433 | What Do You Say When a Child Asks If You Actually Like Them?

Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in Child-Centered Play Therapy · Sep 10, 2026 · 19m · transcript

In this episode, I answer a question about an 11-year-old who repeatedly tells his therapist, "You don't really want to spend time with me," "You'd rather be somewhere else," and "You're only doing this for the money." Rather than treating these statements as questions that need to be answered or beliefs that need to be corrected, I explain why we need to look underneath them. For this child, these comments may reveal much deeper struggles with self-esteem, self-worth, identity, vulnerability, and trust in the relationship. He wants to believe the therapist genuinely enjoys being with him…