Shows / The Play Therapy Circle
The Play Therapy Circle
Hosted by therapist and trainer Kylie Ellison, this podcast explores the heart of Child-Centred Play Therapy and the healing power of play. Each episode offers thoughtful reflections and practical insights for play therapists, students, and caregivers supporting children’s emotional wellbeing. ✨ Join the community: https://mailchi.mp/playtherapycircle.com/play-therapy-circle ✨ Podcast subscriptions: https://kylieellison.com.au/ptcsub
Episodes
- The Play Therapy Circle
Episode 60- Conference & Community Reflections
Reflections from Our First Play Therapy Circle Conference In this special episode, Kylie steps away from the foundation series to reflect on the very first…
- The Play Therapy Circle
Episode 59- Working with Parents & Caregivers: Part Two
Welcome to part two of our conversation on working with parents and caregivers in child-centred play therapy. Picking up where last week left off, Kylie gets…
- The Play Therapy Circle
Episode 58- Working with Parents & Caregivers: Part One
In the playroom, we might have 45 minutes a week with a child. Parents are there for everything else. In part one of this special two-part episode, Kylie…
- The Play Therapy Circle
Episode 57- Child Development Theory: The Lens Every Play Therapist Needs
Child Development Theory: The Lens Beneath Every Play Session Why does a four-year-old believe their angry thoughts made their teacher sick? Why is a…
- The Play Therapy Circle
Episode 56- The Stages of Play Therapy: How the Work Unfolds and How to Know It's Working
In this episode, Kylie Ellison kicks off a new series on the shape of what unfolds in the playroom, breaking down the framework of stages in child-centred play…
- The Play Therapy Circle
Episode 55- Back to Basics: Esteem-Building - The Skill That Builds Self-Worth from the Inside Out
Esteem Building: Praising the Process, Not the Product In this episode of The Play Therapy Circle, Kylie Ellison wraps up our foundational skills series with a…
- The Play Therapy Circle
Episode 54- Back to Basics - Empathic Responding How Empathy Becomes Something the Child Can Actually Feel
Host Kylie Ellison continues the Back to Basics series with a deep dive into empathetic responding, the skill that takes reflecting feelings a step further…
- The Play Therapy Circle
Episode 53- The First Session- What Actually Happens & Why It Matters
The First Session: What to Expect (and What Not to Do) in Child-Centred Play Therapy In this episode of the Foundation Series, Kylie Ellison, therapist…
- The Play Therapy Circle
Episode 52- Back to Basics: Empathic Responding & Returning Responsibility
Returning Responsibility: Handing the Power Back to the Child In this episode of The Play Therapy Circle, host Kylie Ellison continues the series on…
- The Play Therapy Circle
Episode 51- Inside the Play Room - What Belongs There and Why the Space Matters
The Playroom as the Third Therapist: Setting Up a Child-Centred Space In this episode, Kylie continues the foundational series with a deep dive into the…
- The Play Therapy Circle
Episode 50- Characteristics of the Play Therapist - The Personhood at the Heart of the Work
Episode 50: Characteristics of a Child-Centered Play Therapist, The Way of Being Behind the Technique We've hit a milestone, you guys, Episode 50! To mark one…
- The Play Therapy Circle
Episode 49- A Milestone Episode
🎉 Happy 1st Birthday, Play Therapy Circle! + Our First-Ever Conference It's officially been 12 months since The Play Therapy Circle podcast began and in this…
- The Play Therapy Circle
Episode 48- Dr Jodi Mullen Joins the Circle
For our very first guest interview on The Play Therapy Circle Podcast, host Kylie Ellison sits down with the incredible Dr. Jodi Mullen, a professor in the…
- The Play Therapy Circle
FLASHBACK EPISODE- #19 Self Care for Play Therapists
🎧 Flashback Episode: Self-Care for Play Therapists (A Revisit) We're pulling this one back into your feed because some conversations deserve a second listen…
The Play Therapy CircleEpisode 47- Supporting Parents when Progress Becomes 'Stuck'
When Parents Push Back: Working with Resistance in Play Therapy You can have every handout, every strategy, every piece of psychoeducation ready to go, but if…
- The Play Therapy Circle
Episode 46- Back to Basics: Reflecting Feelings PLUS Listener Question!
Episode 46: Reflecting Feelings (Back to Basics) + Listener Q&A on Post-COVID Babies In this episode, Kylie returns to her Back to Basics series to unpack one…
- The Play Therapy Circle
Episode 45- Remembering Dr Garry Landreth
This week's episode is one we didn't plan to record, but one that felt necessary. On the day our community learned of the passing of Dr. Garry Landreth, Kylie…
- The Play Therapy Circle
Episode 44- Am I Making a Difference? When the World Outside the Playroom Is Out of Our Hands
Have you ever finished a session and wondered, did any of that even matter? You've shown up, you've held the space, you've given everything you have and then…
- The Play Therapy Circle
Episode 43- Back to Basics PLUS Listener Question Answered
Back to Basics: Tracking Plus Your Questions | EP43 This episode marks something new. Listener questions, answered on the show. And the question that came in…
- The Play Therapy Circle
FLASHBACK EPISODE - #18 The Pandemic Ripple Effect
Revisited: The Pandemic Ripple Effect This week, we're reaching back into The Play Therapy Circle archives to revisit a conversation that continues to resonate…
- The Play Therapy Circle
Episode 42- You Are Not Doing It Wrong- The COVID Generation, the Exhaustion, and Permission to Be Good Enough
Kylie dives deep into the science behind the COVID generation - what the research is now telling us about children born between 2019 and 2022, why so many kids…
- The Play Therapy Circle
Episode 41 - Reflections on the Road - Come with Us!
