Latest / The Play Therapy Circle / Episode 25- Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays from the Play Therapy Circle Team

Transcript

Episode 25- Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays from the Play Therapy Circle Team · The Play Therapy Circle

• 0:00
  Hi there and welcome to the Play Therapy Circle.
• 0:04
  Before we begin, Please note this podcast is for
• 0:07
  informational and educational purposes only.
• 0:10
  It does not provide therapeutic advice and listening does not
• 0:14
  create a client therapist relationship.
• 0:17
  All views expressed are my own and any case example shared have
• 0:21
  been de identified to protect privacy.
• 0:24
  If you're seeking personal support, please reach out to a
• 0:27
  qualified mental health professional in your area.
• 0:33
  Hi and welcome to an episode of the Play Therapy Circle.
• 0:38
  I'm Kylie Ellison, a therapist, clinical supervisor and play
• 0:42
  therapy trainer, and I'm so grateful you're here.
• 0:46
  This podcast is a space for thoughtful, soulful
• 0:49
  conversations about child centred therapy, play based work
• 0:53
  and what it means to show up with presence and compassion,
• 0:57
  both for our clients and for ourselves.
• 1:00
  Whether you're a seasoned play therapist, a student just
• 1:03
  starting out, or someone deeply passionate about working with
• 1:07
  children, you belong here. Hey, everyone, welcome back to
• 1:14
  the Play Therapy Circle podcast. I'm your host, Kylie Ellison,
• 1:19
  and I am so glad you are here. Guys.
• 1:23
  This is our final episode of 2025.
• 1:28
  And it's #25 like, serendipitous much?
• 1:32
  Like, that's amazing. That's amazing.
• 1:35
  Hey, I want to connect with everyone to say a big thank you.
• 1:40
  So this episode is a genuine thanks to everyone listening and
• 1:47
  a big wishing you well for the rest of 2025 and into 2026.
• 1:52
  So I just wanted to acknowledge in coming into our episode today
• 1:57
  that this time of year has been hectic and busy and layered.
• 2:03
  It can be emotional, it can be busy and stressful, but I want
• 2:09
  to give you that assurance that however this season feels for
• 2:13
  you, you are not alone. And I love saying that.
• 2:16
  So you guys know I say that all the time.
• 2:18
  I wanted to start off by reflecting on our Play Therapy
• 2:22
  Circle journey this year. So as those of you who have been
• 2:26
  following along now for some time would know, we started this
• 2:30
  podcast back in July. So it's been just under six
• 2:34
  months that we have been doing our weekly episodes.
• 2:38
  And definitely when we first started, we knew that there was
• 2:44
  certainly a community seeking that support in being able to
• 2:50
  talk through all things child centre play therapy,
• 2:54
  particularly from an Australian lens, and being able to support
• 2:57
  you in this work. And truly we have been blown
• 3:02
  away with how much people have enjoyed the content, have found
• 3:10
  it useful and helpful for their work.
• 3:12
  Which is exactly our intention for why we started it.
• 3:15
  Truly we had an outline and an understanding of the topics we
• 3:20
  wanted to cover, but we genuinely didn't think that it
• 3:23
  would be this well received. So it is.
• 3:28
  We are just so grateful we've, I know on behalf of the team, I
• 3:32
  can say that we are feel the privilege of and the honour of
• 3:37
  being able to do this every week and each of you listening and
• 3:41
  being a part of our play therapy circle.
• 3:44
  So if you found us this year only recently or you've been
• 3:47
  listening for the whole time, your support means the world.
• 3:50
  So thank you so much. I know that there are so many
• 3:53
  people who are regular listeners now, not just new followers as
• 3:56
  well. So holding this space this year
• 3:58
  to really go through every part of child centre play therapy and
• 4:03
  we truly haven't even really got there.
• 4:05
  We've just started. We've only been doing this,
• 4:07
  yeah, less than six months. We've got so many topics to
• 4:11
  cover next year, so much good stuff happening.
• 4:15
  We really want to involve and, and have others to come on the
• 4:19
  podcast because as fun as it is listening to me talk all the
• 4:21
  time, I'm sure you could also benefit from others.
