413 | CCPT Mythbusters: Child-Centered Play Therapy Doesn't Work with Older Kids

Episode summary

In this episode of the CCPT Mythbusters series, I tackle a misconception that exists even within the child-centered play therapy community: the belief that CCPT doesn't work with older children. Too many therapists assume that once children reach nine or ten years old, they have "outgrown" play therapy and need a more traditional talk therapy approach. I explain why this simply isn't true. While older children may express themselves differently and rely more on conversation and activity-based play, the foundational principles of CCPT remain exactly the same. Healing has never depended on toys—it has always depended on the therapeutic relationship.

I also share practical insights from working with older children and adolescents, including why so many initially resist play but eventually embrace it as they experience genuine acceptance and emotional freedom. Whether you're working with a 4-year-old or a 14-year-old, the core conditions that Carl Rogers identified still apply. This episode is an encouragement to trust the model, challenge your own adulthood bias, and confidently offer child-centered play therapy to older children who need it just as much as their younger peers.