Podcast Episodes
369 | Understanding Time and Touch in Child-Centered Play Therapy
In this episode, I answer two questions that touch on both the clinical and relational demands of child-centered play therapy. First, I address why the average number of CCPT sessions has shifted over time from 20–30 to more commonly 30–40 sessions. I share my...
368 | CCPT Gamechangers: The Hidden Problem with Battery-Operated Toys
In this episode of the CCPT Game Changers series, I take a close look at battery-operated toys in the playroom and why they require much more intentional consideration than we often give them. I explain how toys are selected—not collected—and why simplicity,...
367 | Night Terrors, Adoption, and Age-Appropriate Truth
In this episode, I respond to a question about a six-year-old client with a history of early instability who has experienced recurring night terrors. I explain why night terrors are not always trauma-based and how frequency, intensity, and impact on daily functioning...
366 | CCPT Gamechangers: Why ‘You Wanted Me to Know’ Isn’t Truly Child-Centered
In this episode of the CCPT Game Changers series, I take a close look at a group of phrases I hear frequently in play sessions, such as “You wanted me to know…”, “You wanted to tell me…”, or “You wanted to show me…”. While these statements may seem harmless, I explain...
365 | Just Because They’re Older Doesn’t Mean We Change the Model
In this episode, I answer a question about working with tweens and teens—particularly neurodivergent clients—and whether it’s ever appropriate to “check in” verbally about things like school. I explain why, even with older children and adolescents, directly asking...
364 | CCPT Gamechangers: How to Handle Children Who Dart Out of the Playroom
In this Game Changers episode, I address one of the most stressful moments for play therapists: children who dart out of the playroom. I explain why “runners” are not a failure of the model and why a child leaving the room is sometimes developmentally, emotionally, or...
363 | Reducing Attrition by Preparing Parents for Resistance
In this episode, I respond to Elliott’s question about children who strongly resist play therapy from the very beginning and parents who eventually give up and terminate early. I explain why early resistance is not a red flag for CCPT failure, but often a clear...
362 | CCPT Gamechangers: Why Overanalyzing the Play Becomes a Therapist Trap (Symbolic Play & Themes)
In this Game Changers episode, I address a pattern I’ve been seeing everywhere: therapists becoming overly focused on identifying, interpreting, and assigning meaning to themes and symbolic play. I explain why this pulls us out of attunement, distracts us from the...
361 | Pricing Your Practice: The Real Math Behind Free Parent Consultations
In this episode, I respond to Sarah’s question about how to structure and charge for parent consultations in a child-centered private practice. I explain why free parent consults are not only clinically best practice but also essential for sustaining parent...
360 | CCPT Gamechangers: “Mom Said I’m Supposed To…” What You Do Next Matters
In this Game Changers episode, I tackle a common but tricky moment in the playroom—when a child walks in and says, “Mom said I’m supposed to…” or repeats a parent’s explanation for why they’re in therapy. I explain why this creates an immediate rupture in...
359 | Mobile Play Therapy Challenges: Keeping Kids in the Play Space
In this episode, I answer Andrea’s question about providing CCPT in a client’s home and navigating the challenges that arise when the play space isn’t a traditional playroom. In mobile or in-home CCPT, the environment itself can make limit-setting and structure...
358 | CCPT Gamechangers: How a Language Shift Changes Everything in Feeling Reflections
In this first episode of the CCPT Game Changers series, I break down one of the smallest—but most transformative—shifts you can make in the playroom: how you phrase your feeling reflections. Many therapists unknowingly default to phrases like “that felt…” or “it seems...
357 | No Parents Allowed! – The Ripple Effect of a Parent Entering Session
In this episode, I respond to Dovi’s question about an older child whose session became dysregulated when his dad joined the playroom. I explain why parent presence fundamentally disrupts the CCPT process, breaks the therapeutic dyad, and immediately alters safety,...
356 | Attrition: The Hidden Crisis in Play Therapy (Special Episode)
In this special episode of the Play Therapy Podcast, I address what I believe is one of the most unrecognized threats to effective play therapy: high attrition and the lack of natural termination. After years of speaking with therapists around the world, I’ve realized...
355 | Costumes, Playroom Essentials, and First-Person vs. Third-Person
In this episode, I answer two great listener questions from Mikaela in Illinois. First, we dive into costumes in the playroom—what’s essential, how to think creatively with limited space, and how to make costume play meaningful for kids without overloading your...