426 | What's Wrong with Our Field? CCPT-ish

Episode summary

In this episode of the What's Wrong with Our Field? series, I tackle something I've been talking about for years: CCPT-ish. We have a complete, empirically supported model with known outcomes, but those outcomes are based on actually practicing child-centered play therapy. When we begin adding techniques, removing pieces, blending theories, or modifying the model whenever something else seems useful, we can no longer assume we're practicing the same intervention that the research supports. I explain why fidelity isn't about rigidity or perfection—it's about understanding the theory deeply enough to know what we're doing, why we're doing it, and what protects the integrity of the model.

I also explore the larger problem of our field's obsession with innovation, integration, and whatever happens to be new. New doesn't automatically mean better, and complexity doesn't make therapy more effective. I believe the path forward is actually much simpler: understand your theoretical orientation, commit to it, and execute it with as much adherence as possible. When we stop practicing CCPT-ish and become fully grounded in CCPT, we can work with greater confidence, provide parents with clearer expectations, and trust the outcomes of a model that already works.