439 | The Floor Belongs to the Child — Wait Until You're Invited to Sit on the Floor

Episode summary

In this episode, I focus on a deceptively simple part of what it means to let the child lead in child-centered play therapy: the floor belongs to the child. Landreth is clear that when therapists automatically sit on the floor, children may interpret that as an expectation that we want to be included in their play—even when they never intended to invite us. I explain why we should begin each session in a consistent place off the floor and wait for the child to invite us into that space. The floor is the child's territory, and respecting that boundary preserves their autonomy and keeps us from subtly influencing where their play goes.

I also explain why I advocate for a low, rolling, spinning chair or stool in the CCPT playroom. It allows us to remain physically close, engaged, mobile, and at the child's level without inserting ourselves into their space. When the child says, "Come sit here," hands us a puppet, or assigns us a role, we absolutely join them—but participation happens at the child's direction or invitation. This is one of those small details of CCPT that reveals just how intentional the model really is: letting the child lead includes allowing the child to decide when we enter their world.