S3E38 - The Wave Model: From Tsunami to Tide

Play Therapy Parenting: Real Parenting Questions Answered by a Child Therapist · Apr 17, 2026 · 13m · transcript

In this episode of the Parent Companion for Play Therapy series, I introduce a visual way to understand your child's behavior before and after child-centered play therapy — what I call The Wave Model: From Tsunami to Tide. Before children develop the skills to regulate, communicate, and make sense of their emotions, their behavior often shows up in extremes. The highs are very high, the lows are very low, and everything feels intense, overwhelming, and difficult to manage.

As children build emotional vocabulary, regulation, self-esteem, and a broader understanding of their world, those…