S3E27 - Parent Companion for Play Therapy: Understanding Power Struggles in Child-Centered Play Therapy

Play Therapy Parenting: Real Parenting Questions Answered by a Child Therapist · Jan 30, 2026 · 16m · transcript

In this episode of the Parent Companion for Play Therapy series, I focus on power and control — one of the most common reasons children enter child-centered play therapy. I explain why kids who constantly push, demand, and fight for control are not being manipulative or defiant, but are responding to a deep sense of powerlessness in their lives. Children have very little control over their daily world, and when circumstances feel overwhelming or unpredictable, they grab control wherever they can.

I walk through how power and control struggles show up in the playroom and how CCPT allows…