Shows / Next Level Play Therapy: A Podcast for Play Therapy Excellence
Next Level Play Therapy: A Podcast for Play Therapy Excellence
Join me on Next Level Play Therapy, a podcast for child and adolescent therapists seeking to elevate your play therapy services. Hosted by Cathi Spooner, LCSW, RPT-S, at Renewing Hearts Play Therapy Training.
Each episode delves into the nuances of play therapy, exploring innovative techniques, evidence-based practices, and practical strategies for providing exceptional therapeutic experiences. These engaging discussions cover a wide range of topics, including building rapport with children…
Episodes
Next Level Play Therapy: A Podcast for Play Therapy ExcellenceHow To Talk to Parents About Difficult Issues in Play Therapy
Send us Fan Mail When I talk with play therapists about reasons they avoid having difficult conversations with parents/caregivers, here's the most common worry…
Next Level Play Therapy: A Podcast for Play Therapy ExcellenceWhat is Best Practice in Play Therapy Clinical Decision-Making
Send us Fan Mail How does being trained to use a specific play therapy model influence clinical decision-making vs clinical decision-making of child/adolescent…
Next Level Play Therapy: A Podcast for Play Therapy ExcellenceHow to Work with Resistance in Play Therapy: 4 Approaches for Reluctant Clients
Send us Fan Mail What do you do when you keep getting frantic phone calls from caregivers between play therapy sessions telling you all the things going wrong…
Next Level Play Therapy: A Podcast for Play Therapy ExcellenceHow to Avoid Burnout and Create Meaningful Change in Play Therapy
Send us Fan Mail Have you ever thought to yourself when it’s just you and you’ve had a hard day - “I wish I had someone to help me process what just happened…
Next Level Play Therapy: A Podcast for Play Therapy ExcellenceWhy Collecting More Play Therapy Activities Is Keeping You Stuck (And What Actually Creates Client Breakthroughs)"
Send us Fan Mail If you’re a play therapist - Do you find yourself doing any of these? 👇 🙄 Constantly searching for new activities online 🙄 Have folders full…
Next Level Play Therapy: A Podcast for Play Therapy ExcellenceHow To Tell If Clients Are Just Playing in Play Therapy
Send us Fan Mail Is this just a flower… or a window into healing using play therapy? How do you know if your client is ‘just playing’ or doing deep therapeutic…
Next Level Play Therapy: A Podcast for Play Therapy ExcellenceWhat Are the Benefits of Play Therapy with Traumatized Kids?
Send us Fan Mail Have you ever thought to yourself - I have no idea how play therapy actually helps my traumatized client heal? Then I’ve got good news for…
Next Level Play Therapy: A Podcast for Play Therapy ExcellenceIs There a Best Approach for Play Therapy with Traumatized Kids?
Send us Fan Mail There is no such thing as the best approach for play therapy with traumatized kids. What????!!!! 😱 Searching for the ONE approach that will…
Next Level Play Therapy: A Podcast for Play Therapy ExcellenceHow to Use Play Therapy Interventions to Get Great Results in Play Therapy
Send us Fan Mail Ever felt like your playroom is bursting with supplies… You’ve got the latest toy, fidget, slime, sand tray miniature, art supplies … But you…
Next Level Play Therapy: A Podcast for Play Therapy ExcellenceHow to Make Progress in Play Therapy When You’re Feeling Stuck
Send us Fan Mail Have you ever felt like your client doesn’t seem to be making progress and you’ve tried everything to get back on track? You looked through…
Next Level Play Therapy: A Podcast for Play Therapy ExcellenceHow to Tell If Play Therapy Is Working by These 5 Signs
Send us Fan Mail We’re diving into a question that lives rent-free in the minds of even the most seasoned play therapists: “Is this actually working?” If…
Next Level Play Therapy: A Podcast for Play Therapy Excellence5 Mistakes Every Play Therapist Makes (And How to Grow from Them)
Send us Fan Mail Have you ever had the sinking feeling after a session and thought you blew it bad? If that’s ever been you… welcome to the club. And guess…
Next Level Play Therapy: A Podcast for Play Therapy ExcellenceHow Do You Create a Sacred Space in Play Therapy for Healing?
