Shows / Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in Child-Centered Play Therapy
Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in Child-Centered Play Therapy
Your source for centered and focused Play Therapy coaching. A "Master-Class" in Play Therapy. Breaking down the barriers to high-quality Child-Centered Play Therapy (CCPT) education. No paywalls, no ads, no fluff... all content — just expert, accessible training for every play therapist, free of charge.
Episodes
- Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in Child-Centered Play Therapy
445 | When Sexualized Play Challenges Your CCPT Adherence
In this episode, I answer a question about a seven-year-old girl whose play has become increasingly focused on romantic relationships and sexual themes. When a…
- Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in Child-Centered Play Therapy
444 | The Looking Glass Self: How CCPT Helps Children See Themselves Differently
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…
- Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in Child-Centered Play Therapy
443 | Update + Should Parents Tell Their Child About an Autism Diagnosis?
In this episode, I answer a question from a therapist in Hong Kong about how to help parents talk to their children about an autism diagnosis. When a child…
- Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in Child-Centered Play Therapy
442 | When Parents Feel Kept in the Dark: Protecting Confidentiality in CCPT
In this episode, I answer a question about one of the more delicate aspects of child-centered play therapy: how do we protect a child's confidentiality while…
- Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in Child-Centered Play Therapy
441 | Do You Really Trust the Child? (What Landreth Teaches Us About Trusting Children)
In this episode, I return to the topic of limit setting, but this time I'm focusing on something even more foundational than the ACT process itself: trust…
- Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in Child-Centered Play Therapy
440 | Do AI-Generated Notes Have a Place in Child-Centered Play Therapy?
In this episode, I answer a question about the growing use of artificial intelligence in therapy, particularly AI tools that record sessions and automatically…
- Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in Child-Centered Play Therapy
439 | The Floor Belongs to the Child — Wait Until You're Invited to Sit on the Floor
In this episode, I focus on a deceptively simple part of what it means to let the child lead in child-centered play therapy: the floor belongs to the child…
- Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in Child-Centered Play Therapy
438 | "Guess What?" How to Handle When a Child Insists That You Guess
In this episode, I answer a question about a familiar playroom dynamic: the child who constantly wants the therapist to guess. "Guess what I ate for lunch."…
- Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in Child-Centered Play Therapy
437 | Ultimate Limits Are Still a Choice - Getting the Final Step Right
In this episode, I continue last week's conversation about ultimate limits by focusing on a piece I think we often miss: an ultimate limit is still a choice…
- Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in Child-Centered Play Therapy
436 | Should You Ever End a CCPT Session Early? (Clarifying Ultimate Limits in CCPT)
In this episode, I clear up an important misconception about ultimate limits in child-centered play therapy: Can a child ever "choose" to lose the rest of…
- Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in Child-Centered Play Therapy
435 | When a Child Cheats Because They Have to Win: What's Really Happening in the Playroom?
In this episode, I answer a question about an 8-year-old who loves playing games but will do almost anything to make sure he wins—including cheating, changing…
- Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in Child-Centered Play Therapy
434 | What's Wrong With Our Field? Research. (A Call for the Next Generation of CCPT Research)
In this final episode of the What's Wrong with Our Field? series, I tackle what I believe is a significant gap in child-centered play therapy: research. We…
- Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in Child-Centered Play Therapy
433 | What Do You Say When a Child Asks If You Actually Like Them?
In this episode, I answer a question about an 11-year-old who repeatedly tells his therapist, "You don't really want to spend time with me," "You'd rather be…
- Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in Child-Centered Play Therapy
432 | The Missing Piece in Your CCPT Training
In this episode, I talk about something I hear constantly from child-centered play therapists: "I'm the only CCPT in my office, I wasn't prepared to work with…
- Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in Child-Centered Play Therapy
431 | What Do You Do When a Child Says 'I'm Bored' in the Playroom?
In this episode, I answer a question about something nearly every child-centered play therapist will eventually hear: "I'm bored." When a child complains that…
- Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in Child-Centered Play Therapy
430 | What's Wrong with Our Field? Supervision
In this episode of the What's Wrong with Our Field? series, I tackle a major challenge for child-centered play therapists: supervision from someone who doesn't…
- Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in Child-Centered Play Therapy
429 | "All We Do Is Play": When an Anxious Child Wants to Quit Therapy
In this episode, I answer a question about an 11-year-old with significant social anxiety who, seven sessions into CCPT, tells a parent that therapy is a waste…
- Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in Child-Centered Play Therapy
428 | What's Wrong with Our Field? Novelty and "Innovation"
In this episode, I continue the What's Wrong with Our Field? series by looking at our profession's fascination with novelty and innovation. I challenge the…
- Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in Child-Centered Play Therapy
427 | How Anxiety Shows Up—and Changes—in the Playroom
In this episode, I answer several questions about two anxious girls whose play is giving us a fascinating look at what happens when children begin confronting…
- Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in Child-Centered Play Therapy
426 | What's Wrong with Our Field? CCPT-ish
In this episode of the What's Wrong with Our Field? series, I tackle something I've been talking about for years: CCPT-ish. We have a complete, empirically…
- Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in Child-Centered Play Therapy
425 | How to Coach Parents Through Severe Power Struggles
In this episode, I answer a question about helping parents whose child has gradually taken control of the entire home. When a child constantly interrupts…
- Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in Child-Centered Play Therapy
424 | What's Wrong with Our Field? The Problem with ABA
In this episode of the What's Wrong with Our Field? series, I examine why I believe Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) remains one of the most concerning…
- Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in Child-Centered Play Therapy
423 | What If a Child Tells You to Stop Talking?
