357 | No Parents Allowed! - The Ripple Effect of a Parent Entering Session

Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in Child-Centered Play Therapy · Nov 28, 2025 · 12m

In this episode, I respond to Dovi's question about an older child whose session became dysregulated when his dad joined the playroom. I explain why parent presence fundamentally disrupts the CCPT process, breaks the therapeutic dyad, and immediately alters safety, consistency, and the child's ability to do meaningful work. Even when a child demands that a parent come in, that demand is almost never about the parent's actual presence — it's a power grab driven by internal dysregulation, and it requires a reflective response paired with a clear limit.

I walk through how the child's behavior —…