Podcast Episodes
43 | Noticing The Child Is A Powerful Builder Of Self-Esteem
In this episode, I go over the first of the encouragement principles... "Noticing The Child Is A Powerful Builder Of Self-Esteem" Topic I address: - Attention is everything - Kids being "lost in the sea of life" - Self-fulfilling prophesy Podcast HQ:...
42 | Q&A: How To Become A Registered Play Therapist
Tricia emailed me the following question: "Hello! I am currently a graduate student in mental health counseling in the state of New York. Unfortunately there aren’t many resources for play therapy in the upstate area. I’m wondering if you could share your knowledge on...
41 | When There Are No Limits, There Is No Security
In this episode, I cover the last of the limit setting principles. Limit setting provides the security in which the relationship thrives. Podcast HQ: https://www.playtherapypodcast.com Play Therapy Training HQ: https://www.playtherapynow.com Email me:...
40 | Q&A: What To Do When A Child Does Not Want To Leave The Playroom?
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...
39 | If You Can’t Say It In Ten Words Or Less, Don’t Say It
In this episode I go over the 3rd limit setting principle, "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 helps to know how to articulate this to parents as well. Podcast HQ:...
37 | Limits Are Not Needed Until They Are Needed
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...
36 | Q&A: Exploring The Sensitive Topic Of Abuse And Neglect In The Playroom: A Guide For Play Therapists
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...
35 | When A Child Is Drowning, It’s Not The Time To Teach Them To Swim
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...
34 | Q&A: How Do You Do Child-Centered Play Therapy With Older Kids (11-14 Year Olds)
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...
33 | Big Choices For Big Kids, Little Choices For Little Kids
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...
32 | My Playroom Was Absolutely Destroyed By A Client (A Debrief, And How I Handled It)
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...
31 | How To Conduct Sibling/Group Play Sessions
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...
30 | One Of The Best Things You Can Communicate To A Child Is That They Are Competent
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...
29 | The Use Of Aggressive Toys In The Playroom
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 -...
28 | Empower Kids By Giving Them Credit For Decisions
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: [email protected] Follow me on Twitter:...