Description
Your source for centered and focused Play Therapy coaching. A "Master-Class" in Play Therapy. Breaking down the barriers to high-quality Child-Centered Play Therapy (CCPT) education. No paywalls, no ads, no fluff... all content — just expert, accessible training for every play therapist, free of charge.
Episodes
- 2025 / 9 / 16337 | Art of the Session: Narrative Commentary in CCPTIn this episode of the Art of the Session series, I introduce a skill I call Narrative Commentary—a powerful tool for those quiet, reflective moments in session when neither content nor emotion is being...
- 2025 / 9 / 11336 | When a Child “Breaks” Limits: Staying True to the CCPT ModelIn this episode, I respond to a question from Jordan in New York about handling repeated limit “testing” in the playroom—especially in the context of children navigating divorce. I walk through the essential...
- 2025 / 9 / 9335 | Art of the Session: Play Session Guidelines - Labeling, Following the Metaphor, & NeutralityIn today’s episode of the Play Therapy Podcast, I continue our Art of the Session series by outlining three key session guidelines that don’t fall into the typical “skills” category, but are essential to...
- 2025 / 9 / 4334 | Preparing Parents for What’s Coming: Set Expectations Early or Struggle LaterIn this episode, I answer two important questions from McKenzie in Illinois—both centered around session frequency and resistance during therapy. I explain why weekly sessions are ideal in child-centered play...
- 2025 / 9 / 2333 | Art of the Session: Encouragement and Esteem Building - Helping Kids Believe They’re CapableIn this episode of the Art of the Session series, I explore the final pillar of Child-Centered Play Therapy—Encouragement, with a bonus deep-dive into esteem-building responses. I explain why encouragement is...
- 2025 / 8 / 28332 | The Screen-Free Playroom: Holding the Line in a Digital WorldIn this episode, I respond to a question from Kaylia in Arkansas about how to handle children who want to look something up on a phone during a play session. As screens become more prevalent in kids’ lives,...
- 2025 / 8 / 26331 | Art of the Session: The ACT of Setting LimitsIn this episode of the Art of the Session series, I walk through one of the trickiest and frequently rushed CCPT skills: limit setting. We revisit why going back to the basics is so important—because true...
- 2025 / 8 / 21330 | From Over-Attachment to Avoidance: Making Sense of Child Responses in CCPTIn this episode, I respond to a listener question that highlights two very different—but equally important—play therapy dynamics. One child clings to the therapist immediately, handcuffing herself to me in...
- 2025 / 8 / 19329 | Art of the Session: Empowerment Through Choice GivingIn this episode of the Art of the Session series, I focus on the second pillar of CCPT: choice giving. While limit-setting often leads to enforcement choices, empowerment choices are much rarer—and very...
- 2025 / 8 / 14328 | When They Want It Left Just the Way It Was - Permanence Response in CCPTIn this episode, I respond to a listener question about how to handle situations where children want their creations or work in the playroom to remain untouched between sessions. Whether it’s a LEGO build, a...
- 2025 / 8 / 12327 | Art of the Session: Reflecting Feelings with Effectiveness and Precision in CCPTIn this episode of the Art of the Session series, I walk through one of the most important and most underutilized CCPT skills: reflecting feelings. Despite its central role in both the reflective responses...
- 2025 / 8 / 7326 | Setting Up for Success: HTP Assessments and the Glue Dilemma in CCPTIn this Q&A episode, I answer two questions from Mara in North Carolina—one about the House-Tree-Person drawing assessment and one about the use of consumables like glue and paint in the playroom. I clarify...
- 2025 / 8 / 5325 | Art of the Session: Why Reflecting Content Keeps You Engaged Without Taking OverIn this episode of the Art of the Session series, I focus on the skill of Reflecting Content—what it is, when to use it, and how to do it well. Reflecting content helps us stay connected and engaged in the...
- 2025 / 7 / 29324 | Art of the Session: Tracking Behavior—The Skill You Can Always Use In Any Given MomentIn this episode of the Art of the Session series, I focus on one of the most foundational yet misunderstood CCPT skills: tracking behavior. I explain what it is, when to use it, and why it matters—even when...
- 2025 / 7 / 25323 | What to Do When Time Is Up But the Child Isn’t Regulated YetIn this episode, I respond to a question from Crystal, a school-based clinician in Minnesota, about how to end sessions when a child is emotionally dysregulated. Especially in settings like schools, where...
- 2025 / 7 / 22322 | Art of the Session: The CCPT Therapist’s Shortlist—11 Responses That Work In Any Given Moment In A SessionIn this Art of the Session episode, I walk through one of the most empowering and clarifying truths about CCPT: there’s a finite list of responses we use in session—and mastering those is enough. I outline...
