Staying True to the Model: Encouraging New Therapists to Trust CCPT

Nov 1, 2024

In this episode of the Play Therapy Podcast, I respond to a question from Deidra in Virginia, a first-year supervised therapist whose supervisor isn’t child-centered and often suggests teaching coping skills to young clients in play therapy sessions. I share my perspective on why child-centered play therapy (CCPT) doesn’t involve directive instruction like teaching coping skills and how children naturally develop coping mechanisms through the CCPT therapeutic process itself. I offer encouragement to Deidra and other therapists in similar situations, emphasizing the importance of adhering to the CCPT model.

I also discuss how CCPT encourages therapists to trust the process, the model, and the child’s ability to work through challenges in their own way. I remind listeners that it’s natural to feel unsure in moments when others advocate for a different approach, but staying true to the CCPT model yields powerful, transformative outcomes over time.

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If you would like to ask me questions directly, check out www.ccptcollective.com, where I host two weekly Zoom calls filled with advanced CCPT case studies and session reviews, as well as member Q&A. You can take advantage of the two-week free trial to see if the CCPT Collective is right for you.

Ask Me Questions: Call ‪(813) 812-5525‬, or email: [email protected]
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APT Approved Play Therapy CE courses: https://childcenteredtraining.com
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References:

  • Cochran, N., Nordling, W., & Cochran, J. (2010). Child-Centered Play Therapy (1st ed.). Wiley.
  • VanFleet, R., Sywulak, A. E., & Sniscak, C. C. (2010). Child-centered play therapy. Guilford Press.
  • Landreth, G. L. (2002). Play therapy: The art of the relationship (2nd ed.). Brunner-Routledge.
  • Bratton, S. C., Landreth, G. L., Kellam, T., & Blackard, S. R. (2006). Child parent relationship therapy (CPRT) treatment manual: A 10-session filial therapy model for training parents. Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group.
  • Benedict, Helen. Themes in Play Therapy. Used with permission to Heartland Play Therapy Institute.
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