397 | If Children Aren't Cognitive, Why Do Some Want to Sit and Talk?

Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in Child-Centered Play Therapy · May 14, 2026 · 13m

In this episode, I answer a thoughtful question about how child-centered play therapy works if children are not yet capable of abstract reasoning. I explain the important distinction between children being able to memorize and learn information versus having the cognitive ability for true introspection, logic, and abstract thought. Drawing from Piaget's developmental framework, I discuss why children under approximately age 12–13 are primarily experiential and emotional learners, not cognitive processors in the way adults are. This is exactly why CCPT is so developmentally appropriate—it…