S3E29 - Parent Companion for Play Therapy: Internalizing Behaviors (When Kids Keep It All Inside)

Play Therapy Parenting: Real Parenting Questions Answered by a Child Therapist · Feb 13, 2026 · 12m · transcript

In this episode of the Parent Companion for Play Therapy series, I talk about internalizing behaviors and how they often go unnoticed because these kids keep everything inside. Internalizing children feel just as deeply as externalizing children, but instead of showing their distress outwardly, they stuff it. Over time, that stored-up emotion builds tension until it finally breaks through in a flood of tears or overwhelm. I explain how family roles, subtle pressure, and unmet needs often contribute to this pattern.

I also walk through what happens in the playroom for internalizing kids. In…