing adult, adult talk therapy, there, there are ebbs and flows even in traditional adult talk therapy, meaning clients can only s- uh, do intensity for so long.
• 2:27
  That includes adults as well.
• 2:28
  Sometimes they'll pull back.
• 2:30
  It's just different.
• 2:31
  It's more with their words and what… how they're engaging with you.
• 2:36
  With children, we look at how they're using play in the playroom to process through whatever it is that they need to process through.
• 2:47
  So if you have ever second-guessed yourself in the playroom thinking, "Oh, my gosh.
• 2:53
  Am I doing something wrong," or, "Is this even working?" Or they don't seem to be doing much in the playroom, maybe they're avoiding or, or maybe I need to use a, a different activity right now.
• 3:10
  M- m- what I wanna do t- today is really think about, think about it differently, meaning let's think about is that actually resistance, or are they using the play therapy process, are they using your attuned presence to navigate their own nervous system and work through whatever it is that they need to work through in the playroom?
• 3:39
  Because 45 minutes to 60 minutes of therapeutic play, even for children, can be overwhelming.
• 3:50
  Um, and so maybe it's not about we've missed the b- mark.
• 3:54
  Maybe that we're not really understanding how children are using that, their own window of tolerance in the playroom.
• 4:02
  And so that's what this week's episode is about, and if that sounds interesting or useful to you, then stay tuned.
• 4:11
  This one's for you.
• 4:13
  So for those of you who are watching the live stream, I would love to know who's here.
• 4:19
  Post your name in the comments.
• 4:21
  I would love to hear your thoughts.
• 4:22
  What are you seeing in the playroom?
• 4:25
  How are you making sense of some of what you see in the playroom?
• 4:31
  Post that in the comments.
• 4:33
  Feel free to share.
• 4:35
  And if you find this information useful, I would love it if you would pass it along to your colleagues.
• 4:41
  That way, more play therapists can connect and, um- Access the information, and then that way they get help too.
• 4:55
  All righty, um, so this week… So okay, so full disclosure, I, I drank coffee too late in the day.
• 5:08
  So I- f- if I go past like 12:15 or 12:30, I'm usually, uh, gonna pay for it at night.
• 5:17
  And so I just really wanted the last bit of my coffee.
• 5:21
  I think I drank it at like 12:40 in the afternoon.
• 5:26
  And then I was laying in bed last night thinking, "I wish my brain would turn off. I wish I could go to sleep," and waking up like 10 times.
• 5:35
  So if I seem a little, uh, slow in my thinking, that's'cause I think I got like four hours of sleep last night because of coffee.
• 5:43
  I drank coffee too late.
• 5:45
  So I don't know if any of you guys ever struggle with that or like I- there's a certain period of time I gotta stop caffeine altogether.
• 5:55
  All right, so back on track here.
• 5:59
  Um, this week's topic that we are talking about is window of tolerance in the playroom, why kids bail in deep play.
• 6:11
  So the first thing that I, um, wanna talk about is really this idea of the child's capacity to lead.
• 6:20
  We talk about this a lot in the play therapy circles.
• 6:23
  In fact, we were actually talking about this on Sunday in Play Therapy Elevation Circle, which is my online play therapy membership, so that play therapists can connect.
• 6:37
  We started this month, we're doing quarterly roundtable discussions, and what we talked about, we took kind of a issue that most play thera- we all have, um, these kids who are struggling with these issues, multiple kids like this on our caseloads, which is, um, kind of, uh, emotional outbursts, pretty significant an- anxiety, and we're kinda looking at that from different angles.
• 7:05
  And one of the things that we were talking about is this idea of the therapist leading or the child leading, 'cause we were looking at it from different theoretical models in the roundtable discussion.
• 7:20
  And this idea, uh… And so we talk about this topic a lot in the play therapy community, this idea of the child's capacity to lead.
• 7:29
  And to me, we're, we're kind of thinking about trusting the child's inna- innate ability to move towards healing and wholeness given the free and protected space.
