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Episodes from Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in Child-Centered Play Therapy
434 | What's Wrong With Our Field? Research. (A Call for the Next Generation of CCPT Research)
In this final episode of the What's Wrong with Our Field? series, I tackle what I believe is a significant gap in child-centered play therapy: research. We have decades of foundational research supporting CCPT, along with newer studies examining the model with specific populations and presenting…
433 | What Do You Say When a Child Asks If You Actually Like Them?
In this episode, I answer a question about an 11-year-old who repeatedly tells his therapist, "You don't really want to spend time with me," "You'd rather be somewhere else," and "You're only doing this for the money." Rather than treating these statements as questions that need to be answered or…
432 | The Missing Piece in Your CCPT Training
In this episode, I talk about something I hear constantly from child-centered play therapists: "I'm the only CCPT in my office, I wasn't prepared to work with children, and I feel like I'm figuring this out by myself." Too many therapists are leaving graduate school and immediately being handed…
431 | What Do You Do When a Child Says 'I'm Bored' in the Playroom?
In this episode, I answer a question about something nearly every child-centered play therapist will eventually hear: "I'm bored." When a child complains that there's nothing to do, asks why you never get new toys, or seems dissatisfied with the playroom, it can be surprisingly easy to take those…
430 | What's Wrong with Our Field? Supervision
In this episode of the What's Wrong with Our Field? series, I tackle a major challenge for child-centered play therapists: supervision from someone who doesn't understand or practice CCPT. When a supervisor works from a completely different theoretical orientation—or doesn't even work with…
429 | "All We Do Is Play": When an Anxious Child Wants to Quit Therapy
In this episode, I answer a question about an 11-year-old with significant social anxiety who, seven sessions into CCPT, tells a parent that therapy is a waste of time because "all we do is play." I unpack what may actually be happening beneath that statement, including resistance, avoidance,…
428 | What's Wrong with Our Field? Novelty and "Innovation"
In this episode, I continue the What's Wrong with Our Field? series by looking at our profession's fascination with novelty and innovation. I challenge the assumption that something new is automatically progress and argue that, for child-centered play therapists, real progress should be measured by…
427 | How Anxiety Shows Up—and Changes—in the Playroom
In this episode, I answer several questions about two anxious girls whose play is giving us a fascinating look at what happens when children begin confronting the very things anxiety tells them to avoid. From putting sandy fidgets back into a bucket and intentionally leaving personal toys behind,…
426 | What's Wrong with Our Field? CCPT-ish
In this episode of the What's Wrong with Our Field? series, I tackle something I've been talking about for years: CCPT-ish. We have a complete, empirically supported model with known outcomes, but those outcomes are based on actually practicing child-centered play therapy. When we begin adding…
425 | How to Coach Parents Through Severe Power Struggles
In this episode, I answer a question about helping parents whose child has gradually taken control of the entire home. When a child constantly interrupts conversations, makes relentless demands, or escalates until everyone gives in, it's tempting to focus on stopping the behavior. Instead, I…
424 | What's Wrong with Our Field? The Problem with ABA
In this episode of the What's Wrong with Our Field? series, I examine why I believe Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) remains one of the most concerning practices in pediatric mental health. I discuss its historical origins, the philosophy on which it was built, and why I believe its directive,…
423 | What If a Child Tells You to Stop Talking?
In this episode, I answer a question about one of the most uncomfortable moments a child-centered play therapist can experience: when a child tells you to stop talking because your reflections are "annoying." I explain why these moments are often signs of therapeutic progress rather than therapist…