444 | The Looking Glass Self: How CCPT Helps Children See Themselves Differently

Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in Child-Centered Play Therapy · Oct 27, 2026 · 10m · transcript

In this episode, I explore a fascinating concept that helps explain why child-centered play therapy is so powerful in shaping a child's identity: **the Looking Glass Self**. Originally introduced by sociologist Charles Cooley, this concept suggests that we develop our sense of who we are through the messages and perceptions reflected back to us by others. For children, those messages aren't always positive. Whether they're repeatedly told they're difficult, incapable, too young, or not good enough, those experiences can become part of how they see themselves. I explain how these external…