• 7:43
  And I think you'll, you'll find the younger the child, the more that we follow than we lead.
• 7:50
  Uh, I would also kind of challenge a little bit in terms of I, I think we need to trust our older kids, the teenagers, adults, families, that we need to trust them that they know what they need.
• 8:10
  They may not necessarily be able to articulate that to you.
• 8:14
  I think when we tune in and we're in a tuned presence and we learn how to read their cues, then it allows us to, um, trust that they know what they need.
• 8:29
  I see this even with adults.
• 8:31
  I, I talk about it in terms of pacing, like what are we doing in the session?
• 8:36
  When are we doing it?
• 8:37
  And how are we doing it in terms of what the client is ready for?
• 8:42
  And so the way that I think about the child's capacity to lead is that adults kind of stay- take a step back.
• 8:52
  We, we step out of I have to be in charge mode all the time.
• 8:56
  Doesn't mean we don't set boundaries.
• 8:58
  We do set boundaries and limits.
• 9:00
  We are in there co-regulating with our presence.
• 9:04
  Thinking about a child who's able to do some intense work for 45 minutes straight without any kind of, um, ability to manage the intensity of that.
• 9:23
  It, I don't think that's really possible or realistic is really the word that I'm looking for, because we have to think about their nervous systems as well.
• 9:34
  And sometimes, I know my kids, when they got tired and cranky and overwhelmed, they did not ramp, uh, ramp down.
• 9:42
  They ramped up.
• 9:44
  And I could tell when they were like, their little nervous systems were a little overloaded because their bodies were, like, all over the place, and they were having meltdowns.
• 9:57
  Whereas other kids, some kids ramp up, some kids ramp down, some kids shift.
• 10:03
  How are we noticing that in the playroom, and how are we managing that intensity?
• 10:08
  And how do we know what to look for in the play therapy room?
• 10:13
  And so this idea of allowing the child to lead, lead during play therapy sessions, most models will allow some version of that.
• 10:24
  So most play therapy models have a version of following.
• 10:29
  So regardless of what your play therapy model is, there's still a version of this going on in the playroom.
• 10:38
  And so the way that I look at that is that we are tuning in to the child's needs.
• 10:45
  We're learning how to read their cues during the play therapy session and trusting that they know what they need in order to, um, work through whatever it is that they have to work through.
• 10:59
  And even, um So what does that actually look like in the playroom, right?
• 11:08
  These are-- And to me, this is where being in a play therapy community can be really, really helpful.
• 11:14
  I see this all the time in Elevation Circle and in Play Therapy Academy.
• 11:21
  These are two of my memberships that I have.
• 11:25
  And I, I see what happens when we all put our heads together and figure out what the heck is going on in the playroom.
• 11:33
  So you don't have to do it by yourself, because sometimes it's kind of hard to know, and especially when you're learning how to trust your instincts in there.
• 11:44
  But I find, I've been doing this 30-plus years, I still sometimes think, "I don't know what just happened." And in the moment, I just try to stay present and regulate, and then I'll-- after the session, I'll try and figure it out later.
• 11:58
  Usually, when I'm doing my progress notes, that's usually when I figure things out.
• 12:03
  But having another group of people to help you do that can be really, really beneficial, and it's different when you have a, when you have a community of play therapists who are helping you figure it out versus you have doing consultation maybe with people who don't use play therapy and maybe use more adult therapy models.
• 12:27
  There's… They don't really-- We don't really speak the same language.
• 12:32
  That's been my experience So what does that look like in the playroom?
• 12:37
  So here are some things that you can think of.
• 12:40
  Um, so you might see that look like, let's say you are, let's say you're, you're ha- you're working with a child who struggles with emotion regulation, right?
• 12:54
  And I- I've done this sometimes.
• 12:57
  I'm not a fan of board games.
• 12:58
  I actually if I'm being honest, I hate board games.
