Latest / The Play Therapy Circle / Episode 19- Self Care for Play Therapists

Transcript

Episode 19- Self Care for Play Therapists · 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. Hi, everyone, welcome back to
1:17
the Play Therapy Circle podcast. I'm your host, Kylie Ellison,
1:22
and I am so glad you are here. Welcome everyone to episode 19,
1:29
you guys. We've made it almost to 20.
1:34
Oh my gosh, how is it? I'm recording this on the 17th
1:38
of November. How is it November is my
1:42
question to all of you. How is it the end of November
1:46
and how is it that we are almost in Christmas season in December
1:50
in the Southern hemisphere? We like to call it Christmas
1:54
down here and that is what we will be focusing on next month.
1:57
So far out. Where has this year gone?
2:01
I hope you all are planning to have a lovely week ahead because
2:06
I have just started my week. When you were listening to this,
2:09
though, it'll be the end of the week.
2:11
So yeah, I am doing a topic tonight on self care.
2:17
And for those of you who have been listening for a little
2:18
while, you would know that I'm not a big fan of using that
2:22
word. And I haven't really found an
2:24
alternative yet because I think it can sometimes be used too
2:28
much or used in a way that's not necessarily relevant for
2:31
everyone. But I wanted to have a
2:35
conversation because I'm all about starting conversations,
2:39
you guys, about how we look after ourselves as play
2:43
therapist. So maybe I should change the
2:46
title of this episode to how are you doing or how are you looking
2:50
after yourself? Maybe that's a better episode
2:52
title. And this episode is the
2:56
definition of like the opposite of self care, you guys, because
3:00
I'm recording this on a Monday night at like 8:00 PM at night,
3:04
like truly, truly at the end of a very busy Monday.
3:07
So yeah, I'm still working on it, which I think is probably
3:13
not a bad headspace to be in to have this conversation and to
3:16
talk about this topic. But before I dive in to our new
3:20
episode, I just would like to thank everyone for all of your
3:23
support in listening to our podcast, watching out on
3:26
YouTube, checking it out on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
3:30
We are so thrilled that we are now in 28 countries.
3:35
We have listeners in 28 countries, like mind blowing.
3:40
So if you are outside of Australia, it is so wonderful to
3:44
have you here in our play therapy circle.
3:46
We are so grateful for you and for your support and we hope you
3:50
continue to enjoy this podcast specialising and talking all
3:55
things child centred play therapy because that's what
3:57
we're passionate about here in the play therapy circle.
4:00
So I think in talking about this topic, because you guys remember
4:06
last week, we talked about the pandemic ripple effect and
4:11
certainly my goal of offering an opportunity for conversation
4:17
starting in that space. So I hope for those of you
4:20
who've listened to our episode 18 that you found it helpful and
4:23
useful in your work because that's always our intention.
4:26
So this week I want to start the conversation about how are you
4:30
looking after yourself? And I caveat this by saying that
4:34
this year for me personally, I don't know how it's happened and
4:39
it definitely wasn't intentional.
4:41
It's just how things have gone that I haven't taken a break yet
4:45
this year. And I don't really know why
4:49
because normally I usually will organise some sort of trip mid
4:52
year, so June, July. But we didn't do that this year
4:56
and there wasn't any kind of reason behind that.
4:58
But it just didn't happen and life was busy and we just kind
5:01
of got on with things. And it's now the end of
5:03
November. And like when I say that the
5:05
wheels are coming off, the wheels are coming off like it's,
5:08
it's the end of the year and we're tired now.
5:10
That's definitely how I'm feeling.
5:13
So if you are coming to the end of the year, and I'm recording
5:17
this towards the end of November 2025, if you are feeling that
5:21
way too, you are not alone. I know I say that alone in this
5:25
podcast, but it's all about connection and community and our
5:29
play therapy circle love that we send to everyone.
5:32
So you are not alone if you are feeling like that because I am
5:37
too. Hands up.
5:38
If you are any of you watching on YouTube right now, we'll see.
5:42
I look very tired. So maybe don't watch the YouTube
5:48
version of this. Just listen on Spotify or Apple
5:50
podcast. You don't, you don't need to see
5:52
that. No, it's fine.