• 4:24
  So we will have guest interviews next year.
• 4:27
  We've got so much planned. So it really has taken off and
• 4:31
  we are just so, so grateful that ultimately, as I said at the end
• 4:35
  of the day that this is this information has been helpful and
• 4:39
  useful to you. So what I want to say to all of
• 4:41
  you listening is thank you for showing up and doing the work of
• 4:46
  CCPT every day in the playroom. Because I don't think that that
• 4:51
  message is heard enough, but is so needed because of the
• 4:55
  invisible nature of of child centre play therapy, because we
• 4:58
  do that work in the playroom with a child.
• 5:01
  And so that opportunity for recognition and validation of
• 5:06
  what you do is so important. So especially those who are
• 5:10
  working in private practise, I'm always holding in mind the
• 5:14
  different listeners that we have on the podcast.
• 5:16
  So whether you are a new play therapist, a seasoned play
• 5:20
  therapist, whether you're working for an organisation,
• 5:22
  working for yourself or others, or working internationally, I
• 5:26
  think there is so many different community members that come
• 5:30
  together to listen to our podcast.
• 5:31
  So it's so important that you hear that message, that showing
• 5:35
  up everyday with vulnerability, with authenticity, with true
• 5:41
  empathy for your clients is huge and is so, so important.
• 5:47
  And that you are literally helping children and their
• 5:49
  families. So you are incredible and you as
• 5:54
  a listener deserve all of that gratitude and support.
• 5:57
  So thank you so much. I want to validate that
• 6:00
  listening is an act of professional care.
• 6:04
  So by you jumping on this podcast and listening to what is
• 6:07
  child centre play therapy, how to set up a playroom, the
• 6:10
  importance of the relationship, I know that those podcast
• 6:14
  episodes are great reminders and refreshes.
• 6:18
  All good grounding tools for those of you either starting in
• 6:21
  your profession or more advanced in your profession.
• 6:24
  So listen, listening and taking that time because sometimes my
• 6:28
  episodes go for a really long time.
• 6:30
  So thank you for hanging in there and listening the whole
• 6:33
  way through. I absolutely want to express our
• 6:37
  appreciation to the wider Play Therapy Circle community for
• 6:43
  listening, for recommending us, for sharing our episodes to
• 6:46
  others. It's so, so appreciated.
• 6:49
  So thank you so much. So definitely across the board,
• 6:53
  I think everyone has been struggling with fatigue, the
• 6:58
  complexity of our client work, the increased need in our
• 7:02
  communities. So certainly my aim for this
• 7:07
  year has to been, has been to be really holding space for all of
• 7:11
  you, working so hard in the playroom and in your communities
• 7:15
  and with your families over 2025.
• 7:19
  I'm so excited for next year. We have, as I've tasted in
• 7:23
  previous episodes, so much exciting things.
• 7:29
  That's a really poor language. I have really exciting projects.
• 7:33
  Here we go coming up next year. Because I guess one of the
• 7:39
  biggest feedback factors, that's a really like poor way of
• 7:48
  describing it. One of those consistent themes,
• 7:51
  Here we go, one of those consistent themes in feedback
• 7:54
  from listeners has been, I just wish I could stay connected with
• 7:59
  everyone. I wish that I could.
• 8:01
  Especially for those who are working in private practise by
• 8:03
  themselves. I'm holding them in mind
• 8:04
  particularly just to feel that sense of connection, validation,
• 8:09
  feel like I'm on the right track, feel like I'm good
• 8:12
  enough, feel like I know what I'm doing and feeling that
• 8:16
  disconnect in terms of just often times them just being
• 8:19
  regional and remote or just being not able to connect with
• 8:23
  others locally. So we have some exciting
• 8:26
  projects next year to kind of complement our podcast.
• 8:29
  Our podcast will continue every week episodes every week next
• 8:33
  year. So excited for that.
• 8:35
  So a lot of the episodes I want to unpack next year will
• 8:41
  certainly focus on child centre play therapy and your practise.