• 13:03
  I will play them, and I will, um, d- do opposite action if I'm thinking DBT skills, meaning, like, I will put my whole self into it, and then I usually end up enjoying them.
• 13:17
  That being said, I'm not a fan of board games, and I try not to do them in my play therapy sessions.
• 13:24
  I usually don't have them available.
• 13:27
  Sometimes, though, I, I bring out the board games because I know that that can be used in a way that's gonna help my client.
• 13:36
  So let's say you're playing a board game with a client who does not tolerate their frustration very well during a board game, and let's say they find themselves not winning, right?
• 13:54
  And so I don't… So let's say they're really trying to play the board game, and let… And I've had this happen, where I, I like to think about my moves.
• 14:04
  I like to think about all the options, do my contingency planning, which for a kid with, uh, emotion regulation problems and impulse control, waiting on me can be a little frustrating.
• 14:17
  And so, um, here's what that might look like.
• 14:20
  Let's say you're playing the board game.
• 14:23
  I'm, I'm really thinking about it.
• 14:28
  This, the child's really hanging in there, playing the board game, and then, like, halfway through the session and tolerating me taking a little longer for my moves, they… I'm in the middle of a move, and let's say now they start playing with some of the game pieces.
• 14:48
  And I look over, and I'm like,"Oh, okay, distracting self, pl- keeping himself busy, doing something that is gonna help his nervous system regulate." And let's say the child says to you something along the lines of, "I don't like it when people take a long time." Right?
• 15:12
  Now he's verbalized it.
• 15:14
  So is that him not being a good sport, or is that him complaining, or is that him trying really hard to regulate his nervous system, finding ways to get some sensory stimulation with the game pieces, fiddling with them, and now he's articulated, "I don't… I f- I'm frustrated when people take a long time with their turns," instead of taking the game board and throwing it across the room I think that's, that's him working to stay in his window of tolerance during the game, right?
• 15:57
  Or maybe there's, there's another example of, I've had this happen a lot too.
• 16:05
  In play therapy session, let's say we're doing some pretty intense play.
• 16:11
  Maybe it's a child whose parents are divorced, and they're adjusting to the divorce, and they're, have two dollhouses.
• 16:19
  They're doing a lot of play between the two dollhouses, and the next thing I know they're done, and now they're moving over to the Play-Doh, and now they wanna play with Play-Doh for a little while, and then they maybe shift over to playing with the dolls or doing some cooking.
• 16:41
  Think about that.
• 16:42
  I'm doing some deep emotional work.
• 16:45
  Now it's a little overwhelming.
• 16:48
  Now I'm gonna use some Play-Doh that is comforting and soothing, and then I'm gonna move over to doing some nurturing play.
• 16:59
  If I'm watching these cues, I'm looking at how that child is using the play therapy process.
• 17:07
  Are they actually avoiding, or are they trying to stay in their window of tolerance with that emotional distress as they're exploring these deeper level kind of painful issues or struggles in a way that uses the play therapeutically?
• 17:31
  And here's the thing, your presence in there is kind of the co-regulating factor, right?
• 17:40
  Co-regulation means that I'm aware of what's going on within me.
• 17:46
  What are my thoughts?
• 17:48
  What are my, what are my emotions coming up?
• 17:51
  What is, what is my body feeling in this moment?
• 17:56
  And how am I picking up on cues of what's going on in the child, and what's coming up in me, is that me, or is that me picking up on the child that I can, I can tune in and feel some of what's going on with my client because I'm attuned, right?
• 18:17
  I'm attuned and present, using my whole self to connect and co-regulate.
• 18:25
  And so if I'm, if I'm doing that, and I'm holding that space, and I'm able to regulate my internal processing and hold that space even when my client is getting frustrated or angry or testing limits- Um, trying to leave the room or, you know, trying to shoot you in the face with a Nerf dart, um, which I hold limits with that one.
• 18:53
  I don't like getting shot with, shot with a Nerf gun, so that's my limit.