5:54
But it is definitely something that for me for the last couple
5:58
of weeks, last couple of months, I've been like, wait a minute,
6:01
wait a minute. I don't think I have been as
6:06
committed to myself care as I probably should be.
6:09
So I don't really want to do things like chat to you about,
6:14
you know, ways to look after yourself and some corny quotes.
6:19
I really actually want this to be a very honest, congruent,
6:24
authentic conversation about how are you doing?
6:29
Because if you are not great, you are not alone.
6:32
And I don't mean that in the sense that we're not able to
6:34
show up and serve and, and work with our families and offer
6:39
quality service. This is really about how we
6:43
support ourselves outside of the playroom.
6:46
What are the ways that we look after ourselves and how can that
6:51
certainly slip by the wayside Really, And it very easily can.
6:56
We all have lives outside of the playroom.
6:58
We have families, we have partners, we have, you know,
7:02
extended communities, we have extracurricular activities you
7:06
might be engaged in sports or hobbies.
7:09
Like it just spirals. Yep.
7:11
And so it's what I'm learning this year and that I'm taking
7:16
into next year very consciously is an intentionality behind
7:20
having self care, which I've never done before.
7:23
But I'm realising for a lot of reasons why it's so important.
7:29
So I think that the first thing that I often speak to
7:34
supervisors about that comes up in clinical supervision is how
7:38
they're feeling. And that's very important.
7:40
That's an important component of clinical supervision is self
7:44
care. But I think that we often don't
7:49
recognise, recognise is the wrong word.
7:52
I think sometimes we don't fully think through and really notice.
7:59
Yeah, notice is a better word, what that cumulative effect of
8:05
holding space for children in the playroom is all about.
8:09
And that could potentially lean into community expectations
8:13
that, you know, we often push up against that, you know, play
8:15
therapy is just play. And we can forget how deeply
8:20
attuned we are in the playroom, the level of content that we
8:23
hold space for, the emotions we hold space for.
8:27
So what does that mean for us in terms of our work?
8:30
Our nervous system is constantly working.
8:32
We're often holding multiple stories of trauma.
8:36
We need to be that safe, connected, regulated, accepting
8:41
with unconditional positive regard, therapist in the room,
8:44
right? And that is amazing.
8:46
And that's why I do everyday what I do because I love it and
8:50
I'm passionate about it. But it's also heavy.
8:54
And I think that we often forget, I guess, how that can
9:00
build up over time and what that can then look like.
9:04
So some of those ways, and especially for beginning play
9:08
therapists who are deeply committed to their work, who
9:12
want to do a great job, who want to work really hard, can often
9:16
then move into this space of compassion fatigue and burnout
9:21
or constantly feeling like you've got to be on the go.
9:24
You've got to be ready, you know, ready to do your job,
9:28
ready to support the kids in the playroom.
9:31
It may mean that you become a little bit emotionally numb as a
9:35
kind of opposition to that. And so it becomes this
9:39
conversation and this is what I'm learning and I'm it'll be 11
9:44
years next year that I've been a child centre play therapist.
9:47
So in 11, almost eleven years, I'm slowly learning that it's
9:51
not just, you know, something that you know, you might want to
9:56
do on the weekends. This is actually a professional
9:58
responsibility and it's actually critical for practise.
10:02
And I and I think that that's something really important to
10:07
remind ourselves about. So if this is something that is
10:11
resonating for you that might not have been something that
10:14
you've thought about before, I'm, I'm really hopeful that
10:17
this episode will just plant that seed around that
10:20
reflection. We know from change theory,
10:23
there is that cycle of change theory, right?
10:26
And it is something that we really have to be in that space
10:30
of contemplation and really wanting to move into that place
10:33
of action before we're going to do anything about it, right?
10:36
So I know for me, because sometimes I am stubborn, I think
10:42
that it can be a process where you start to think about it and
10:45
you start to notice things and then you start to realise, Oh
10:48
yeah, I actually probably need a break.
10:49
Like I probably need some time off.
10:52
So in good news, you guys, I am going away next week just to go
10:57
off topic because that's where my neuro divergent brain wants
11:00
to go off topic. So I am planning a week away
11:03
next week. And so there won't be a podcast
11:06
episode, I don't think, unless I've worked it out wrong.
11:09
And I'm sure there might be if there is, but if there isn't,
11:13
I'll be away on leave. And I'm so excited.