Send us Fan Mail When I first heard the term “wounded healer” I wasn’t sure it was a good thing. I pictured in my head some of the people I’ve come across in…
Next Level Play Therapy: A Podcast for Play Therapy ExcellenceWhat Does It Mean to Create a Sacred Space for Children in Play Therapy?
Send us Fan Mail We often hear the notion of the play therapy process and the need to hold a sacred space for healing in play therapy. But, what the heck does…
Next Level Play Therapy: A Podcast for Play Therapy ExcellenceTips to Recognize Themes in Play Therapy with Traumatized Children
Send us Fan Mail Recognizing themes in play therapy sessions is an important part of being a play therapist because it influences how you make sense of what…
Next Level Play Therapy: A Podcast for Play Therapy Excellence3 Favorite Play Therapy Activities to Use with Traumatized Children & Teens
Send us Fan Mail Let’s get creative! Play therapy activity ideas to help traumatized children and teens heal If you’re a play therapist or child/adolescent…
Next Level Play Therapy: A Podcast for Play Therapy ExcellenceTips for Maximizing Results Using Play Therapy to Heal Trauma
Send us Fan Mail Learning more play therapy activities isn’t enough to help children heal. If you talk to the experts in the field of any mental health…
Next Level Play Therapy: A Podcast for Play Therapy ExcellenceHow to Use an Integrative Play Therapy Model with Traumatized Children & Teens
Send us Fan Mail What’s the best approach to using play therapy with traumatized children and teens? If you’re a play therapist or child/adolescent mental…
Next Level Play Therapy: A Podcast for Play Therapy ExcellenceWhat’s the Connection Between Childhood Trauma and Adolescent Suicidality?
Send us Fan Mail Is there a connection between suicide ideation in adolescence for children who have experienced trauma? We know from the research that trauma…
Next Level Play Therapy: A Podcast for Play Therapy Excellence5 Components to Create a Safe Space for Healing Trauma in Play Therapy
Send us Fan Mail The last several years of neuroscience research has shown mental health professionals how to better understand the role of autonomic nervous…
Next Level Play Therapy: A Podcast for Play Therapy ExcellencePlay Therapy with Children & Teens Experiencing Eating Problems
Send us Fan Mail Have you ever had a client present to your office and you were kind of stumped about what to do? Me too. I’ve totally been there. The thing…
Next Level Play Therapy: A Podcast for Play Therapy ExcellenceDoes Case Conceptualization Matter in Play Therapy?
Send us Fan Mail I’ve heard it said by mental health professionals and play therapists that case conceptualization doesn’t really matter when you’re working…
Next Level Play Therapy: A Podcast for Play Therapy ExcellenceWhat’s the Role of Parents in Play Therapy?
Send us Fan Mail Boost Parental Involvement in Play Therapy with Attachment & Neuroscience Strategies If you’re a play therapist or child/adolescent therapist…
Next Level Play Therapy: A Podcast for Play Therapy ExcellenceHow Play Therapists Can Avoid Burnout
Send us Fan Mail As play therapists, we are often the ones who sit with stories of pain, loss, and struggle—walking alongside our clients during their toughest…
Next Level Play Therapy: A Podcast for Play Therapy ExcellenceWant to Be Part of a Play Therapy Community?
Send us Fan Mail Are you part of a play therapy community? Are you the only play therapist in your agency? One of the things I hear ALL the time from members…
Next Level Play Therapy: A Podcast for Play Therapy ExcellenceHow to Develop Culturally-Informed Play Therapy Case Conceptualization
Send us Fan Mail How good are you at identifying the role of culture in the problems your clients are experiencing? Have you considered the resiliency factors…
Next Level Play Therapy: A Podcast for Play Therapy ExcellenceHow to Get Great Results in Play Therapy
Send us Fan Mail What does clinical case conceptualization in play therapy mean and does it really matter? 🙄 Case conceptualization is your ability to ask all…
Next Level Play Therapy: A Podcast for Play Therapy ExcellenceHow to Write Great Play Therapy Documentation Quickly and Easily
Send us Fan Mail What’s your least favorite part about providing play therapy services to your clients? Let me tune into my mind reading skills to read your…
Next Level Play Therapy: A Podcast for Play Therapy ExcellenceWhy do you need strong Case Conceptualization skills for play therapy?