• 18:58
  Um, but even in that, I'm staying regulated in there, and then I'm kind of watching how the client responds, and I'm looking at the rhythm in the playroom.
• 19:11
  I'm looking at the intensity of the play that's going on, and are they emot- uh, kind of approaching that emotional content?
• 19:20
  Are they working out what their, um, what their hurts are, what their grief is, grief and loss?
• 19:28
  And then maybe they go to self-regulation, something that's soothing, and then they go back into playing again.
• 19:37
  I, I see those shifts all the time.
• 19:41
  And the other thing is, we talk about, we talked about this a lot too in Elevation Circle and also Play Therapy Academy, because we do consultation in both those programs, which is, how do you know when they are, when it's working or when it's not working?
• 20:00
  And one of the things that you're looking at is what is going on in the playroom, and how are they shifting, and what are they doing in that playroom?
• 20:11
  And so we can kind of put all our heads together and, and look at that in there together.
• 20:19
  Um, and so this is why having that skilled… Like a, a skilled play therapist is gonna be able to, um, allow the child to work through some of that heavy, heavy material in the playroom and be able to hold that and trust the process, even when we don't know.
• 20:47
  There are still some times I don't know what they're doing.
• 20:50
  I just know that I, I can use my regulated state.
• 20:55
  I can use my ability to track what's going on verbally, use some of those play therapy tracking skills, and hold that space to allow them to, like- Play out whatever they need to play out.
• 21:16
  That's, this is where that trust the process comes in.
• 21:20
  I'm gonna trust that if I use my play therapy model the way it's supposed to be used, then, and trust my client that they n- naturally will move towards healing and wholeness, then I'm gonna be able to n- navigate through that play therapy session with them using my play therapy model.
• 21:44
  And so my job then is to realize when I'm getting activated, so there's this idea of congruence.
• 21:55
  And congruence is that I can internally feel regulated, internally feel unconditional positive regard and empathy, and then because I can internally access that, then it can be reflected externally through just my way of being, my facial expressions, body language.
• 22:19
  And that I also recognize when I'm not in congruence, and that I can kind of in, in the moment take a moment to recognize, oh, okay, I'm, I'm this is irritating me.
• 22:34
  I just, I still do this.
• 22:35
  It still happens.
• 22:36
  I'm like, "Oh, how many times can I lose at a game and have the rules change in one session?" And then I find myself getting irritated, and then I'm like, "Oh, my gosh, Cathi Spooner.
• 22:48
  What is… No, stop it.
• 22:50
  It's not about you.
• 22:52
  Let it go.
• 22:53
  What does your model say?
• 22:55
  Follow the model." That's what I say to myself.
• 22:59
  But, but first we have to recognize it, right?
• 23:01
  And then we get back in.
• 23:02
  And now I can focus on how the client is using it.
• 23:08
  My job is to trust that it will work and follow even when I don't necessarily understand what's going on.
• 23:18
  And use my play therapy model and let that be enough in the moment.
• 23:23
  I can always figure out what might have been going on.
• 23:28
  I can always get feedback.
• 23:30
  I can always kind of process it with, uh, you know, a, a colleague or in m- when I'm doing my progress notes is usually when I figure it out.
• 23:39
  I can always do that later.
• 23:42
  But thinking about not necessarily that those shifts to doing something different is, uh, that's not necessarily a detour.
• 23:53
  Maybe that's the path.
• 23:55
  Maybe that's the path they need to take in the moment to navigate through everything.
• 24:03
  Because my ability to stay attuned and present and regulated with them is also helping their little nervous systems to rewire and experience things differently.
• 24:18
  I'm gonna help parents do that as well, because that's the other part of what needs to happen.
• 24:25
  I'm not gonna talk about that in this episode because that's a whole other topic.
• 24:29
  But I'm als- that's also what I'm thinking about as well.
• 24:33
  I wanna help parents tune in and read the cues of what's going on in their client as well.
• 24:40
  And so why does all this matter?
