Shows / Play Therapy Parenting: Real Parenting Questions Answered by a Child Therapist
Play Therapy Parenting: Real Parenting Questions Answered by a Child Therapist
Parenting can be confusing—especially when you're dealing with tantrums, anxiety, aggression, emotional outbursts, sibling conflict, ADHD concerns, school struggles, or behavior that just doesn't make sense. On the Play Therapy Parenting Podcast, child therapist Dr. Brenna Hicks answers real parenting questions and helps you understand what's really going on beneath your child's behavior. Each episode provides practical insight into emotions, development, behavior, and the parent-child…
Episodes
Play Therapy Parenting: Real Parenting Questions Answered by a Child TherapistThe Art Of Understanding Children: A "Back To Basics" Refresher Of The Play Therapy Parenting Model
In this episode of the Play Therapy Parenting Podcast, we get "back to basics" of the Play Therapy Parenting model. I've shared an extensive range of insights…
Play Therapy Parenting: Real Parenting Questions Answered by a Child TherapistYour Kids Aren't Manipulating You... Busting The "Manipulation" Myth
I frequently hear from parents something along the line of "My kid is so manipulative!" I'd like to challenge the notion that kids are manipulating parents and…
Play Therapy Parenting: Real Parenting Questions Answered by a Child TherapistWhat To Do When Reflecting Feelings "Doesn't Work" (Advanced Reflecting Feelings Tips)
Listener Stephanie emailed me with a follow-up question to my episode titled: "'I Hate My Life!' – What To Do When Your Child Says This, Or Other Shocking…
Play Therapy Parenting: Real Parenting Questions Answered by a Child TherapistHow To Explain Separation, Divorce, Dating, And Remarriage To Young Children
A listener to the podcast emailed me a question regarding explaining dating and remarriage to young children. In this episode, I discuss the related topics…
Play Therapy Parenting: Real Parenting Questions Answered by a Child TherapistWhat To Do When Choice Giving "Isn't Working"
Listeners Dan and Clay emailed me similar questions regarding "roadblocks" in the choice-giving process. In this episode, I discuss the following topics: The…
Play Therapy Parenting: Real Parenting Questions Answered by a Child TherapistBeyond the Split: Understanding the Emotional Consequences of Divorce on Children
"Only acts of war and the events of natural disasters are more harmful to a child's psyche than the divorce process" - American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers…
Play Therapy Parenting: Real Parenting Questions Answered by a Child TherapistTurning Tragedy into Advocacy: A Father's Mission for Child Mental Health Awareness
"When I look back, knowing what I know now, there were signs..." In this special episode of the Play Therapy Parenting Podcast, I had the privilege to…
Play Therapy Parenting: Real Parenting Questions Answered by a Child TherapistAre Our Kids Mentally Healthy? (How To Assess And What To Do About It)
As parents, we want the best for our children. However, in today's world, we are faced with new challenges when it comes to our children's mental health. The…
Play Therapy Parenting: Real Parenting Questions Answered by a Child TherapistAt The Heart Of Parenting Success Is The Relationship: 4 Keys To Parenting Mastery
In this episode, I want to bring us back to the most foundational aspect of parenting... the relationship. Using the 4 Pillars of Play Therapy skills is the…
Play Therapy Parenting: Real Parenting Questions Answered by a Child TherapistEncouragement, Self-fulfilling Prophecy, And How We Influence This In Our Kids
In this episode of the podcast I wanted to talk about encouragement and self-fulfilling prophecy. I recently wrote a quote into my quote book that was the…
Play Therapy Parenting: Real Parenting Questions Answered by a Child TherapistFrom Screen Time to Green Time: How "Friluftsliv" Can Improve Your Parenting
Friluftsliv is a Norwegian word that roughly translates to "open-air living." Norway recently topped a survey of countries that rated its people on happiness…
Play Therapy Parenting: Real Parenting Questions Answered by a Child TherapistBuilding Your Child's Confidence Through Evidence
As parents, we all want our children to believe in themselves with confidence. But sometimes, even when we continue to reassure them, they lack the self-trust…
Play Therapy Parenting: Real Parenting Questions Answered by a Child TherapistThe Hidden Danger: How Social Media Is Enabling Kids To Buy And Sell Drugs
In this episode, I discuss the dangerous intersection of social media and drug culture. Snapchat and Instagram are the two most common platforms for…