11:16
But don't worry, I'm coming back and there will be more episodes.
11:18
So don't worry. We're still going to drop them
11:21
as regularly as we can right up until Christmas and then into
11:24
the new year. But again, even that is kind of
11:28
that conversation around self care.
11:30
Then I'm going to have a Christmas break.
11:32
So I probably will record some extra episodes in advance to
11:35
make sure I've got kind of a catalogue so I can have a break
11:39
because it's actually important and it's really helpful for us
11:43
as practitioners. So I don't know about you guys,
11:46
but those of you working in private practise and I guess I
11:49
can talk to the Australian, I guess kind of market in that
11:54
space. Oftentimes I can again only talk
11:56
to my state and my local area, but oftentimes many of the
12:00
services will be either skeleton staff or will actually close
12:04
over the Christmas New Year period.
12:05
So it depends on where our public holidays in Australia
12:09
fall. So sometimes people might take a
12:11
couple of weeks, they might take just over a week, week and a
12:13
half. We are going to take three weeks
12:16
this year, which is just exceptional.
12:18
So I can't wait. And I think that it really is
12:22
that you want to put those systems in place before you
12:26
experience some of those things like burnout, burnout or
12:29
compassion fatigue. So I want to talk a little bit
12:31
about those pillars of self care and sustainable self care that
12:37
help us to be able to maintain our work.
12:40
I think we're all incredibly dedicated and passionate about
12:44
our work, but that will only take us so far before we start
12:48
to get a little bit tired and a little bit fatigued.
12:51
So what are some of the things that we can do from a first
12:55
pillar of professional self care that might be really useful?
12:59
So when it comes to caseloads, knowing your boundaries, like
13:05
what can you do in a day? So I feel like the standard in
13:10
Australia varies as well. So I don't want to give like an
13:13
absolute number and I never want to do that anyway because I'm
13:15
kind of Roger into my core in that way.
13:17
Don't like to give numbers, but I don't recommend doing back to
13:22
back appointments without a lunch break.
13:24
Hands up, anyone who's been doing that, that's me.
13:27
Don't do that. So well, actually, you have, you
13:31
know, freedom of choice. But look, it's one of those
13:33
situations where if you are constantly doing back to back
13:36
appointments all the time, everyday, it's it's certainly
13:39
not sustainable. So how can you manage your
13:42
caseload to be workable and, and useful for you?
13:45
And really everyone's going to have a different kind of
13:47
threshold and some people are going to work better in the
13:49
morning, some people in the afternoons.
13:51
There's so many variables with this, you guys.
13:52
But start to think a little bit about it.
13:54
I think is, is a good place to start if you work in private
13:58
practise session spacing. So not having back to backs
14:01
again. Oh my God, I'm the one that's
14:04
that person that has back to backs at the moment.
14:06
Not ideal, not ideal. Don't follow me.
14:10
I think it's about how can you have breaks?
14:13
How can you have a lunch break? How can we put some of those
14:17
boundaries in place to help it and and make it sustainable for
14:20
you? Administrative boundaries.
14:23
So again, making sure that you have things like turning off
14:29
your work phone at 5:00 if you are not an on call after hours
14:33
service, you know, having some of those limits in place to make
14:37
sure that people contact you during business hours and what
14:40
your response time looks like and all of those things.
14:44
So I have an incredible supervisor who once said to me
14:48
if it's any more than two lines in an email, it's an
14:50
appointment. And I love that.
14:52
I truly, truly love that. So again, I don't have the time
14:56
to reply to a big long email from a client where it could
15:02
actually be better suited to book in a parent consult time.
15:05
So having some of those administrative boundaries in
15:08
place is a great, great tool, regular, meaningful supervision.
15:13
When I say that I absolutely adore and love my supervisor,
15:17
I'm not even joking. She is incredible.
15:20
And she and I have two actually, sorry, I have, yes, I have two
15:27
clinical supervisors and both of them are incredible, incredible
15:30
women who inspire me and support me and help me everyday.
15:34
So I love that. I don't think it's just about
15:36
case reviews, but it's connecting with your passion and
15:40
feeling that support from your clinical supervisor and really
15:43
feeling like you have that achievement in connection with
15:45
your supervisor in that space, obviously holding professional
15:48
boundaries. But I think it's about feeling
15:50
like you are seen and heard and resonate with your clinical
15:54
supervisor. So that is so, so important
15:57
because that support goes such a long way, knowing when to say
16:00
no, I guess to some of those timelines or yeah, deadlines
16:06
with reports, things like that. There's lots of areas where this
16:09
becomes a challenge that we work to hold boundaries.