Send us Fan Mail Most therapists I talk with, including play therapists, want to get straight to helping their clients during the very first session so they…
Next Level Play Therapy: A Podcast for Play Therapy ExcellenceWhat skills are needed to be a play therapist?
Send us Fan Mail What does it mean to be a play therapist and what skills are needed to provide play therapy? Understanding fundamental principles for play…
Next Level Play Therapy: A Podcast for Play Therapy ExcellenceWhat is Bias in Play Therapy?
Send us Fan Mail Mental health professionals are human beings who bring all of themselves into the counseling process to walk alongside their clients in the…
Next Level Play Therapy: A Podcast for Play Therapy Excellence4 Basic Skills for Play Therapists
Send us Fan Mail What are the four basic play therapy skills every play therapist needs to master to competently provide play therapy that gets real results…
Next Level Play Therapy: A Podcast for Play Therapy ExcellenceWhat’s the Backbone of Great Play & Expressive Arts Therapy?
Send us Fan Mail What’s the Backbone of Great Play & Expressive Arts Therapy? Any really great therapist will tell you that one the foundational elements of…
Next Level Play Therapy: A Podcast for Play Therapy ExcellenceClinical Decision-Making in Play Therapy: What’s in Your Toolbox?
Send us Fan Mail What are the clinical tools in your play therapy and expressive arts toolbox and how do you use those tools effectively with your young…
Next Level Play Therapy: A Podcast for Play Therapy ExcellenceIs Sandplay Therapy Effective?
Send us Fan Mail Does sand tray therapy in play therapy work? What’s the difference between sandplay therapy and sand tray therapy? Aren’t they the same thing?…
Next Level Play Therapy: A Podcast for Play Therapy ExcellenceHow to Help Bereaved Children in Play Therapy
Send us Fan Mail Children feel grief deeply and their grieving process looks different depending on a variety of factors, including their age and developmental…
Next Level Play Therapy: A Podcast for Play Therapy ExcellenceCan Children Heal in Play Therapy without Parents?
Send us Fan Mail What’s the best way to make the biggest and most long-lasting impact using play therapy? After all, that’s the goal of play therapy - to make…
Next Level Play Therapy: A Podcast for Play Therapy ExcellenceWhat’s the Secret to Use Family Play Therapy Confidently?
Send us Fan Mail Usually when I suggest play therapists use family play therapy sessions, their facial expression says it all. Anxious, surprised, overwhelmed…
Next Level Play Therapy: A Podcast for Play Therapy ExcellenceHow to Engage Challenging Parents in Play Therapy
Send us Fan Mail If you’re a play therapist or work with children and adolescents in the mental health field, then you know children do not exist in their own…
Next Level Play Therapy: A Podcast for Play Therapy ExcellenceHow to Build Strong Rapport in Play Therapy
Send us Fan Mail While I believe that learning a play therapy model so you can effectively apply the model with a variety of children through all the stages of…
Next Level Play Therapy: A Podcast for Play Therapy ExcellenceUsing Play Therapy to Help Children with Anger Problems
Send us Fan Mail Emotion regulation problems, such as anger outbursts, are a big reason parents seek counseling for their children. Parents aren’t sure what to…
Next Level Play Therapy: A Podcast for Play Therapy ExcellenceWhat’s the Best Approach for Play Therapy?
Send us Fan Mail If you’re a child and adolescent therapist, it’s probably because you want to make a difference in the lives of children. That’s what drives…
Next Level Play Therapy: A Podcast for Play Therapy ExcellenceWhat is Bibliotherapy in Play Therapy?
Send us Fan Mail What the heck does bibliotherapy mean? It’s a really fancy term for using stories to help clients heal. Most play therapists incorporate some…
- Next Level Play Therapy: A Podcast for Play Therapy Excellence
How to Create Your Sand Tray Miniature Collection
Send us Fan Mail I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE using sand tray therapy with my clients of all ages. I’m obsessed with it because I’ve witnessed the power of the…
Next Level Play Therapy: A Podcast for Play Therapy ExcellenceBest Ever Sand for Sand Tray Therapy!