Play Therapy Parenting: Real Parenting Questions Answered by a Child TherapistMiddle Schoolers: The Most Maligned And Misunderstood Age Group
One of the parents at my center sent me an article by Deborah Farmer Kris titled: "Your middle school child is the most amazing person." I loved this author's…
Play Therapy Parenting: Real Parenting Questions Answered by a Child TherapistCo-Parenting With Confidence: Navigating Timesharing Challenges
In this episode, I answer the most asked question at my counseling center... "How do I deal with timesharing". In it, I provide practical advice and strategies…
Play Therapy Parenting: Real Parenting Questions Answered by a Child TherapistReconnecting with Your Child: Overcoming Disconnection and Building Stronger Relationships
In this episode, we receive an email from Mike, a loving father who feels disconnected from his 9-year-old daughter. Mike has been listening to the podcast and…
Play Therapy Parenting: Real Parenting Questions Answered by a Child TherapistAddiction To Social Media ("Sucked Into The Endless Scroll")
I was struck by a story I read the other day about a teen who was heavily addicted to social media, and he went on a complete, cold-turkey detox away from…
Play Therapy Parenting: Real Parenting Questions Answered by a Child TherapistAlarming Survey Results: Mental Health Top Concern Among Parents
In a recent Pew Research survey, mental health emerged as the top concern for parents regarding their children. This was a little surprising to me, considering…
Play Therapy Parenting: Real Parenting Questions Answered by a Child TherapistHow To Bond And Connect With Your Baby In The Best Way
One of the podcast listeners, Josh, emailed me and asked how to best connect with their baby. Play therapy principles still apply in relationship building with…
Play Therapy Parenting: Real Parenting Questions Answered by a Child TherapistThe Dangers Of TikTok
As a child therapist, I'm on the front lines of the damage that devices and social media are doing to our kids. The worst of all, in my opinion, is TikTok…
Play Therapy Parenting: Real Parenting Questions Answered by a Child TherapistHandling Behavior With Appropriate Consequences
In this episode, I discuss the following topics: Three types of consequences: Natural, Related, and Unrelated consequences What changes behavior in children…
Play Therapy Parenting: Real Parenting Questions Answered by a Child TherapistSpanking and the Rationalization Trap: How Some Parents Use Flimsy Excuses to Justify Physical Discipline
In this episode of the podcast, we will be exploring the often-controversial topic of spanking, by way of a viral video that I saw this week highlighting the…
Play Therapy Parenting: Real Parenting Questions Answered by a Child TherapistDo You Hear Me? Do You See Me? Do I Matter?
"Every day, in a hundred small ways, our children ask us...Do you hear me? Do you see me? Do I matter? And their behavior often reflects our response." This is…
Play Therapy Parenting: Real Parenting Questions Answered by a Child TherapistThe Baker Act Epidemic: Know Your Rights As Parents
Baker Acts (involuntary commission to a mental health facility) are on the rise, and there are many things that parents don't know. In this episode, I discuss…
Play Therapy Parenting: Real Parenting Questions Answered by a Child TherapistThe Importance Of Sleep And Getting Outside
I had a personal reminder the other day about how being outside promotes restorative sleep. So I tell that story in this episode, and then I relate it to how…
Play Therapy Parenting: Real Parenting Questions Answered by a Child Therapist100th Episode Special! A Look Behind, And A Look Ahead
We did it! In this 100th episode of the Play Therapy Parenting podcast, I take a look back (all the way to 2006!), and a look forward and where I'm going with…
Play Therapy Parenting: Real Parenting Questions Answered by a Child TherapistKids And Screens @ Discovery Church In Orlando Florida
This is a special episode of the Play Therapy Parenting podcast. I was invited to speak at a "Parent Huddle" at Discovery Church in Orlando, FL on the topic of…
Play Therapy Parenting: Real Parenting Questions Answered by a Child TherapistHow To Handle Yourself When Your Child Treats You Like Garbage!
It might seem backwards to think that kids treat the people the worst, that love and accept them the most. However, most times this is true of our kids. It…
Play Therapy Parenting: Real Parenting Questions Answered by a Child Therapist4 Qualities You Should Understand About Your Kids... And Yourself!