16:13
And I think it's a really delicate balance between wanting
16:17
to serve our clients and do the best job possible and looking
16:20
after ourselves at the same time.
16:22
So it's a very tricky thing to navigate.
16:27
Pillar #2 two is talking about emotional and nervous system
16:31
care. So we know that we are on that,
16:35
we are attuned, we are connected, we are emotionally
16:39
available in the sessions to our clients to hear and see them.
16:42
I hear you, I see you, I understand my care as Gary
16:45
Landers would say. So what are we doing as play
16:48
therapist to support our nervous system throughout the day in the
16:51
playrooms? So a pre session grounding might
16:56
be something that you want to do for me and everyone's going to
16:59
be different, you guys. For me, years ago I had one of
17:03
my teachers, AKA one of my clients teach me many years ago
17:08
that it's very important to grant yourself in the playroom
17:11
that when you walk in the room, you take your shoes off.
17:14
So that is like a entry to session ritual, which I love,
17:19
love, love, love, and it literally grounds me into the
17:22
room because I'm no longer wearing my shoes and the client
17:26
is the same and I can physically ground to my space.
17:30
So that might be something you might like to do.
17:34
There's so many different ways. I have a very fluffy rug, pink
17:38
rug, always have love that about my room.
17:41
And that is a very grounding tool for me in the playroom
17:45
before, during and after because I can literally touch it, grab
17:49
it, sit with the client on the floor because I'm all about
17:52
sitting on the ground with my clients to connect with them.
17:55
And that really does help me a lot in the session.
18:00
But there are certainly many different ways you can do it.
18:03
You know, 60 seconds of breathing, a stretch, a moment
18:07
of stillness, help to sending yourself before you go out into
18:10
the waiting room and collect your client post session
18:14
processing as well. I really do like to write down
18:17
notes afterwards. So at least if I can't type my
18:20
case notes immediately, I've got those notes down on paper.
18:23
I am a geriatric millennial. This is not a surprise to
18:26
anyone. You guys have been listening for
18:27
a while. You would know that I am
18:29
definitely of the older generations in my 40s, and I
18:34
still need to write things down as a way to get things out of my
18:37
head onto paper. I know that not everyone's like
18:40
that now. I think, you know, there's
18:41
technology and stuff that actually helps a lot more people
18:44
now. But if you need to write stuff
18:46
down, great to let that session go to be able to put it out on
18:52
paper and be able to reset for the next client.
18:56
Certainly changing positions during the session as well.
18:59
I talked about kind of my grounding with my rug.
19:02
I do find that sometimes that if I kind of move, you know, from
19:06
cross legged or you know, I just kind of moved to a different
19:09
space in the playroom still, I'm supporting the child that can
19:12
just help me stay focused and grounded.
19:15
And I guess kind of talking about with your supervisor, if
19:19
you are feeling any of that emotional, I guess emotional
19:26
space that remains after a client leaves, that is really
19:30
important that you want to process and talk through with
19:32
your supervisor. A really important part of our
19:36
practise as play therapists. So I think a dysregulated
19:41
therapist cannot Co regulate good thought.
19:44
Probably something to keep in mind, hey, because I do think
19:47
that that is something now that I think about that out loud,
19:49
that is really important. Super, super important.
19:52
We can't help children in the playroom if we're not regulated
19:56
ourselves. I don't know about you guys
19:58
though. I'm going to go off on tangent
19:59
for a minute and I don't know if this will resonate for anyone
20:02
listening, but for me, I think This is why I've been able to go
20:07
through the year without a break.
20:09
Is that I actually find going into the playroom super
20:14
connecting and grounding for me, even though the content can
20:17
sometimes be really heavy. I actually think the playroom is
20:21
somewhere that I find I connect certainly with my true purpose,
20:26
what I'm passionate about, what makes my heart happy, what
20:29
lights me up. And it's obviously not just
20:31
about me. But when you do something that
20:33
you love, there's still that, you know, propensity for
20:37
compassion, for taking burnout. But I actually think it's been
20:39
something that's helped fill my cup.
