Playful Beginnings

🧠✨ New Episode of Playful Beginnings ✨🧠 Executive Functioning Meets Child-Centered Play Therapy Ever been asked, “But how does play therapy help with executive functioning?” This episode is for you. In our newest Playful Beginnings conversation, we break down how child-centered play therapy (CCPT) directly supports the development of executive functioning—without worksheets, rewards, or consta...

Executive Functioning Isn’t About “Trying Harder.” It’s About Development. When children struggle with planning, impulse control, emotional regulation, or task completion, it’s easy to assume they’re being unmotivated or defiant. But executive functioning isn’t a skill children decide to use — it’s a set of brain-based capacities that develop over time and through relationships. From a development...

✨ New Episode of Playful Beginnings ✨ How Children Experience the Holidays — and How Adults Can Support Them The holidays can be magical… and overwhelming. For children, big changes in routine, emotions, expectations, and stimulation can show up as joy and struggle. In this episode, we explore: 🎄 Why even “happy” holidays can be hard for kids 🎄 How children communicate overwhelm through behavi...

🎙️ New Episode: Understanding Executive Functioning in Kids Executive functioning isn’t just a buzzword — it’s the foundation of how children plan, organize, regulate emotions, shift between tasks, and make sense of their world. In this week’s Playful Beginnings , we break down what executive functioning really is , how it develops in early childhood, and why play therapists must understand these...

🎙️ New Episode of Playful Beginnings! 🎉 This week, we’re joined by the brilliant Dr. Mary Bennett to explore how we can thoughtfully adapt Child–Parent Relationship Therapy (CPRT) and Child-Centered Play Therapy (CCPT) for toddlers . 👶💛 Toddlers learn, connect, and express themselves differently—and their play therapy should reflect that. Dr. Bennett walks us through how to meet toddlers right...

🌟 New Episode Alert! 🌟 This week on Playful Beginnings , we’re joined by the incredible Dr. Mary Morrison Bennett to dive into the wonderfully messy, curious, magical world of toddlers . 👶💛 We talk all things toddler development —from big feelings and tiny attention spans to the milestones that matter (and the ones that really don’t). Whether you’re a parent , teacher , or play therapist , thi...

You did it! You kept trying! You are determined! Esteem building skills go a long way in the playroom. In this episode, delve into these responses, the how, why, and what from a CCPT perspective! Enjoy!

Join Kristie and Maggie as they celebrate Playful Beginning's first birthday. Kristie and Maggie share insights from the past year, their hopes for the future, and summarize the podcast over the past year!

WE did it! One year of episodes! Join Kristie and Maggie while they reflect on the past year and their plans for the future. We are so glad to share our love of play therapy with you and join the community of Child Centered Play Therapy! Here's to another year!

In this episode, Kristie and Maggie explore HOW they return responsibility, times that required pivoting slightly from the book, and the importance of always holding the relationship as the utmost important aspect of Child Centered Play Therapy.

Hello! We're back with a full version of the Returning Responsibility Episode. In this episode, Kristie and Maggie explore the what and why of returning responsibility for a Child Centered Perspective! Enjoy!

From a CCPT perspective, children have an innate capacity for growth and creativity. A key skill that assists children in developing an internal locus of control (belief in self and reliance on self rather than others for evaluation), can occur through a shift from praise to encouragement. This subtle shift can assist kids in developing grit, tenacity, and reliance on self over others. This is esp...

In this episode, we break down the differences between encouragement vs. praise. This is a helpful episode for parents, teachers, and play therapists! It is a great reminder of the importance of encouraging the effort over praising the product to increase children's grit, perserverence, and buid their internal locus of control.

✨ New Episode Alert! ✨ In this week’s Playful Beginnings , we’re diving deeper into one of the trickiest parts of play therapy: limit setting . 🎯 We share real stories from our own practice — from facing the ultimate limits, to staying calm in the heat of the moment, to what it really looks like when theory meets practice. 💡 🎙️ Tune in for insights, laughs, and reminders that you’re not alone...