Kylie checks in live from Mildura - exhausted, dinner-less, and fresh off one of her most chaotic travel days yet (yes, there was an emergency Kmart suitcase…
- The Play Therapy Circle
Episode 40- More Than Mess Limit-Setting as Clinical Intervention in CCPT
Is mess in the playroom always therapeutic? In this milestone 40th episode, Kylie challenges some of the assumptions that can creep into Child-Centred Play…
- The Play Therapy Circle
Episode 39- Finding Your People: Imposter Syndrome, Trusting Your Gut, and the Community That Makes You Whole
Ever had that nagging feeling that you're not quite good enough - even when the evidence says otherwise? This week, Kylie gets honest about something that came…
- The Play Therapy Circle
Episode 38- Big Feelings, Small Bodies: What Emotional Dysregulation Really Looks Like
Big Feelings, Small Bodies: What Emotional Dysregulation Is Really Telling Us | Ep. 38 When a child explodes, shuts down, bolts from the room, or cries at…
- The Play Therapy Circle
Episode 37 - The Nervous System and the Play Room
In this episode, Kylie breaks down polyvagal theory and its three key nervous system states - safe and social, fight or flight, and freeze/shutdown and…
- The Play Therapy Circle
Episode 36- Holding Hope | Play Therapists in Times of Global Uncertainty
Holding Hope in the Playroom | Play Therapy Circle In one of her most personal episodes yet, host Kylie Ellison pauses to name what so many play therapists are…
- The Play Therapy Circle
FLASHBACK EPISODE - #7 Understanding the Child's World Through Play
🎙️ FLASHBACK EPISODE — Episode 7: Understanding the Child's World Through Play Play is children's universal language — and once you understand it, you'll never…
- The Play Therapy Circle
Episode 35- What Happens in the Brain During Play Therapy
Why does play therapy work? And what actually happens in a child’s brain during a play therapy session? In this episode of the Play Therapy Circle Podcast…
- The Play Therapy Circle
Episode 34- The Children Who Grow Us: How the playroom shapes the CCPT therapist.
In this episode of the Play Therapy Circle Podcast, Kylie explores how child-centred play therapy doesn’t just transform the children we work with, it also…
- The Play Therapy Circle
Episode 33- Behaviour is the Messenger - Listening Beyond What We See
In this heartfelt episode, Kylie explores one of the core truths of child-centred play therapy: all behaviour is communication. When children can’t put their…
- The Play Therapy Circle
Episode 32- They're Just Playing! What's Really Happening in the Playroom
This week on The Play Therapy Circle, Kylie Ellison tackles a common (and often frustrating) misunderstanding: “Isn’t it just play?”. Kylie opens a timely…
- The Play Therapy Circle
Episode 31- Navigating Endings in CCPT
In this episode, Kylie reflects on what she’s witnessing in clinical practice right now, a significant rise in anxiety presentations among young children…
- The Play Therapy Circle
Episode 30- Why Your Child Doesn’t Need to Talk About Their Problems in Therapy
In this episode of The Play Therapy Circle, Kylie reflects on a milestone week - celebrating 10 years of child-centred play therapy practice - and shares…
- The Play Therapy Circle
Episode 29- Kylie's Journey to Becoming a Play Therapist
This episode is a reflective, personal milestone celebration: Kylie marks 10 years of private practice in child-centered play therapy (with a shout-out to her…
- The Play Therapy Circle
Episode 28- What Is Child-Centred Play Therapy- And How Does It Help My Child?
