Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in Child-Centered Play Therapy

Listener Sandi from Iowa emailed me this question: "I am hoping you will assist me with a common issue I find in the playroom. Please share an example of how you respond to a child who doesn't want to leave the playroom..." Thank you so much for emailing me this question. If you have been a play therapist for any amount of time, you'll encounter this issue.  In this episode of the podcast, I go ov...

In this episode I go over the 3rd limit setting principle from CPRT, "If you can't say it in ten words or less, don't say it." Not only is this really important for therapists during limit setting, but it also helps to know how to articulate this to parents.   Podcast HQ: https://www.playtherapypodcast.com Play Therapy Training HQ: https://www.playtherapynow.com Email me: brenna@thekidcounselor.co...

As part of the "mindset" of being a private practice play therapist, you have to value your time. Especially because we have clients (kids) who mainly can only come to see you during non-school hours (2-7pm). We all want perfect schedules with no "holes" so that our time is perfectly optimized. Listener Amber emailed me and asked how I handle clients who are bi-weekly, or monthly. These periodic c...

In this episode, we cover the second of the limit setting principles, "limits are not needed until they are needed." This comes straight out of the CPRT training by Landreth & Bratton, with some practical application and stories from my playroom.   Podcast HQ: https://www.playtherapypodcast.com Play Therapy Training HQ: https://www.playtherapynow.com Email me: brenna@thekidcounselor.com Follow me...

In this episode, I take on a question that was asked of my by listener Rachel.  She asked: "I'm wondering what you do in situations where you have concerns of abuse/neglect. Do you ever take a different role with the child for the purposes of safety or assessment? Do you ever do any teaching with kids when it comes to safety when you have concerns about the environment they live in not being safe?...

In this episode, I cover the first of the Limit Setting principles, "When A Child Is Drowning, It's Not The Time To Teach Them To Swim." This principle comes out of the CPRT training. What I mean by that is, when a child is "drowning", emotionally, it's not the time to teach a lesson, or impart a rule. In this episode, I discuss why this is such an important principle to follow, and to educate par...

In this episode I respond to a listener, Rachel, who asked "I would be interested to learn more about child-centered play therapy with older kids (like 11-14). You've mentioned before at your facility that you do kind of a 'modified' version for older kids and I would love to learn more!   Here are the three main points of my response to Rachel:   We use the same skills Activities vs toys Dedicate...

This episode is the last of the choice-giving principles. This principle comes straight out of the Landreth/Bratton CPRT curriculum. Topics I discuss in this episode are:   Age appropriateness of choices How many choices you provide The responsibility that comes with the choices   Podcast HQ: https://www.playtherapypodcast.com Email me: brenna@thekidcounselor.com Follow me on Twitter: @thekidcouns...

Last week I had, arguably, the most challenging session with a child that I've ever had to deal with. I've had a lot of questions from listeners about how to handle aggressive play, so I thought this would be good to debrief with you to explain how child-centered play therapy works in this situation.   These are the topics I discuss in this episode: A summary of my session Mess-making play Anger a...

In this episode, I give my input to a listener who emailed me about their client's Mom, that was interested in sibling sessions. The listener wanted to know if there was anything that I would mention or do. I have done quite a few sibling and group sessions, and I want to share some insight from not only the CCPT model, but some tips from my own experience as well.   In this episode I discuss: Age...

This episode is a play therapy principle linked to choice giving skill.   Topics in this episode: Confidence-confidence spectrum The playroom is the "antidote" to a child's negative inputs Self-fulfilling prophesy   Podcast HQ: https://www.playtherapypodcast.com Email me: brenna@thekidcounselor.com   References: Cochran, N., Nordling, W., & Cochran, J. (2010). Child-Centered Play Therapy (1st ed.)...

In this week's Q&A episode, I give my take on a listener's question: "I'd love to hear your take on the controversy of using aggressive toys in general."   I break down my commentary into the following topics: Thematically speaking, why aggressive toys are important How aggressive toys are "means to an end" play Resistance to aggressive toys in the playroom   Podcast HQ: https://www.playtherapypod...

In this episode we dive into the first of the choice-giving principles of play therapy, "Empower kids by giving them credit for their decision" (Landreth/Bratton)   Podcast HQ: https://www.playtherapypodcast.com Email me: brenna@thekidcounselor.com Follow me on Twitter: @thekidcounselor   https://twitter.com/thekidcounselor   References: Cochran, N., Nordling, W., & Cochran, J. (2010). Child-Cente...