20:42
So sometimes, if that's how you sort of feel about the process,
20:47
I just want to say that I feel that, too.
20:49
So how does it feel for you to be in the playroom all day and
20:56
does that actually invigorate and energise you or is it really
21:02
kind of wearing you down at the moment and is is a bit of a
21:06
struggle for you right now? So definitely looking after
21:09
yourself in that space. When it comes to your nervous
21:11
system, I think that that really is, you know, your body is
21:14
always going to tell you right at the end of the day, it can
21:17
only go so far and then it's going to let you know.
21:20
So definitely taking notice of some of those physical symptoms
21:24
along the way and our nervous system is part of that.
21:26
So pillar 3, the last pillar is all about practical, real life
21:30
self care. So I'm just going to straight up
21:33
say I'm probs not a good, good mascot for this.
21:38
Like, truly. Oh my God.
21:40
And I'm literally recording this episode on a Monday night.
21:43
Oh my gosh. If any of you guys are listening
21:45
and you're like, wow, she sounds tired.
21:47
Yeah, I am. I actually am.
21:50
But listen, I wouldn't be anything but congruent,
21:53
inauthentic if I wasn't keeping it real.
21:55
So I'm keeping it real for you guys.
21:57
This is the reality of a year of holding lots of big spaces, big
22:02
feelings this year and it absolutely has been incredible
22:06
for my soul, but at the same time can make you a little
22:10
tired. So again, if you guys are
22:12
feeling tired, I see you time management that actually works
22:16
for you, not against you. Oh God, I feel like I'm learning
22:20
in real time with some of these tips that I found online.
22:22
So let's keep going and learn together now planning admin
22:26
blocks. OK, I always try to do this to
22:30
some extent. Then it usually changes.
22:33
So are you that person that kind of books it in your calendar
22:36
thinking on a Monday? Yep, this is how my week's going
22:38
to look and it's going to, I'm going to kick some goals.
22:41
And then by Thursday it's all been removed and you haven't
22:44
done any admin. Again, if that's you, you're not
22:48
alone. And if you've got any ideas,
22:52
email me. No, I'm just kidding.
22:53
I'm kidding. I'm kidding.
22:54
I'm going to tell you. Creating a workspace that feels
22:59
regulating maybe one of those solutions.
23:03
So taking breaks, taking time for you admin box blocks, going
23:08
back to the admin box. I'm bouncing between different
23:10
topics tonight, you guys. Admin blocks is certainly
23:12
something that I think is a really good idea.
23:15
I think that goes hand in hand with how many appointments in a
23:18
day you have because obviously if you're working a certain
23:21
amount of hours a day and you've got a certain amount of
23:23
appointments, if you're seeing too many clients, you're not
23:26
going to have time for the admin.
23:27
So which is me. So Oh my goodness, don't do an
23:31
ID. So if you can put in admin
23:35
breaks, I think that's a really good idea.
23:37
I am the kind of person, and I don't know if you listening are
23:40
the same, but I work much better.
23:41
My brain works much better in the mornings as opposed to the
23:44
evenings. So I can smash out some admin at
23:47
like 8:00 or 7:00 in the morning, but I can't do it at
23:50
like 8:20 at night. Now when I'm recording a podcast
23:54
and I'm trying to record an episode, Holy moly.
23:57
So what works for you? What time of day works for you?
24:00
Where can you put those breaks in to be able to do some of that
24:03
admin work so that you can find that balance?
24:06
And if you've got too many appointments, what's happening
24:09
in your schedule here that you might be able to tweak and
24:11
change so that you can have that at men time.
24:13
Super important creating a workplace, workplace and
24:17
workspace that feels regulating. So we love to have some music in
24:21
our waiting room that's really calming and it's often from
24:26
YouTube and it's usually we've more recently had like like
24:32
underwater. You know what's that called
24:35
where it's like the vision of turtle swimming underwater, like
24:40
that kind of thing. I find that so calming.
24:42
Like I just want to sit out there and just watch it the
24:43
whole time and end up just coming and chatting to my
24:46
clients in the waiting room instead, which is probably a
24:50
reason why I need to go on holiday.
24:52
But I love that it's very calming, very soothing for our
24:54
clients in the waiting room, which is so, so important that
24:57
they feel that welcoming space, that calming space.