🚦 Limits don’t have to feel limiting. We’ve talked about the what and the why of limit setting in play therapy… now it’s time for the HOW . 🎙️ In this week’s episode of Play Therapy Space , Kristie & Maggie break down exactly how to set limits that stick—so kids can feel safe, understood, and empowered in the playroom (and beyond!). 🎧 Tune in now and learn how to make limit setting work for...

🎙️ New episode alert! 🚨 We’re diving into the what and why of limit setting in Child-Centered Play Therapy. 🌈✨ Learn how clear, consistent limits create safety, teach responsibility, and help kids express big feelings in healthy ways. 💛 #PlayTherapy #LimitSetting #ChildCenteredPlayTherapy #ParentingTips #TherapistsInTraining

✨ We’ve talked about the what and why of giving kids choices… now let’s dive into the HOW ! 🎙️ In this episode, Kristie & Maggie share practical ways parents, teachers, and play therapists can give kids choices that: ✅ Support autonomy ✅ Build self-control ✅ Show kids we trust them to make decisions Big choices for big kids, smaller choices for little ones—all leading to more responsibilit...

In this episode, Drs. Kristie and Maggie delve deeper into the skills used in Child-Centered Play Therapy. Choice giving is an important skill that is foundational to CCPT. With this skill, adults are demonstrating trust in the child's capacity to lead and make decisions Choice giving in CCPT provides children the opportunity to experience personal responsibility, while demonstrating trust in thei...

✨ Reflecting feelings is at the heart of Child-Centered Play Therapy. It helps kids build emotional vocabulary, deepen self-awareness, and feel truly understood. In this episode, Drs. Kristie & Maggie unpack the how —from tone and body language to word choice and facial expression. They also share their own journey developing this skill and how they teach it to future play therapists. 🎧 Tune...

Listen to Drs. Kristie and Maggie share the underlying philosophy of reflecting feelings from a child-centered perspective. In this episode, listeners will get a deep understanding of the purpose of reflecting feelings and how to share this with caregivers and others in a way that is understandable and in line with Child Centered Play Therapy. Listen anywhere you get your podcasts!

✨ The Reflective Responding series continues! ✨ This week, Drs. Kristie & Maggie dive into Reflecting Content —a powerful skill that helps children feel truly heard and valued. 💬💛 Reflecting content is more than just repeating words back. It’s about tuning in, understanding the heart of the message, and letting children know their voice matters. In this episode, we break down the what, why...

🎧 New Episode Alert! We’re breaking down the foundational skills of Child Centered Play Therapy —one by one—so you can understand not just what they are, but why they matter. This chapter? Reflective Responding —and we’re kicking it off with Part One: Tracking . In this episode of Playful Beginnings , Drs. Kristie and Maggie dive into: ✨ The purpose of tracking in the playroom ✨ How to use it e...

You asked, we listened! 🎧✨ You wanted skills —so we’re bringing them! But not just the what or the how . Drs. Kristie and Maggie are diving deep into the essential play therapy skills: 🔹 What they are 🔹 Why they matter 🔹 What they look like in practice 🔹 How to develop them authentically in the playroom These episodes deliver university-level play therapy training —no classroom required. Whe...

You asked, we listened! 🎧✨ You wanted skills —so we’re bringing them! But not just the what or the how . Drs. Kristie and Maggie are diving deep into the essential play therapy skills: 🔹 What they are 🔹 Why they matter 🔹 What they look like in practice 🔹 How to develop them authentically in the playroom These episodes deliver university-level play therapy training —no classroom required. Whe...

🎙️ Part 2 – Chaos in the Playroom In this episode, Drs. Kristie and Maggie dive into the realities of chaos in the playroom—what it looks like, how it feels, and how they’ve navigated it in real time. They share personal experiences and practical strategies for staying grounded, regulating themselves, and responding with intention—all while holding true to the core relational principles of Child-C...