Acclaimed writer Stephen Covey said "Every human has four endowments - self awareness, conscience, independent will and creative imagination. These give us the…
Play Therapy Parenting: Real Parenting Questions Answered by a Child TherapistA Neurobiological Connection To Play Therapy
Hang on! This is a deep dive into how your child's brain works, and I'll explain why they sometimes act the way that they do. This episode was inspired after I…
Play Therapy Parenting: Real Parenting Questions Answered by a Child TherapistWhat We Do In Moderation, Kids Will Do In Excess. And Vice-Versa.
I heard a quote once that "The good things parents do in excess, kids do in moderation. And the bad things parents do in moderation, kids do in excess." In…
Play Therapy Parenting: Real Parenting Questions Answered by a Child TherapistThe Dad Episode! - 4 Tips For Dads Implementing Play Therapy Skills
I recently got an email from Dan. Dan has been listening to the podcast and is in the "Play Therapy Parenting Family". He has been using play therapy skills…
Play Therapy Parenting: Real Parenting Questions Answered by a Child TherapistWhat To Do When Play Therapy Skills Don't Work!
In this episode, I talk through what to do when your children do not respond to play therapy skills. A Mom from Utah emailed me with some frustrations…
Play Therapy Parenting: Real Parenting Questions Answered by a Child TherapistGet On Eye Level With Kids
A wonderful validation of what I teach parents happened to me on vacation a few weeks ago. One of the tips in the 10-week parent coaching program that I teach…
Play Therapy Parenting: Real Parenting Questions Answered by a Child TherapistNew Baby Jealousy
In this episode I talk through baby jealousy when a new baby is introduced to the family. These concepts also apply to other situations when a new family…
Play Therapy Parenting: Real Parenting Questions Answered by a Child TherapistSay Less, Listen More! - Insight On How To Interact With Teens More Effectively
We get it wrong when we interact with teens and pre-teens. At least, that was the main point of an interesting article I read this week. In this episode, I…
Play Therapy Parenting: Real Parenting Questions Answered by a Child TherapistThe "Parenting Prison" - What It Is, And How To Get Out Of It
Most parents are stuck in a "prison". I've called it the "Parenting Prison". In this episode, I'm going to tell you what the Parenting Prison is, and how to…
Play Therapy Parenting: Real Parenting Questions Answered by a Child TherapistDon't Let Disapproval Be A Lingering Voice In Your Child's Life
I came across a quote from a book that inspired this episode... "Although she hadn't seen her parents for years, it turned out that a parent's disapproval is a…
Play Therapy Parenting: Real Parenting Questions Answered by a Child TherapistDon't Give In To Screens!
Over the weekend, I saw a disturbing scene play out while we were at a bowling ally, and it was a perfect example of what I call negative behavior…
Play Therapy Parenting: Real Parenting Questions Answered by a Child TherapistThe Power Of Celebrations
In this episode, I catch you up on, and celebrate some of the things I've been involved in lately, and then I celebrate an email that I got from a Mom... She…
Play Therapy Parenting: Real Parenting Questions Answered by a Child Therapist"The Gratification Comes In The Doing, Not In The Results"
"The gratification comes in the doing, not in the results" - James Dean I stumbled on this quote this week and added it to my "quote book", and I realized how…
Play Therapy Parenting: Real Parenting Questions Answered by a Child TherapistIt's Never Too Late To Build A Better Relationship With Your Kids
In this episode, I help a Mom that emailed me asking for help with her 15 year old son. Based on her email and my clarifying questions that she answered, I…
Play Therapy Parenting: Real Parenting Questions Answered by a Child TherapistDoes Your Child Have At Least One Adult Who Has An Irrational, Emotional Relationship With Them?