- 2025 / 7 / 18321 | Managing Repetitive, Attention-Seeking Behaviors in the Playroom: Staying Neutral in CCPTIn this episode, I answer a unique and surprisingly common question from Zoe in Texas: what do you do when a child in CCPT is consistently farting in session—and seems to be doing it on purpose? We unpack how...
- 2025 / 7 / 15320 | Art of the Session: The Exact Words You Say When Entering the PlayroomIn this episode of the Art of the Session series, I focus on a key moment that sets the tone for every CCPT session: the exact phrase you say when entering the playroom. While it may seem like a small detail,...
- 2025 / 7 / 8319 | Art of the Session: Empowerment on the Way to the PlayroomIn this episode of the Art of the Session series, I walk you through a phase of the play therapy process that’s often overlooked—what happens on the way to the playroom. This moment may feel small, but it...
- 2025 / 7 / 7318 | Mastering CPRT Announcement + Q&A: CCPT Termination Criteria (How to Know When a Child Is Truly Ready)Mastering CPRT is open for registration - go to playtherapynow.com and use the code “CPRT100” to get $100 off for 10 days. It goes up to full price after 10 days, so grab this offer today! In this episode, I...
- 2025 / 7 / 4317 | CCPT with Tweens: Navigating the Shift from Play to ConversationIn this episode, I respond to a thoughtful question from Dearbhla in Ireland about working with a 12-year-old client who prefers to talk rather than engage in traditional play. As children get older, CCPT...
- 2025 / 7 / 3316 | When Parents Join the Session: Why It Compromises the CCPT ModelIn this episode, I answer a question from Hope in Kentucky about incorporating parents into the CCPT process. Her case involved a foster mom participating in session—and the outcome revealed why that’s not...
- 2025 / 7 / 2315 | Theoretical Integrity in Play Therapy: Why One Model Matters (The Case Against Integrative Play Therapy)In this episode, I respond to a thoughtful question from Cassie in North Carolina about integrative play therapy and the belief that there’s no “one size fits all” approach. As a CCPT purist, I explain why I...
- 2025 / 7 / 1314 | Art of the Session: What Happens in the Lobby Matters TooIn this episode of the Art of the Session summer series, I talk about one of the most overlooked parts of the CCPT process—our relationship with parents. While we spend most of our time and training focusing...
- 2025 / 6 / 24313 | Art of the Session: Setting Up the CCPT Playroom With Purpose and IntegrityIn this first episode of the Art of the Session summer series, I walk through one of the most essential components of effective CCPT work: the playroom itself. I share the practical, intentional choices that...
- 2025 / 6 / 20312 | CCPT Mindset: The Final Mindset Shift…From Doing CCPT to Being CCPTIn this final episode of the CCPT Mindset series, I wrap up with one of the most foundational shifts we must make as child-centered play therapists: moving from doing to being. I explore how the pressure to...
- 2025 / 6 / 17311 | Two Questions, One Answer: Trust the Process in Child-Centered Play TherapyIn this episode, I answer two great questions from Joy in Maryland. First, we talk about kids who spend most of their session playing with slime. I explain why that kind of repetitive play often falls into...
- 2025 / 6 / 13310 | CCPT With Toddlers and Preschoolers: What Changes and What Doesn’tIn this episode, I respond to a question from Mara in North Carolina—and a handful of other listeners—about working with very young children in Child-Centered Play Therapy, specifically those under the age of...
- 2025 / 6 / 11309 | CCPT Mindset: When Progress Anxiety Undermines the ModelIn this episode, I continue the CCPT Mindset series with a deep dive into something we all wrestle with at some point: progress anxiety. As child-centered play therapists, it’s easy to slip into the trap of...
- 2025 / 6 / 6308 | Toileting Battles and the Need for Power: CCPT Parent CoachingIn this episode, I respond to a question from Rachel in Missouri about a 5½-year-old client who refuses to poop in the toilet and insists on using a pull-up. We explore how this long-standing habit is likely...
- 2025 / 6 / 5307 | When Parents Call It a Bribe: Defending Choice Giving in CCPTIn this episode, I respond to a question from Sarah in California about how to explain the difference between bribery and choice giving in CCPT—specifically after a parent watched the Cookies, Choices, and...
- 2025 / 6 / 3306 | CCPT Mindset: The Myth of the Therapeutic AgendaIn this episode of the CCPT Mindset series, I unpack the “myth of the therapeutic agenda” and how even well-intentioned goals can lead us away from true child-centeredness. It’s easy to think we’re being...
- 2025 / 5 / 30305 | Shared Walls and Noisy Lobbies: Preserving the CCPT Playroom EnvironmentIn this episode, I answer a question from Jill in Pennsylvania about how to handle playrooms that share a wall with a waiting area—and the issues that come with that setup. From parents commenting on sessions...