Send us Fan Mail Wondering how to find great sand to use for sand tray therapy with NO DUST? One of the most challenging things about using sand tray therapy…
Next Level Play Therapy: A Podcast for Play Therapy ExcellenceWhat Kind of Sand Tray Miniatures Are Best
Send us Fan Mail What kind of sand tray miniatures do you need? Are there miniatures that are better than others so your clients get what they need in your…
Next Level Play Therapy: A Podcast for Play Therapy ExcellenceHow to Provide Sand Tray Therapy in Play Therapy
Send us Fan Mail Have you heard of sand tray therapy? How do you provide sand tray therapy? What do you need to provide sand tray therapy with clients? If…
Next Level Play Therapy: A Podcast for Play Therapy ExcellenceHow Do Play Therapists Understand Themes in Play Therapy?
Send us Fan Mail One of the biggest struggles for play therapists is understanding and recognizing themes in play therapy. Play therapists use themes in play…
Next Level Play Therapy: A Podcast for Play Therapy ExcellenceIdentifying Play Dynamics in Play Therapy
Send us Fan Mail How do you make sense of what’s going on in play therapy sessions and figure out if your clients are making progress? This is a question that…
Next Level Play Therapy: A Podcast for Play Therapy ExcellenceHow To Develop Culturally-Informed Play Therapy Case Conceptualization
Send us Fan Mail How good are you at identifying the role of culture in the problems your clients are experiencing? Have you considered the resiliency factors…
Next Level Play Therapy: A Podcast for Play Therapy ExcellenceHow To Use Neuroscience & Attachment Theory in Play Therapy to Heal Trauma
Send us Fan Mail I discovered neuroscience and attachment theory as a play therapist about 15 years ago and was immediately a fan because I recognized how…
Next Level Play Therapy: A Podcast for Play Therapy ExcellenceHow To Take a Strategic Approach to Play Therapy with Traumatized Children
Send us Fan Mail Have you ever wondered which approach works best with children who are traumatized? Or maybe you’ve wondered what techniques are used in…
Next Level Play Therapy: A Podcast for Play Therapy ExcellenceWhat is Sand Tray Therapy?
Send us Fan Mail If you’re a play therapist you’ve probably heard of sand tray therapy. Maybe you’re using sand tray therapy now with your child and adolescent…
Next Level Play Therapy: A Podcast for Play Therapy ExcellenceHow to Engage Reluctant Parents in Play Therapy
Send us Fan Mail Have you ever felt super frustrated trying to get engagement from parents for their child’s play therapy treatment? Feeling like you are…
Next Level Play Therapy: A Podcast for Play Therapy ExcellenceWhat Are the Current Trends and Growth in the Field of Play Therapy?
Send us Fan Mail If you’re in the child and adolescent mental health field then you’ve likely heard of play therapy, but why is it so effective? How is it…
Next Level Play Therapy: A Podcast for Play Therapy ExcellenceWhat’s the Role of Parents in Play Therapy with Anxious Children?
Send us Fan Mail In the play therapy profession, the focus is typically on the children and providing play therapy sessions only with the child to facilitate…
Next Level Play Therapy: A Podcast for Play Therapy ExcellenceHow to Balance Case Conceptualization, Treatment Planning, and Therapeutic Relationship in Play Therapy
Send us Fan Mail As a play therapist or child/adolescent therapist, 👇 Have you ever thought there is no way to balance a strong therapeutic relationship with…
Next Level Play Therapy: A Podcast for Play Therapy ExcellenceHow to Work with High Conflict Families in Play Therapy
Send us Fan Mail If you’re a play therapist then you’ve probably had children from high conflict divorced families on your caseload at some point, or maybe…
Next Level Play Therapy: A Podcast for Play Therapy ExcellenceHow Can the AAI Be Used in Play Therapy to Create Secure Attachments?
Send us Fan Mail One of the things I regularly hear from play therapists is their frustration knowing what is the most effective way to work with parents in…
Next Level Play Therapy: A Podcast for Play Therapy ExcellenceHow to Set Up Play Therapy for Success
Send us Fan Mail From an attachment theory standpoint, structure is an important part of parenting. It helps children understand relationship boundaries…