"To develop normally, a child requires a relationship with at least one adult who has an irrational, emotional relationship with the child" - Urie…
Play Therapy Parenting: Real Parenting Questions Answered by a Child TherapistTeaching Kids Empathy
Empathy is learned. Kids aren't born with it, and they mainly learn it by observing adults displaying empathy. We want our kids to show empathy when it's…
Play Therapy Parenting: Real Parenting Questions Answered by a Child TherapistOvercoming "Mom Guilt" - Spending Time Vs. Being Fully Present
I was listening to a business podcast this week, and a successful Mom/CEO said this quote when asked how she overcomes "Mom Guilt" as she runs a multi-million…
Play Therapy Parenting: Real Parenting Questions Answered by a Child TherapistWhy What A Child Believes Is More Important Than What A Child Knows
Have you ever told your child something about them that you know to be true, but they just don't believe it themselves? They could be smart, athletic, funny…
Play Therapy Parenting: Real Parenting Questions Answered by a Child TherapistDiscipline Is Not About "Controlling" Your Kids!
Do you often find yourself having to "step in" to control your child's behavior? In today's episode, I'm going to try to change your thinking about discipline…
Play Therapy Parenting: Real Parenting Questions Answered by a Child TherapistWhy Being "Vague" Is A Conversation Killer With Kids (How To Get More Than One-Word Answers)
When parents realize that kids need a different type of communication, it changes the way you interact with them. I discuss three sub-topics: kids are…
Play Therapy Parenting: Real Parenting Questions Answered by a Child Therapist"When you focus on the problem, you lose sight of the child"
This episode continues my parenting "Rules of thumb" series [as taken from Child-Parent Relationship Therapy (Bratton & Landreth, 2019)] "When you focus on the…
Play Therapy Parenting: Real Parenting Questions Answered by a Child TherapistSelf-Fulfilling Prophecy
Have you heard the (true) story of the little girl that went out every morning to get the mail, and the mailman greeted her with "Hello, Miss America!" She…
Play Therapy Parenting: Real Parenting Questions Answered by a Child TherapistResearch Review: Chaotic households undermine children's development of executive functioning through less responsive parenting
In this episode, a research study referenced on psypost.org caught my eye and I wanted to share it and talk about how it reflects what I see in the playroom at…
Play Therapy Parenting: Real Parenting Questions Answered by a Child Therapist"Don't Try To Change Everything At Once"
In thinking about New Year's changes, or things you want to change in this upcoming year, I want to caution you about changing too much at once! "Don't Try To…
Play Therapy Parenting: Real Parenting Questions Answered by a Child TherapistYou Don't Know What You Don't Know
Stop beating yourself up over things that you don't know! In this episode, I go over a concept that I call the "Parenting Prison". I'll explain what that is…
Play Therapy Parenting: Real Parenting Questions Answered by a Child TherapistConcerning Medical And Behavior Issues Emerging From Social Media Use (Especially In Teens and Girls)
I read an article that reinforces, from a medical standpoint, that social media is really harmful for our kids. A callout from the article: "Turns out the…
Play Therapy Parenting: Real Parenting Questions Answered by a Child TherapistAre Schools Pushing Kids Too Far, Too Fast?
Did you have to take a career class... in middle school? Did you learn pre-algebra... in 6th grade? In this episode, I'm exploring the question: Are schools…
Play Therapy Parenting: Real Parenting Questions Answered by a Child TherapistBirth Order - How It Affects Your Child's Personality (w/ Focus On Only Children)
In this episode, I'm diving into Birth Order, and how that affects your children's personalities. I'm going to spend a little time on only children, in…
Play Therapy Parenting: Real Parenting Questions Answered by a Child Therapist3 Reasons Why We Chose To Homeschool (Probably Not The Reasons You're Thinking)
Increased screen use in school, homework load, and lack of time to just play. We have always monitored our son's schooling, but this year, in his transition to…
Play Therapy Parenting: Real Parenting Questions Answered by a Child Therapist10 Things Not To Say To Your Kids (A Comparison)
Do you say "Good job"? "That's what happens when..."? "If you do that again..."? I found a parents.com blog post titled "10 Things You Should Never Say to Your…
Play Therapy Parenting: Real Parenting Questions Answered by a Child TherapistThree Red Flags That Prove You're More Successful Than You Think (At Parenting)
Have you ever second-guessed yourself as a parent? Do you ever feel like you are not as successful as you want to be in your parenting? In this episode we look…
Play Therapy Parenting: Real Parenting Questions Answered by a Child TherapistParenting Styles - Why Authoritative Is The Best
Do you wonder if your parenting style is helpful or harmful to your children's long-term well being? In this episode, we look at the characteristics of the…