What is Child-Centered Play Therapy and how can it help your child? In this episode, Kylie Ellison breaks down CCPT in a clear, parent-friendly way, addressing…
- The Play Therapy Circle
Episode 27- When doubting the effectiveness of CCPT slowly enters the Playroom: Staying true to our CCPT framework
In this episode, Kylie Ellison reflects on the real challenges of staying true to Child-Centred Play Therapy when doubt, silence, and pressure creep in…
- The Play Therapy Circle
Episode 26- Returning to the Playroom: What Really Matters in the First Session Back
Welcome back to 2026! This episode offers a calm, grounded transition back into the playroom for 2026. We explore the “fresh start” myth, the pressure to…
- The Play Therapy Circle
Episode 25- Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays from the Play Therapy Circle Team
In this final episode of 2025, Kylie Ellison reflects on the Play Therapy Circle podcast journey and offers sincere gratitude to the growing community of…
- The Play Therapy Circle
Episode 24- Christmas Special Part Two. 10 Things Every Play Therapist Needs to Know at Christmas
In Part Two of 10 Things Every Play Therapist Needs to Know at Christmas, Kylie speaks directly to child-centred play therapists navigating the emotional…
- The Play Therapy Circle
Episode 23- Christmas Special Part One. 10 Things Every Play Therapist Needs to Know at Christmas
In this first part of a special two-part episode, Kylie Ellison reflects on the end-of-year intensity many play therapists and families experience and…
- The Play Therapy Circle
Episode 22- When You Feel Lost in CCPT - Trust Yourself, Trust the Child, Trust the Process
Kylie dedicates this episode to CCPT practitioners who feel lost, doubtful, or exhausted, especially at the end of the year. She normalises feelings of “Is…
- The Play Therapy Circle
Episode 21-Imposter Syndrome in CCPT - Part Two
PART TWO from Hawaii! This episode reassures CCPT practitioners who worry they’re “not doing enough,” especially when children appear withdrawn, silent, or…
- The Play Therapy Circle
Episode 20- Imposter Syndrome in CCPT - Trusting the Process
Recorded in Hawaii! While on a much-needed break, Kylie explores a topic many CCPT practitioners struggle with—imposter syndrome. She discusses how self-doubt…
- The Play Therapy Circle
Episode 19- Self Care for Play Therapists
In this episode we tackle therapist burn out and ensuring you are taking care of yourself - not just others! Kylie reflects honestly on her own exhaustion and…
- The Play Therapy Circle
Episode 18- The Pandemic Ripple Effect. How CCPT Supports Children who are Beginning School
In this episode, Kylie discusses the “pandemic ripple effect” on 4–6-year-olds, exploring why so many children are now presenting with heightened anxiety and…
- The Play Therapy Circle
Episode 17- Communicating Progress to Parents Without Breaking Confidentiality
In this episode, Kylie explores the delicate balance of communicating updates to parents and carers while maintaining the confidentiality and trust central to…
- The Play Therapy Circle
Episode 16- Conducting Parent/ Carer Consultations Part Two
In this episode, Kylie outlines how to structure ongoing parent/carer consultations in three parts: reviewing progress, sharing playroom insights, and planning…
- The Play Therapy Circle
Episode 15- Conducting Parent/ Carer Consultations in CCPT Part One
The episode dives into the essentials of conducting initial parent consultations in Child-Centred Play Therapy (CCPT) — from building authentic rapport and…
- The Play Therapy Circle
Episode 14- The Parent-Therapist Relationship in CCPT
In this episode, Kylie explores how trust, empathy, and authentic connection with parents and caregivers are essential for children’s therapeutic progress…
- The Play Therapy Circle
Episode 13 - Stages of the Therapeutic Process in CCPT
In this episode, Kylie Ellison takes us through one of the foundational frameworks of Child-Centred Play Therapy (CCPT), the stages of the therapeutic process…
- The Play Therapy Circle
Episode 12: Limit Setting in CCPT - The ACT Method
In this episode of the Play Therapy Circle podcast, Kylie Ellison introduces the concept of limit setting in child-centered play therapy (CCPT), focusing on…
- The Play Therapy Circle
Episode 11- Reflecting Feelings in CCPT
This episode explores the foundational CCPT skill of reflecting feelings, building on last week’s focus on tracking. The discussion highlights how reflecting…
- The Play Therapy Circle
Episode 10- Tracking in CCPT
Kylie introduces the core CCPT skills of tracking and reflecting content, framing tracking as the foundational way therapists show they’re following a child’s…
- The Play Therapy Circle
Episode 9- Facilitating Emotional Expression Through Play
Kylie Ellison explores how play serves as a powerful avenue for children to express emotions they cannot yet verbalise, highlighting the importance of meeting…
- The Play Therapy Circle
Episode 8- Setting up the Playroom: Tools, Toys and Environment
Kylie Ellison explores how to set up a therapeutic playroom from a child-centered play therapy (CCPT) perspective, highlighting the importance of intentional…
- The Play Therapy Circle
Episode 7- Understanding the Child's World Through Play
In this episode of the Play Therapy Circle podcast, Kylie Ellison reflects on the importance of play as a child’s natural language of communication. She…
- The Play Therapy Circle
Episode 6: Non Directive vs Directive Approaches in Play Therapy
In this episode of the Play Therapy Circle podcast, host Kylie Ellison explores the differences between directive and non-directive (child-centered) play…
- The Play Therapy Circle
Episode 5: The Importance of the Therapeutic Relationship
This episode is a little longer than your commute to work or your lunch break - but it an important one not to miss. Join Kylie as she explores the therapeutic…
- The Play Therapy Circle
Episode 4: The Role of the Therapist in CCPT
In this episode, we dive into why the therapist is the heart of child-centered play therapy. It’s all about the therapist being real, showing up as their true…