• 8:44
  But I might also throw some in there, some topics in there
• 8:48
  around the topics that will be relevant to parents and
• 8:51
  caregivers that you might be able to recommend to them too.
• 8:54
  So I want to make sure that we are meeting our wider audience
• 8:58
  especially. So look out for those topics
• 9:02
  next year. We've got plenty planned.
• 9:05
  We've got a couple of big projects as I said, and I don't
• 9:08
  want to give too much away because we will be launching it
• 9:10
  in the new year because it's very exciting, very, very
• 9:14
  exciting. But we are definitely going to
• 9:18
  be holding an event. So I'm so excited.
• 9:22
  I will give you more of those details next year, but we also
• 9:26
  want to bring our community together.
• 9:28
  So we have a really exciting initiative we're going to be
• 9:31
  launching in the new year as well to be able to support our
• 9:34
  child centred play therapist wherever you are in the world.
• 9:38
  To have access to that support with us, with our team, but also
• 9:45
  with your colleagues and with those practising as childhood
• 9:49
  play therapists around the world.
• 9:51
  To feel that sense of connection because that's what we're all
• 9:53
  about at the end of the day. It's authenticity and connection
• 9:57
  and congruence. And so we need to be living and
• 10:00
  breathing that. And I've done that every episode
• 10:02
  here on the podcast for the last 25 episodes.
• 10:06
  But we also see that there's that need to bring our community
• 10:08
  together. So I am so excited for that
• 10:12
  international community that we can't wait to Foster and grow
• 10:15
  next year, just as we've done with this podcast.
• 10:18
  And truly, when I say that I live the tenants of CCPT guys,
• 10:23
  I, I truly, truly do in, in all aspects of my life.
• 10:26
  But in this podcast, it really was about, I know that this is
• 10:32
  my heart and soul of how I work as a practitioner.
• 10:36
  It's been for the last 10 years, 11 years next year.
• 10:39
  So this has been my work and what I've done and I truly,
• 10:44
  truly believe in it. So I knew if I provided this
• 10:48
  podcast to offer my experience, my learnings and that
• 10:52
  information in a way that you feel that connection to, that's
• 10:58
  what it's all about. And I, I knew that that would
• 11:00
  connect with someone. I just didn't know it would
• 11:03
  connect with so many people. So I'm thrilled.
• 11:06
  I'm thrilled. So I know that we will continue
• 11:11
  to do this next year. I truly, truly love doing this
• 11:15
  because it's just been so nice to talk about the work I do
• 11:19
  every day. But also to be able to offer
• 11:23
  hope and reassurance and validation and understanding to
• 11:30
  anyone who's listening, who is either having a great experience
• 11:33
  in CCPT or might be struggling in their practise and just need
• 11:38
  that extra pick me up. So I hope that it has been
• 11:41
  helpful for you. And so we will continue to offer
• 11:45
  these episodes to continue to support your practise.
• 11:48
  But we also acknowledge that our community needs not only online,
• 11:54
  but being able to connect face to face and be able to have that
• 11:59
  human experience of connecting with each other just helps us to
• 12:02
  feel that sense of alignment with who we are and what we're
• 12:08
  doing and where we're headed. So I am so, so excited to
• 12:12
  announce these. So please, please, please follow
• 12:15
  our social media. That's where you're going to get
• 12:17
  the information, you guys. So follow our socials on on the
• 12:20
  Play Therapy podcast, on Instagram and Facebook and
• 12:24
  TikTok. I need to start posting on
• 12:25
  TikTok. I'm definitely not there enough.
• 12:27
  So I will start doing that in the new year.
• 12:28
  One of my news resolutions, I was going to say to you if you
• 12:32
  have any news resolutions for next year, because obviously
• 12:35
  I've already got news resolutions with two massive
• 12:38
  projects we're going to be launching in the new year for
• 12:40
  the podcast. So I know that's going to be
• 12:43
  huge for us. But if you have any, now's the
• 12:46
  time to be thinking about it, putting it out there into the
• 12:49
  universe. And I think what I've learnt
• 12:52
  when we talk about this approach of CCPT is believing in the
• 12:59
  capacity for self actualization, for growth if given the
• 13:03
  environment to do so. Whoa, that is huge, right?