25:00
They're having that music we have.
25:04
What would you call them? Oh my gosh, my words.
25:06
Tonight we have festoon lights in our waiting room, which is so
25:11
cool as well. So you know, what are the ways
25:14
that you have your space organised so that you feel that
25:17
sense of calm where you can, but truly, truly, truly checking in
25:22
with your body. I was saying that before when we
25:23
talk about real life self care. So are you drinking enough
25:26
water? Like I'm asking the collective
25:28
right now, are you drinking enough water?
25:30
Because I know I'm not. I'm not.
25:33
So if you're not, I did go through a really good phase, you
25:35
guys, where I was and then I stopped because life got busy.
25:40
But if you can, drinking order a lot really does help.
25:46
Eating food, I know, I know it's groundbreaking, but eating food,
25:50
I'm telling myself right now while I'm telling you guys, I'm
25:53
going to eat my lunch tomorrow. I swear that's going to happen.
25:56
And having breaks is really, really important, recognising
25:59
early burnout signs, so being irritable, feeling emotionally
26:04
flat, exhausted, they can all be indicators that you are needing
26:11
to look after yourself a little bit more.
26:12
So I hope some of those suggestions have planted that
26:15
seed a little bit around how to integrate that into everyday
26:21
practise. And I think that one of the
26:23
things that I have learnt over time is that you can't do it all
26:27
at once. So implementing just one thing.
26:30
So literally, you guys, if more play therapist next week, drink
26:33
some water, I'll be happy because I think it's really
26:35
important. Oh my gosh.
26:37
And I find that when I get really dehydrated, that's when
26:41
you start to feel tired, which I'm sure there's some science
26:43
behind that. I'm sure that's not ground
26:45
breaking, but I think that's really an important reminder.
26:49
So you can do like things where you buy that, like water bottles
26:53
like have at Kmart here in Australia where it's got like
26:57
the different levels for like 2 litres of water.
26:59
So you can actually drink it in the one day and you know, cheer
27:03
yourself on when you're kind of getting to your goal.
27:05
So there's ways to do it. And I'm talking to myself while
27:08
I'm saying this so we can do this.
27:10
OK, So if you're listening and feeling tired like me, hi, can I
27:14
see you? We're all in this together like
27:18
I am today. Here is some realistic things
27:21
that we can do you guys, and we're all going to commit to
27:23
this together. Let's hold hold hands and agree
27:26
that we're going to do this after listening to this episode,
27:27
you guys fully. So the the 62nd restart and even
27:33
more reset. So having a little minute when
27:38
you find yourself feeling a little bit overwhelmed.
27:42
Maybe I should do this now. I'm just kidding.
27:45
I'm definitely going to make sure I do that tomorrow because
27:47
I've got a big day planned with appointments.
27:50
I think if you can take a minute, and I like to do that
27:55
breathing technique. I don't know if anyone does it.
27:57
Will you breathe in for four, hold for eight, blow out for
28:02
six? I think, Oh no, wait.
28:04
If someone knows what it actually is, tell me because
28:08
breathe in for I think it's breathe in for four.
28:11
Yeah, hold for eight, maybe blow out for eight.
28:15
That mindful breathing technique.
28:17
If anyone knows it and can tell me, that would be amazing.
28:20
But in any case, taking a minute to kind of take a breath and
28:25
ground yourself before your next appointment after you hear this
28:28
book cast, please do it. It's absolutely essential.
28:31
And I do actually find, all jokes aside, I find that very
28:33
helpful. It does actually work for me.
28:35
I just can't remember the numbers.
28:36
Not because I'm tired. OK, One fun thing each week to
28:41
do. I'm not even kidding you guys.
28:43
Like my whole mindset shifted when I realised I'm going on
28:46
holidays next week. For reals.
28:49
I know that there's kind of a light at the end of the tunnel.
28:51
This is not that strategy that I'm suggesting, but I feel like
28:54
if you know that it's not going to be kind of every week exactly
28:59
the same like this with no break, when you actually feel
29:02
like you have things to look forward to in that space that's
29:05
going to recharge you. I find that helps me a great
29:09
deal. But certainly one fun thing to
29:12
do. So something that I mean, the
29:14
kids have been doing recently that we really love is Sunday
29:18
morning going out for breakfast as a family.