• 24:43
  Observing these subtle shifts during the play therapy information give, uh, during the play therapy session gives you information about how your client uses, one, how they use that co-regulation support, also their ability to self-regulate.
• 25:06
  You'll also notice in there what's going on that kind of triggers a shift, and what I mean by that is what happened before the shift?
• 25:17
  That gives you some clues of, hmm, there was a little hotspot there, or maybe they're done and they recognize, oh, I can feel it in my body, it's time to do something different.
• 25:30
  And recognizing their own ability to ch- um, use the play therapy sessions to get at the roots of why they're struggling, and then providing … the child providing those clues helps the play therapist recognize how the client is using those sessions and if your client is making any progress.
• 25:59
  I remember one time we were watching, there was a play therapist doing some trauma work, and they were this particular, uh, so they were doing some trauma work in the play therapy session.
• 26:11
  Very intense.
• 26:13
  Very intense.
• 26:14
  And then the child shifts and does something completely different, like maybe they were playing with bubbles or they were playing nurturing play with the dolls after that.
• 26:27
  And then I, when I, when I saw this, I thought, oh my gosh, they did the intensity of the work and now they're doing some nurturing, some self-nurturing.
• 26:41
  They know what they need in the play therapy sessions.
• 26:46
  It's a mat- so I didn't look at that as avoidance.
• 26:51
  I looked at that as, oh yeah, man, we did some deep work and now I need to do some s- some self-nurturing to, to feel better about this, 'cause that was pretty intense.
• 27:04
  That's a child who has kind of tuned into their nervous system and their needs and used the play therapy session to do that, and that's, that's a play therapist who gets it, who has provided that free and protected space, trusting the child knows what the child needs to do So depe- and, and here's the thing, depending on your play therapy model is gonna influence how you navigate that session.
• 27:37
  It's gonna influence how you're making sense of what's happening in the session, and maybe there are times where you're noticing the child isn't able to down-regulate for s- so to speak, or, you know, their nervous system is getting a little too ramped up, and maybe depending on your play therapy model, you're gonna do something to kind of, um, help them nur- get some self-nurturing in there.
• 28:09
  So sometimes we're leading and sometimes we're following.
• 28:13
  What we are doing is trusting the child knows what they need, and when they're struggling, we can step in and help out with that.
• 28:22
  But the thing that we have to think about is if we're gonna step in and do directive activities, why?
• 28:30
  Or if we're gonna step in and set some limits, why?
• 28:34
  Doesn't mean we don't set limits, because sometimes that's a way to help the child's nervous system kind of get, get to a more regulated state internally.
• 28:47
  But the thing that we wanna think about is why are we doing that?
• 28:50
  Is it because I'm feeling anxious that it's not working and I'm not trusting the process?
• 28:56
  Or have I, have I sensed the child needs a little co-regulation, a little bit of helping them to get their n- um, nervous systems and that into a little more regulated state?
• 29:13
  And so, um, to me, that's That's what it means to kind of observe what's going on in the playroom.
• 29:24
  You're looking for cues, you're looking for shifts about what's going on, and, um, making sense of what that means.
• 29:35
  But, but I think if there's anything you walk away with from today's session, what I would say is maybe that shift is not avoidance.
• 29:48
  Maybe that, um, activity is not refusal or resistance.
• 29:58
  Maybe the child who recognized in their, in their little systems, they were starting to get a little ramped up'cause it was hard for them to wait for me to make my move.
• 30:12
  The idea of going to fiddling, you know, playing tactile, getting some sensory input from the game pieces and saying, "I get frustrated when people take a long time. I don't like it when people take a long time to move," that wasn't being rude.
• 30:33
  That was, that was that child trying to verbalize,"Hey, this is hard for me." So we need to celebrate that.
• 30:41
  That's… We need to celebrate that, and we can reflect that, you know?
• 30:47
  We can use tracking statements of, "Oh yeah, it's really hard when people don't go as fast as you can go.
• 30:54
  It's really hard to wait.
