Playful Beginnings

Kristie and Maggie examine self care and what that looks like for play therapists, and themselves. They share their own experiences as they navigate burnout and stress and how they are continuing to examine how to take care of themselves so that they are capable of taking care of others.

In this episode, Kristie and Maggie continue their conversation with Dr. Ahou Line. Dr. Line examines ways in which she works with parents, tips for engaging parents, and the struggles of being a parent when working with parents. Dr. Line is the author of the upcoming book Working with Parents in Play Therapy: A Resource Guide for Play Therapists and publishes a blog with Psychology Today called “...

In this episode, Dr. Ahou Line, play therapist, private practice owner, and book author, joins Kristie and Maggie to discuss how she approaches parent sessions. Dr. Line writes a blog for Psychology Today, titled “Nobody Knows What They Are Doing: Navigating parenting with an ex-child expert who was humbled by parenthood ( https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/contributors/ahou-line-phd-lpc-rpt )....

In this special episode, Kristie and Maggie discuss the current wildfires in California and ways in which play therapists can assist and may also need help.

In this episode, Kristie and Maggie explore aspects about play therapy they make sure to inform parents about. From wearing clothes that can get dirty to "it may be worse before it get's better", Kristie and Maggie examine the necessary aspects to clue in parents about and why. They share personal examples of what is helpful and what is not helpful, as well as some of their own mistakes (she cut h...

In this episode, Kristie and Maggie explore how they engage with parents during intake sessions, what questions they ask, the way they explain the processes, and their experiences (both good and bad) with parents. Often, play therapists are nervous to meet with parents and this episode helps guide the process.

Listener Sarah H. asked us to explore how Kristie and I remain true to CCPT, even when we feel stuck. Many times, play therapists want to "add in" activities and directives when they feel stuck. Kristie and Maggie examine how they handle these situations and provide guidance as to how others can adapt/engage when feeling stuck!

In this episode, Kristie and Maggie explore common struggles of play therapists, students, and supervisees as to how to engage with children in a wide range of ages using Child Centered theory. Many people believe they must change out of child centered theory to engage with older children. Kristie and Maggie explore how they adapt their use of Child Centered to meet the needs of different developm...

Within this episode, Maggie and Kristie tackle a common misconception about play therapy. Even though Maggie and Kristie are permissive and trust the child in the play therapy space, there are limits as to what can be done in the playroom. Maggie and Kristie explain when and how to set limits on children's behavior and give examples from their own experiences in play therapy and parenting. Limits...

Within this episode, Kristie and Maggie explain what play therapists due in the room and how that helps children heal and grow. Examining the different skills used, the ways in which children bring in what they are struggling with, and the theory behind their approach, Kristie and Maggie will help parents, teachers, and future play therapists gain a better understanding of how and why play therapy...

Maggie and Kristie share how they explain play therapy, how it aligns with child development, and the importance of the relationship. Listeners will gain a greater understanding of what play therapy is, how it aligns to adult therapy, and some of the differences between being a play therapist and someone who works with children.

Kristie and Maggie explore what initially spiked their interest in play therapy. They share their experiences in school, how it facilitated their perspective of children, and meaningful experiences in play therapy. Maggie and Kristie share stories of their first play sessions as well as the ones that really showed the power of play for children. This episode will help listeners understand what pla...

In this episode, Kristie and Maggie discuss their ideal playroom, what the room would look like, and do a deep dive into their thought processes and rationale for including and excluding items such as tents, puppet theaters, and rugs. We also discuss how to adapt rooms to meet the child's needs- and how you can adapt any space into a play therapy space- because we've done it all! From janitors clo...

In this episode, Maggie and Kristie explore the categories of toys in a Child Centered Play room and their reasonings for being included. They discuss ways to set up the toys and the purpose behind each category and type of toy. This episode can assist play therapists and professionals interested in setting up their own playroom or those who want to adapt theirs to Child Centered. This episode can...