29:20
And I never thought I'd be that person that does that because
29:23
I'm usually so busy. But I really just decided that
29:27
connection time with my kids. So putting the phones down,
29:30
sitting together outside the we love this coffee shop that's
29:35
right near our house. So we can literally walk.
29:37
But do we walk? No, we drive.
29:39
Yep, it's like 800 metres. I don't know what that is in
29:42
miles, but you guys, it's very tiny drive.
29:45
So maybe I'll walk next time I do this, but self care start
29:50
with one thing small. So we go every Sunday.
29:52
We've been doing that for like a month now and I love it.
29:56
I love just spending time with my kids, not being distracted by
29:59
technology, just sitting with them and having breakfast, you
30:04
know, outside connected with our community because it's our local
30:08
community that loves to frequent our coffee shop.
30:11
So it's beautiful. It's great for the soul.
30:13
So something fun that you can kind of plan each week.
30:15
A really great idea, definitely some sort of transition ritual
30:21
after you've finished work. So I love my podcast as well and
30:26
not mine specifically. I just need to clarify that I
30:28
don't listen to my own podcast when I get in the car.
30:31
I hope you guys do, that would be amazing.
30:34
But I really don't like hearing myself back.
30:36
So I won't listen to my own podcast, but I do love like just
30:41
really kind of tap out of kind of reality sort of podcast.
30:46
So who am I listening to at the moment?
30:48
I'm listening to the Real Housewives of Orange County
30:54
podcast. 2T's in a pod. I don't know if you guys have
30:57
heard Teddy Mellencamp and Tamara Judge.
30:59
I think it is. Yep, Yep.
31:02
Totally unrelated to Play Therapy, which is so good.
31:05
And I just love it because they recap episodes of my favourite
31:08
show and I can just switch off from the play therapy head and,
31:14
you know, enjoy some of that content instead.
31:19
So what do you have that you can kind of do in the afternoon?
31:22
Do you go for a walk? Are you that person?
31:24
Do you exercise? I want to, I want to be like
31:26
that in 2026. Maybe that's my New Year's
31:28
resolution that I'm going to walk next year.
31:32
Oh, man, baby steps, baby steps. I need to do some form of
31:36
exercise, but what kind of ritual do you have to leave the
31:40
office at the end of the day? Weekly check in, check in with
31:43
yourself. How are you doing?
31:44
What I all jokes aside, you guys, because I promise I'm
31:47
going to get serious for a minute.
31:48
What I have noticed this year though, and it's been lots of
31:51
different changes that I've made in my life for lots of different
31:55
reasons, that I am certainly taking life at a little bit of a
32:00
slower pace. I know that contradicts the fact
32:02
that I haven't had a holiday this year, but I am really
32:07
noticing if I am finding it hard or just feeling a little bit
32:12
rundown. And so then I will slow things
32:15
down. I guess from a work perspective,
32:17
if I've checked in with myself and I've noticed that I'm
32:19
probably getting a little bit exhausted.
32:21
So what can I do more of? What can I do less of?
32:23
So that is actually something that's really important.
32:26
And I found in doing that that I am coping better.
32:30
Like I'm not as sick as I used to be.
32:33
Like lots of different reasons why it's actually really helpful
32:37
for me to do that. So peer connections, like
32:41
reaching out to another therapist, like I have the most
32:44
amazing network of people that I love to just connect with.
32:47
And even today has just been so, so important.
32:50
And I've absolutely loved connecting with my, you know,
32:54
circle, my tribe, my people that get me, who support me, who love
32:58
me, who just help me to feel connected and safe and valued
33:05
and supported. And yeah, all of the things, it
33:09
just is so good for the soul. It's so good for the heart.
33:11
And it's so good for the soul to have those connections of other
33:13
play therapists and your play therapy network and just your
33:17
peer networks in general are so, so important.
33:21
So they are just some literal like little kind of things to
33:27
think about and to maybe consider in your practise and
33:31
your work. As I mentioned earlier, I am
33:35
finally going on a holiday and next year have really structured
33:40
my calendar. Let's be honest, I love to do
33:43
lots of things. So there's a possibility that
33:45
that will change, hopefully not. I'm promising myself and shares
33:52
my amazing person that I who organises my life, that I
33:57
promise I won't change it. But all Drex aside, holidays
34:01
next year is going to be something for me because I know
34:04
that's what I need to kind of reset.