• 13:07
  Believing in ourselves, if we give ourselves that environment
• 13:11
  and that space to do so that we know in the playroom, children
• 13:15
  thrive in that space. And I always say, I work with
• 13:18
  children of all ages. So wherever you are in your
• 13:21
  journey of child centred play therapy, whether you're just
• 13:23
  starting or you're a seasoned professional, we all have that
• 13:27
  capacity for growth. We all, if we truly align with
• 13:33
  CCPT, we acknowledge that life is hard and the work is hard and
• 13:41
  being a play therapist is hard and serving our community can
• 13:45
  often be really challenging and complex.
• 13:49
  So bringing that back to us as practitioners, being able to
• 13:53
  acknowledge that opportunity for growth, that opportunity for
• 13:58
  healing, that opportunity for validation, that opportunity to
• 14:02
  be able to evolve into the practitioner that we truly in
• 14:08
  our hearts believe we are and know that we can be, is what I
• 14:12
  want to offer to each of you next year.
• 14:15
  Because truly in doing this podcast this year, it has felt
• 14:19
  so aligned with who I am, the practitioner I want to be, and
• 14:24
  the career I want. And I want to continue to share
• 14:29
  all of my knowledge, all of my experiences, acknowledging that
• 14:34
  especially I guess I can only again talk to the Australian
• 14:37
  context. Play therapy is as a profession
• 14:41
  and, and specifically child centre play therapy still
• 14:43
  growing and evolving in our communities.
• 14:46
  Having practised specifically in child centre play therapy for
• 14:49
  the last Italy eleven years in May next year, I have a lot to
• 14:53
  offer in that space of being able to provide that support to
• 14:57
  others new to the new to the profession.
• 15:00
  So I know that that's a privilege and an honour and I I
• 15:03
  don't take that lightly. And so I hope that listening to
• 15:06
  this podcast this year has inspired you to follow your CCPT
• 15:11
  dreams as I intend to do next year in really living and
• 15:16
  breathing my CCPT values and when those things align for you.
• 15:23
  And I hope that that happens for you next year as it's happened
• 15:26
  for me this year with the podcast, how truly freeing.
• 15:29
  And I'm hopeful that becomes in terms of your practise when you
• 15:34
  get that opportunity to do so. So my heart is so full at having
• 15:38
  this opportunity to connect with each of you.
• 15:40
  So thank you for being here. Thank you for being witness to
• 15:44
  my journey in being able to open this podcast.
• 15:48
  And offer this support to so many of you.
• 15:51
  It's a privilege and an honour and I can't wait to do this
• 15:53
  again next year. And I can't wait to continue to
• 15:57
  hold space for our play A Child centred Play Therapy
• 16:01
  international community because I can't wait to see where our
• 16:05
  community takes us next year. So please, please, please, on
• 16:09
  behalf of the Play Therapy Circle team, be kind to
• 16:12
  yourself, be kind to each other. Look after yourself over this
• 16:15
  Christmas period, give yourself that grace to be able to stop
• 16:22
  and have a break and recharge and rest because you absolutely
• 16:26
  deserve it. And we can't wait to serve you,
• 16:31
  our beautiful Play Therapy Circle community in 2026.
• 16:35
  Thank you so much for the honour of being here this year and we
• 16:39
  will see you all in 2026. Thanks guys.
• 16:43
  Bye. Thank you so much for being here
• 16:50
  for another episode of The Play Therapy Circle.
• 16:53
  If anything resonated with you today, I'd love it if you could
• 16:57
  follow the podcast, share it with a colleague, or leave a
• 17:00
  short review. It really helps others find our
• 17:03
  circle. And if you have a topic or
• 17:05
  question you'd love me to explore, I'd love to hear from
• 17:08
  you. This space is for you and I want
• 17:11
  it to feel like a conversation. Until next time, take care of
• 17:15
  yourself and remember you belong here.