In this episode, I answer a question about one of the most uncomfortable moments a child-centered play therapist can experience: when a child tells you to stop…
- Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in Child-Centered Play Therapy
422 | What's Wrong with Our Field?: Universities and Graduate School
In this episode of the What's Wrong with Our Field? series, I tackle what I believe is one of the greatest shortcomings in graduate mental health education…
- Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in Child-Centered Play Therapy
421 | Does Birth Order Matter in CCPT? (Especially for Only Children)
In this episode, I answer a question about birth order and, specifically, what research and clinical experience tell us about only children. While birth order…
- Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in Child-Centered Play Therapy
420 | What is Wrong With Our Field? (New Series) Have We Lost Our Heart?
In this episode, I begin a new series exploring what I believe is wrong with the play therapy field today. I share a surprising piece of anonymous conference…
- Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in Child-Centered Play Therapy
419 | Returning Responsibility During Regressive Play
In this episode, I answer a question about one of the most nuanced aspects of child-centered play therapy: knowing when to return responsibility to a child and…
- Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in Child-Centered Play Therapy
418 | CCPT Mythbusters: You'll Eventually Be 100% Adherent to the Model
In this final episode of the CCPT Mythbusters series, I tackle a myth that many child-centered play therapists quietly carry with them: the belief that if we…
- Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in Child-Centered Play Therapy
417 | Expectancy, Not Expectations: The Heart of Unconditional Acceptance in CCPT
In this episode, I answer a question about what to do when children create artwork or craft projects during child-centered play therapy. Should they take their…
- Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in Child-Centered Play Therapy
416 | CCPT Mythbusters: Kids Are Manipulative
In this episode of the CCPT Mythbusters series, I tackle one of the most common labels adults place on children: "They're just manipulative." I explain why…
- Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in Child-Centered Play Therapy
415 | Advanced "I Wonder" and Whisper Technique in Role Play
In this episode, I answer a question about using whispering and "I wonder" statements during role play in child-centered play therapy. One of the biggest…
- Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in Child-Centered Play Therapy
414 | When a Child Narrates Their Own Play - Trusting the Process
In this episode, I answer a question from a new CCPT therapist who wonders whether a child who quietly builds with Legos session after session is really doing…
- Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in Child-Centered Play Therapy
413 | CCPT Mythbusters: Child-Centered Play Therapy Doesn't Work with Older Kids
In this episode of the CCPT Mythbusters series, I tackle a misconception that exists even within the child-centered play therapy community: the belief that…
- Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in Child-Centered Play Therapy
412 | When an Anxious Child Won't Stay in the Playroom
In this episode, I answer a question about working with a young child who repeatedly tries to leave the playroom during the first few sessions of therapy…
- Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in Child-Centered Play Therapy
411 | When Parents and Grandparents Aren't on the Same Page: Helping Families Align Around CCPT
In this episode, I answer a question about working with children who are being raised in nontraditional family systems, including homes where grandparents or…
- Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in Child-Centered Play Therapy
410 | CCPT Mythbusters: Diagnosing and Medicating Kids Helps
In this episode of the CCPT Mythbusters series, I tackle one of the most widely accepted assumptions in children's mental health today: that diagnosing and…
- Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in Child-Centered Play Therapy
409 | Why the Hardest CCPT Cases Need the Most Trust - Navigating Trauma, Attachment, and Dysregulation in the Playroom
In this episode, I answer a question about working with a 7-year-old child with a profound history of neglect, abandonment, foster placements, reunification…
- Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in Child-Centered Play Therapy
408 | What If the Child Isn't Finished When Time Is Up?
In this episode, I answer a question about how to handle the end of a play therapy session when a child is deeply engaged in an activity and isn't finished…
- Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in Child-Centered Play Therapy
407 | CCPT Mythbusters: You Have to Figure Out What the Play Means
In this episode of the CCPT Mythbusters series, I tackle one of the most common misconceptions in child-centered play therapy: the belief that therapists have…
- Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in Child-Centered Play Therapy
406 | When an Intern Sits In: Best Practices for CCPT Observation + Live Event Announcements!