- 2025 / 5 / 29304 | Facilitating CPRT With Challenging Parent DynamicsIn this episode, I respond to a question from Tess in Illinois about coaching parents with personality disorders—specifically borderline and narcissism—within the CPRT (Child-Parent Relationship Therapy)...
- 2025 / 5 / 27303 | CCPT Mindset (New Series): Examining the Language That Pulls Us from the ModelIn this episode, I kick off a new CCPT Mindset Series focused on the hidden beliefs and unconscious language that quietly pull us away from full adherence to the CCPT model. I begin with one of the most...
- 2025 / 5 / 23302 | Bringing CCPT Into Schools: Group Sessions, Teacher Buy-In, and Special Education SupportIn this episode, I answer a question from Robin in New York, a school-based counselor who’s navigating how to implement Child-Centered Play Therapy (CCPT) in an academic setting. From managing large caseloads...
- 2025 / 5 / 22301 | CCPT Skills for Quiet Sessions: Narrative Summary & Commentary ExplainedIn this episode, I talk about how to use narrative summary and narrative commentary in Child-Centered Play Therapy sessions—especially when you're working with a child who is quiet, repetitive, or nonverbal...
- 2025 / 5 / 17300th Episode Livestream: Three Years, One Mission—Preserve and Advance the Classical CCPT ModelIn this special 300th episode of the Play Therapy Podcast, and on a special day (the podcast launched three years ago today!), I share the full audio from our recent livestream celebration—a live Zoom event...
- 2025 / 5 / 13299 | You’re Not Behind—You’re Becoming: The CCPT Growth Journey Via the Summit FrameworkIn this episode, I offer encouragement and clarity for those of you who feel like you're not where you “should” be in your CCPT journey. If you’ve ever felt behind, inadequate, or unsure if you’re doing it...
- 2025 / 5 / 8298 | They Promised No Court—Then Sent a Subpoena: What Now? - Court and Legal Policy in CCPTIn this episode, I respond to a question from Lujaina in Texas about what to do when you've clearly communicated that you won’t participate in court proceedings—only to be served a subpoena anyway. I walk...
- 2025 / 5 / 6297 | CCPT Purism: The Child Knows the Way—A Call to Re-CenterIn this final episode of the CCPT Purism series, I wrap up our 11-episode journey with a reflection on what it truly means to live and practice Child-Centered Play Therapy with integrity. I walk through the...
- 2025 / 5 / 2296 | Responding to Suicidal Statements in CCPT SessionsIn this episode, I respond to powerful questions from Angelica and Mikayla about how to approach suicidal statements made by children in CCPT sessions. These statements—like “I want to die” or “I wish I was...
- 2025 / 4 / 30295 | Confidentiality, Character Toys, and Religious Topics in CCPTIn this episode, I answer a thoughtful series of questions from Mikayla in Illinois that touch on several important topics in CCPT practice: confidentiality when sharing success stories, using neutral versus...
- 2025 / 4 / 29294 | CCPT Purism: Practicing CCPT in a Directive WorldIn this episode of the CCPT Purism series, I talk about the reality of practicing child-centered play therapy in a world that doesn’t understand it. From insurance documentation and school interventions to...
- 2025 / 4 / 22293 | CCPT Purism: Why Non-Directivity WorksIn this episode of the CCPT Purism series, I take a deep dive into one of the most foundational—and often misunderstood—truths of our model: non-directivity works. I respond to common questions and doubts,...
- 2025 / 4 / 18292 | When It Feels Like “Nothing” Is Happening in Session—How to Add Variety Without Losing the ModelIn this episode, I respond to a question from Melissa in Colorado about how to handle sessions where children aren't showing much emotion or verbalizing content—especially when they spend multiple sessions...
- 2025 / 4 / 17291 | When Kids Assign You Roles: Staying Adherent to the CCPT Model During Role-Play ScenariosIn this episode, I answer a question from Amanda in Wisconsin about how to respond when a child assigns us a role in play and expects us to make choices—like picking a color or drawing freely—within that...
- 2025 / 4 / 15290 | CCPT Purism: Small Drifts and Deviations That Undermine the ModelIn this episode of the CCPT Purism series, I talk about a critical but often overlooked common drift points that shift us from pure CCPT practice. These are small, often unconscious shifts we make in...
- 2025 / 4 / 8289 | CCPT Purism: The Paradox of Non-Directive but Highly StructuredIn this episode of the CCPT Purism series, I unpack one of the most misunderstood truths about Child-Centered Play Therapy: that while it’s non-directive, it is also deeply structured and intentional. I walk...
- 2025 / 4 / 4288 | Making Sense of "Baby Talk" in a CCPT Playroom: What It Means and How to RespondIn this episode, I answer a question from Kelli in Washington about how to respond when children use baby talk in the playroom. While it may seem like a small thing, baby talk always carries meaning in a...