34:06
That's what recharges me, refreshes me, gets me back into
34:09
that headspace so I can do the work that I love and I'm so
34:12
passionate about. So really take the time.
34:15
I really want to encourage you guys.
34:17
It is so important that we show that same love and care and
34:21
compassion to ourselves as much as we do to our clients.
34:27
And I think it can be very easy for us to kind of neglect that
34:30
and get caught up in just kind of the busyness of life and the
34:34
busyness of work. But you matter as well.
34:38
You, you as a play therapist, you listening to this podcast
34:43
today, you are important and you matter and the work that you do
34:48
means so much. It is absolutely a practise of
34:53
connecting in a deeply human space, and it's so important
34:58
that we are looking after ourselves so that we can do that
35:00
incredible work. So take one small thing from
35:03
today from what I've listed in the podcast and let us know in
35:09
the comments on the Instagram, on the Instagram, because I'm
35:12
geriatric millennial, you guys on the Instagram tell us what
35:16
you have been up to. What are you going to do to look
35:18
after yourself? How are you going to take care
35:20
of you? And what one thing, let's not
35:23
make it unachievable, just one thing that you might be able to
35:26
implement that you've learnt from today.
35:28
We would love to hear from you. If this episode resonated for
35:31
you, please share it to another therapist or another person in
35:35
your circle in your connections that might need to hear this
35:39
today. And more than anything else, as
35:44
I always say every episode, please take care of you.
35:47
Be kind to each other and be kind to yourselves.
35:50
Thank you so much for listening to this episode.
35:52
I have no idea how this is going to sound playing back because I
35:56
just feel like I've sounded like I've been so tired today.
35:59
But that's the whole point of this self care episode because
36:04
I'm hoping to have this. So maybe one day I'll listen
36:07
back to it and be like, Oh my God, I'm so like on top of
36:09
myself Care now. I don't even know that person.
36:12
That's the dream, right? But listen, it's a constant sort
36:15
of juggle and it's a constant battle between us wanting to be
36:18
there and be incredible for our clients and our families and do
36:22
the work that, you know, lights up our hearts.
36:25
But it's also about taking care of us too.
36:27
So thank you so much for listening.
36:30
It is tipping over to 35 minutes.
36:32
So it's time for me to go and take care of me along with
36:38
looking after all of you. So thank you so much for
36:41
listening. Please follow us on Spotify,
36:44
Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your good podcast.
36:47
We're on YouTube, so if you guys want to see how tired I look in
36:50
this video, head over to YouTube.
36:52
How exciting. Don't head over to YouTube.
36:54
That sounds like a bad idea. I definitely need to freshen up
37:00
but like I said I'm going away next week so I'm really not sure
37:05
if we'll have an episode next week or not.
37:08
For anyone who is wondering I'm heading off overseas which is
37:12
even better. My God I'm so excited.
37:15
So I may just post. So follow us on Instagram,
37:18
TikTok and Facebook. I might share my adventures next
37:22
week of how I've played and had some recharge and some downtime
37:27
over my weeks holiday next week. And then I will be back because
37:32
then it's going to be December, you guys.
37:34
And when I tell you I love Christmas, I am obsessed.
37:38
So there's going to be lots of Christmas content.
37:40
I don't know how we'll weave that into play therapy, but we
37:42
will. And so I would love to take you
37:44
on that journey of the month of December and all the things that
37:47
we're up to. But in the meantime, follow us
37:50
on socials, follow us on your podcast channels, including
37:54
Spotify and Apple Podcast. And please, please, please, as I
37:57
always say, the end of every episode, look after yourself,
38:00
look after each other and be kind to you because you matter.
38:02
Thank you so much for listening. I'll talk to you again soon.
38:05
Bye. Thank you so much for being here
38:09
for another episode of The Play Therapy Circle.
38:13
If anything resonated with you today, I'd love it if you could
38:16
follow the podcast, share it with a colleague, or leave a
38:20
short review. It really helps others find our
38:22
circle. And if you have a topic or
38:24
question you'd love me to explore, I'd love to hear from
38:27
you. This space is for you, and I
38:30
want it to feel like a conversation.
38:33
Until next time, take care of yourself and remember you belong
38:38
here.