In this episode, I answer a question about allowing interns, supervisees, and other clinicians to observe child-centered play therapy sessions. I discuss what…
- Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in Child-Centered Play Therapy
405 | What Happens Now? Preserving Garry Landreth's Legacy
In this special episode, I take a break from the MythBusters series to reflect on the life, influence, and legacy of Dr. Garry Landreth. Like so many in the…
- Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in Child-Centered Play Therapy
404 | What If a Child Brings Schoolwork Into the Playroom?
In this episode, I answer a follow-up question about children bringing items from home into the playroom and explore a specific scenario involving a child who…
- Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in Child-Centered Play Therapy
403 | CCPT Mythbusters: Children Need Guidance to Change
In this episode of the CCPT Mythbusters series, I tackle the belief that children need guidance to change. This myth is deeply embedded in our culture and…
- Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in Child-Centered Play Therapy
402 | Understanding Extreme Dysregulation and Trusting the CCPT Process
In this episode, I answer a question about a 7-year-old child whose play therapy sessions have been marked by extreme dysregulation, constant limit setting…
- Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in Child-Centered Play Therapy
401 | CCPT Mythbusters: What the Child Is Doing Isn't Enough
In this episode of the CCPT Mythbusters series, I tackle a belief that quietly shows up in many therapists' thinking: that what the child is doing in session…
- Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in Child-Centered Play Therapy
400 | 400 Episodes of CCPT: Reflections, Vision, and Live Q&A
This week's episode is a special one—the recording of our 400th Play Therapy Podcast livestream celebration. What began as an experiment with six episodes has…
- Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in Child-Centered Play Therapy
399 | Signs a Child Has Too Much Screen Time: What It Looks Like in the CCPT Playroom
In this episode, I answer a question about recognizing signs of excessive and unrestricted technology use in children and how those patterns show up in the…
- Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in Child-Centered Play Therapy
398 | CCPT Mythbusters: The Child Has to Talk About It
In this episode of the CCPT Mythbusters series, I tackle the belief that "play therapy isn't enough" unless children verbally talk about their problems. I…
- Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in Child-Centered Play Therapy
397 | If Children Aren't Cognitive, Why Do Some Want to Sit and Talk?
In this episode, I answer a thoughtful question about how child-centered play therapy works if children are not yet capable of abstract reasoning. I explain…
- Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in Child-Centered Play Therapy
396 | CCPT Mythbusters: It's Not Therapeutic If the Child Won't Go to the Playroom
In this episode of the CCPT Mythbusters series, I tackle the belief that "it's not play therapy if the child isn't in the playroom." I explain why a child…
- Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in Child-Centered Play Therapy
395 | Helping Children Through Divorce: The Importance of Age-Appropriate Truth
In this episode, I answer a question about helping children navigate a difficult divorce and discuss how to guide parents in communicating hard truths in…
- Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in Child-Centered Play Therapy
394 | CCPT Mythbusters: You Have to "Do Something"... or Therapy Won't Work
In this episode of the CCPT Mythbusters series, I address one of the most persistent and widely accepted myths in the field: that therapists have to do…
- Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in Child-Centered Play Therapy
393 | When to Set Limits (and When Not To) in CCPT + Removing Toys
In this Q&A episode, I respond to two questions that highlight common areas of uncertainty in child-centered play therapy. First, I address a case involving a…
- Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in Child-Centered Play Therapy
392 | CCPT Mythbusters: The "Innovation" Myth in Play Therapy
In this episode, I introduce a new series on the podcast—CCPT Mythbusters—and we begin by tackling what I believe is one of the most pervasive myths in the…
- Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in Child-Centered Play Therapy
391 | When a Child Doesn't Want to Stop: Navigating Termination in CCPT
In this episode, I answer a question about preparing a child and family for termination in child-centered play therapy—especially when the child appears…
- Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in Child-Centered Play Therapy
390 | Room Wrecks: The Moment That Tests Every Child-Centered Play Therapist (A CCPT Guide for Understanding and Handling Them)
In this episode, I walk through one of the most challenging—and inevitable—aspects of child-centered play therapy: room wrecks. I explain why these moments, as…
- Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in Child-Centered Play Therapy
389 | Building Buy-In for CCPT with Teachers and Staff
In this episode, I answer a question about how to effectively communicate child-centered play therapy to teachers and school staff—especially when they are…
- Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in Child-Centered Play Therapy
388 | Why Are These Kids So Happy?: What I Learned About Parenting (and CCPT) from Japan
In this episode, I share some observations from my recent trip to Japan and reflect on what I noticed about children and their parents. What stood out to me…
- Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in Child-Centered Play Therapy
387 | Stop Overloading Parents: How to Drip Feed CCPT Skills
In this episode, I talk about a common mistake we make in parent consults—giving parents too much, too fast, and expecting them to implement it successfully. I…
- Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in Child-Centered Play Therapy
386 | Adulthood Bias and Piaget: Why Adults Misunderstand Children
In this episode, I revisit the concept of Adulthood Bias and explain why it continues to show up so frequently in how adults interact with children. At its…