• 30:56
  It's frustrating when people take a long time, and, and you are using those game pieces over there to help you wait for me to take my turn.
• 31:06
  That was helping you to stay calm, and you let me know you were frustrated." Right?
• 31:12
  That's what we want.
• 31:13
  We want them to understand that because now they're kind of using that information to think about things, and take in that information, and figure out what they're gonna do with it, instead of, "Don't be rude," right?
• 31:29
  It's different in the playroom.
• 31:32
  All righty, well, that is it for today.
• 31:36
  Let me do a quick recap.
• 31:38
  One is we are trusting the child's capacity to lead as you stay tuned, attune, and you're holding that therapeutic space for safety and co-regulation for your client.
• 31:53
  We're looking for those cues in the playroom, so you're noticing what's happening in you.
• 32:02
  You're noticing what's happening in the child.
• 32:04
  You're noticing what they were doing before they shifted to that other thing.
• 32:10
  You're noticing what they shifted to.
• 32:13
  'Cause the other thing that we're thinking about is for… So here's another thing that comes up, and I forgot to mention this one.
• 32:20
  A lot of times what happens, especially in the beginning, is you'll see kids who, like, go from activity to activity, and maybe they're not s- uh, sustaining play for very long at all.
• 32:35
  That even gives you a cue of what is going on with their nervous system, because we know that children need to feel, um, that sense of safety and security in order to settle in, and for their nervous systems to, to be in that, that green zone sort of space, right, so to speak.
• 33:01
  Um- Where they are regulated and it, they feel a sense of calm or peace, i- internally they can settle in.
• 33:13
  They're not kind of watching to see what's going on.
• 33:17
  So if you're, you're noticing that, one of the things that you, that you might notice is the child is really using all of those different activities to, to stay regulated, to deal with something that it doesn't feel really safe for them, 'cause they don't know you, they don't know how it works, their parents aren't around, you're a stranger.
• 33:40
  So maybe that is really them trying to feel comfortable being in there with you, rather than they're, they're not, um, using the play therapy space.
• 33:53
  They are using the play therapy space, because they're trying to stay regulated with all those different toys in there, and start feeling safe.
• 34:02
  So I forgot to mention that one.
• 34:04
  So you're looking for those shifts, what came before, what are they shifting to, what are they saying, what are they doing in the playroom?
• 34:15
  And that'll give you more of a sense of how they are using their ability to regulate in there, and their ability to use you for co-regulation in there.
• 34:30
  And the r- the reason that matters is you can learn a lot about your child when you're picking up on their cues, and how are they using that play therapy space.
• 34:40
  So, and that takes time to learn.
• 34:43
  Uh, and the ability to trust yourself, uh, as much as it is for the child to be able to trust you in there, and see how that, um, process works in there.
• 35:00
  How is the child playing?
• 35:01
  What are they playing with?
• 35:03
  And can you trust yourself to know what that is, 'cause you've settled into feeling more confident in the playroom.
• 35:12
  And again, to me, this is where being part of a play therapy community can really be helpful, because you have a place to staff that, to get some feedback, have other people think alongside with you to give you some, um, some ways of thinking about it, maybe other perspectives, so that way… 'Cause you don't know what you don't know, and you can only see what you can see.
• 35:41
  And so if you have other people helping you to see what's going on in the playroom, then it kinda gives you, um, more confidence to know what to do, gives you more ideas how to manage that in the playroom, and what, what you're actually looking at in the playroom All righty.
• 36:01
  Well, that is it for today.
• 36:04
  If y- if you're interested in Play Therapy Elevation Circle, it's closed right now.
• 36:10
  Like, one of the things that we do in Play Therapy Academy, I mean, sorry, Play Therapy Elevation Circle, is we do a monthly book club, and, like, this weekend we're gonna be reading a peer-reviewed journal article about identifying play therapy themes.
• 36:29
  I think themes is one of the things that takes quite a l- long time to master.