Jen, a listener from the UK, wrote me an email and asked "I'm wondering if you might be up for doing a podcast on your take on the use of games- uno, table football and guess who are regulars in my sessions and I would love to hear your perspective. There also seems to be a wide ranging debate around questions like what to do if a child cheats, following the rules (and who sets/describes the rules...

As promised in the last episode, I'm going to go over 6 assessments that can support your work in the playroom. I frequently hear from play therapists that they don't feel supported by peers or employers, or that play therapy is treated as an inferior modality to the more traditional models. Using assessments is one way that you can "prove" the efficacy of your work in your playroom with your clie...

In this episode, I'm taking a break from the regular curriculum to answer some questions that have come in from listeners. One of the questions that I get consistently is what do I do when I'm not supported as a play therapist at my work?   So I talk about how to handle this situation and we go over the following points: Don't doubt yourself Advocate for yourself and your model Educate for your mo...

In episode #24 we are continuing with the "principles" of play therapy topics.   The principle "Feelings Are Always Valid, Even If The Behavior Is Not Acceptable" connects with reflective responding (the first of the "4 Pillars" of play therapy), and is essential to understand in the context of the play room.   Podcast HQ: https://www.playtherapypodcast.com Email me: brenna@thekidcounselor.com Fol...

In this episode, I do a deep dive into an aspect of "why" you reflectively respond (track behavior, reflect feelings, reflect content). I discuss three outcomes that should give you a better understanding of the principle behind reflective responding, and a goal for why you're doing it in the playroom.   Podcast HQ: https://www.playtherapypodcast.com Email me: brenna@thekidcounselor.com Follow me...

Another "Principle of Play Therapy"... "If You Know Enough To Ask A Question, Then You Know Enough To Make A Statement." Questions put children in their heads, but children live in their hearts. How do we reflectively respond without asking questions? This principle is the answer to that question. Making statements, vs asking questions, is a critical skill that every child-centered play therapist...

We're now moving from the "4 Pillars of Play Therapy", or the skills that we use in the playroom, to the "principles" of play therapy.  The first principle comes from the Child Parent Relationship Therapy manual by Landereth & Bratton, "Questions Put Kids In Their Minds, But Kids Live In Their Hearts"   Podcast HQ: https://www.playtherapypodcast.com Email me: brenna@thekidcounselor.com Follow me o...

In this episode, I discuss the 4th "Pillar of Play Therapy"... Encouragement!   Specific topics: The difference between encouragement and praise How you would use encouragement in the play room   Podcast HQ: https://www.playtherapypodcast.com Email me: brenna@thekidcounselor.com   References: Cochran, N., Nordling, W., & Cochran, J. (2010). Child-Centered Play Therapy (1st ed.). Wiley.  VanFleet,...

In this episode we explore the 3rd of the 4 Pillars of Play Therapy... Limit Setting.   Podcast HQ: https://www.playtherapypodcast.com Email me: brenna@thekidcounselor.com   References: Cochran, N., Nordling, W., & Cochran, J. (2010). Child-Centered Play Therapy (1st ed.). Wiley.  VanFleet, R., Sywulak, A. E., & Sniscak, C. C. (2010). Child-centered play therapy. Guilford Press.  Landreth, G. L. (...

In this episode we explore the 2nd of the 4 Pillars of Play Therapy... Choice Giving.   Podcast HQ: https://www.playtherapypodcast.com Email me: brenna@thekidcounselor.com   References: Cochran, N., Nordling, W., & Cochran, J. (2010). Child-Centered Play Therapy (1st ed.). Wiley.  VanFleet, R., Sywulak, A. E., & Sniscak, C. C. (2010). Child-centered play therapy. Guilford Press.  Landreth, G. L. (...

In this episode, I go into more detail on the reflecting responding skill used by child-centered play therapists. Reflecting responding consists of: reflecting feelings, reflecting content, and tracking behavior. I walk you through examples of each of these skills, as well as, how and when to use each in a play session.   Podcast HQ: https://www.playtherapypodcast.com Email me: brenna@thekidcounse...

Reflective responding... empathic responding. Whatever it is you call it, it's the skill that play therapists use to ensure that the child is heard, understood, and accepted.  It's how you stay present during the session.  In this episode I cover the background, and the "why" we use reflective responding.  So before we get into the specific language and phrases, it's important to understand the bi...