• 36:33
  But also, I, I don't know if we ever fully master identifying play themes or knowing what to do with them.
• 36:42
  And so I think having some ongoing conversations about play themes and identifying themes and reading professional peer-reviewed journal articles about themes, 'cause there's not a lot out there.
• 36:58
  Um, and then having a place to discuss that, so it's not just you reading it.
• 37:03
  You're reading it, and then we're discussing it together and kind of thinking about it in different ways or, or sharing ideas and thoughts, and then we usually end up kinda talking about clients and different things that we've seen in the playroom and how to make sense of that So if you're interested in Play Therapy Elevation Circle, um, that one's more focused on community support, being able to have a place to take cases and get support so you don't have to do it alone.
• 37:37
  It's closed right now, but if you want to get on the wait list, then you can pop over to my website at rhplaytherapytraining.com.
• 37:48
  Go on the, uh, supervision page, and then you'll see where you can get on the wait list.
• 37:54
  We'll be opening up, um… Actually, I'm not sure when we're gonna be opening up.
• 38:00
  Pro- in the next few months we'll be opening it up.
• 38:03
  If you're interested in Play Therapy Academy, Play Therapy Academy is where we go a lot deeper.
• 38:09
  We focus on the skill building to build confidence, to help you feel like you know what you're doing, using a Play Therapy model through all of the stages.
• 38:20
  It's, there's courses in Play Therapy Academy.
• 38:24
  It's a much smaller, um, group because Play Therapy Academy will meet the criteria if you want to pursue your registered Play Therapy c- um, credential.
• 38:38
  And Play Therapy Academy has access to all of Elevation Circle things.
• 38:43
  So if you're not sure, if you're interested in one of them but you're not sure which one's a good fit for you, then schedule a 30-minute video call with me and we will figure that out.
• 38:56
  If y- and that's on my website as well.
• 38:59
  If you hop over to Renewing Hearts Play Therapy Training dot com, that's rhplaytherapytraining.com.
• 39:08
  And, um schedule a, schedule a call if you're interested in Play Therapy Academy or you're not sure which one's a good fit.
• 39:19
  And I will see you next week.
• 39:23
  If you found… Uh, we're also gonna post some links in the comments, so there's some links there as well to schedule a video, video call with me or get on the wait list for Elevation Circle.
• 39:38
  And if you found this session, uh, session, my brain is not working well today.
• 39:46
  If you found this episode helpful, please feel free to share it with your friends and colleagues.
• 39:52
  If you're watching on YouTube, feel free to hit that subscribe button.
• 39:58
  If you want to be notified, hit the notification bell so that you'll be able to see all the upcoming live stream episodes.
• 40:08
  Also, if you're interested, you can go into the live section on my YouTube channel.
• 40:14
  All of the replays are there.
• 40:16
  Also, for those of you who are listening on the podcast, um, you can alway- I forgot to say that.
• 40:25
  If you have any comments or you wanted to share, then, uh, feel free to email me or follow me over on Instagram.
• 40:34
  And I will see you next week.
• 40:37
  Bye for now.
• 40:45
  Thank you for joining me on this episode of Next Level Play Therapy.
• 40:49
  I hope you found the discussion valuable and gained new insights and ideas to support your work helping children, adolescents, and families heal.
• 40:58
  If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to the podcast and leave a review.
• 41:04
  Your feedback helps to improve and reach more people who can benefit from this information.
• 41:10
  Remember, play therapy is a powerful tool for healing and growth.
• 41:14
  Whether you're a new play therapist or experienced, I encourage you to continue your learning journey to unlock the potential of play in your own work and relationships.
• 41:26
  If you have any questions or topic suggestions for future episodes, I'd love to hear from you.
• 41:33
  Connect with me on social media and visit my website at Renewing Hearts Play Therapy Training to stay updated on upcoming episodes, trainings, and resources.
• 41:45
  Thank you once again for listening to Next Level Play Therapy.
• 41:49
  Until next time, keep playing, learning, and growing.