Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in Child-Centered Play Therapy

12:13

439 | The Floor Belongs to the Child — Wait Until...

Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in... ·

2026/10/06

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

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15:15

438 | "Guess What?" How to Handle When a Child...

Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in... ·

2026/10/01

In this episode, I answer a question about a familiar playroom dynamic: the child who constantly wants the therapist to guess. "Guess what I ate for lunch." "Guess what I built." "You have three guesses for what I did yesterday." I explain why these interactions can serve several different purposes, including connection, self-esteem, and power and control. In this particular case, the child's insistence on making the therapist guess appears largely driven by the experience of knowing something the

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17:48

437 | Ultimate Limits Are Still a Choice - Getting...

Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in... ·

2026/09/29

In this episode, I continue last week's conversation about ultimate limits by focusing on a piece I think we often miss: an ultimate limit is still a choice. Landreth tells us to move through the limit-setting process at least three times before considering an ultimate limit—but "three" is not a rigid rule. Sometimes a child may need five, seven, or even more opportunities to wrestle with the choice. Our job is not to rush the process or force compliance. We provide the boundary, remain patient, and

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14:33

436 | Should You Ever End a CCPT Session Early?...

Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in... ·

2026/09/22

In this episode, I clear up an important misconception about ultimate limits in child-centered play therapy: Can a child ever "choose" to lose the rest of their play session? While some approaches to CCPT teach ending playtime as an ultimate consequence, I explain why that is not consistent with the Landreth model as clarified in the fourth edition of Play Therapy: The Art of the Relationship. Landreth emphasizes patience, moving through the ACT limit-setting sequence at least three times—and often

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11:24

435 | When a Child Cheats Because They Have to Win:...

Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in... ·

2026/09/17

In this episode, I answer a question about an 8-year-old who loves playing games but will do almost anything to make sure he wins—including cheating, changing the rules, and creating games where the outcome is stacked in his favor. When he does lose, he becomes angry, shuts down, or refuses to continue. I explain why our goal in CCPT is not to teach a child that losing is okay. That subtle shift gives us a therapist agenda. Instead, the therapeutic goal is for the child to eventually discover that

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11:44

434 | What's Wrong With Our Field? Research. (A Call...

Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in... ·

2026/09/15

In this final episode of the What's Wrong with Our Field? series, I tackle what I believe is a significant gap in child-centered play therapy: research. We have decades of foundational research supporting CCPT, along with newer studies examining the model with specific populations and presenting concerns. But much of our foundational literature is now decades old, and I believe we need a new generation of research examining CCPT itself—its theory, its efficacy, and how its outcomes compare with more

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19:45

433 | What Do You Say When a Child Asks If You...

Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in... ·

2026/09/10

In this episode, I answer a question about an 11-year-old who repeatedly tells his therapist, "You don't really want to spend time with me," "You'd rather be somewhere else," and "You're only doing this for the money." Rather than treating these statements as questions that need to be answered or beliefs that need to be corrected, I explain why we need to look underneath them. For this child, these comments may reveal much deeper struggles with self-esteem, self-worth, identity, vulnerability, and

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11:34

432 | The Missing Piece in Your CCPT Training

Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in... ·

2026/09/07

In this episode, I talk about something I hear constantly from child-centered play therapists: "I'm the only CCPT in my office, I wasn't prepared to work with children, and I feel like I'm figuring this out by myself." Too many therapists are leaving graduate school and immediately being handed child clients without meaningful training in how to work with them. We try to fill those gaps with books, podcasts, conferences, and trainings, but Landreth identified something more than 20 years ago that

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11:16

431 | What Do You Do When a Child Says 'I'm Bored' in...

Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in... ·

2026/09/03

In this episode, I answer a question about something nearly every child-centered play therapist will eventually hear: "I'm bored." When a child complains that there's nothing to do, asks why you never get new toys, or seems dissatisfied with the playroom, it can be surprisingly easy to take those comments personally and start questioning whether we're providing enough. I explain why boredom isn't evidence that your playroom is inadequate—it's communication. Anxiety, resistance, avoidance, power and

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16:52

430 | What's Wrong with Our Field? Supervision

Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in... ·

2026/09/01

In this episode of the What's Wrong with Our Field? series, I tackle a major challenge for child-centered play therapists: supervision from someone who doesn't understand or practice CCPT. When a supervisor works from a completely different theoretical orientation—or doesn't even work with children—their recommendations can directly conflict with the model we're committed to following. I discuss the difficult position this creates for supervisees, why adherence is often mislabeled as "rigidity," and

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14:10

429 | "All We Do Is Play": When an Anxious Child...

Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in... ·

2026/08/27

In this episode, I answer a question about an 11-year-old with significant social anxiety who, seven sessions into CCPT, tells a parent that therapy is a waste of time because "all we do is play." I unpack what may actually be happening beneath that statement, including resistance, avoidance, parental expectations, and the overwhelming vulnerability therapy can create for an anxious child. I also explore the child's perfectionistic play and explain how anxiety, power and control, and low self-esteem

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16:21

428 | What's Wrong with Our Field? Novelty and...

Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in... ·

2026/08/25

In this episode, I continue the What's Wrong with Our Field? series by looking at our profession's fascination with novelty and innovation. I challenge the assumption that something new is automatically progress and argue that, for child-centered play therapists, real progress should be measured by two things: greater fidelity to the model and stronger evidence that the model works. When therapists feel uncertain, undertrained, or disconnected from a clear theoretical orientation, it becomes easy to

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19:51

427 | How Anxiety Shows Up—and Changes—in the Playroom

Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in... ·

2026/08/20

In this episode, I answer several questions about two anxious girls whose play is giving us a fascinating look at what happens when children begin confronting the very things anxiety tells them to avoid. From putting sandy fidgets back into a bucket and intentionally leaving personal toys behind, to breaking open squishies, making enormous messes, and covering hands with paint, I explore how seemingly small choices can reflect meaningful shifts toward spontaneity, freedom, and reduced inhibition. I

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13:58

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

Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in... ·

2026/08/19

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

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17:18

425 | How to Coach Parents Through Severe Power...

Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in... ·

2026/08/13

In this episode, I answer a question about helping parents whose child has gradually taken control of the entire home. When a child constantly interrupts conversations, makes relentless demands, or escalates until everyone gives in, it's tempting to focus on stopping the behavior. Instead, I explain why we have to begin by understanding what's driving it. I discuss how power and control needs, inconsistent boundaries, and fractured relationships can combine to create these patterns, and why lasting

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15:49

424 | What's Wrong with Our Field? The Problem with ABA

Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in... ·

2026/08/11

In this episode of the What's Wrong with Our Field? series, I examine why I believe Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) remains one of the most concerning practices in pediatric mental health. I discuss its historical origins, the philosophy on which it was built, and why I believe its directive, compliance-focused approach stands in direct contrast to the principles of child-centered play therapy. I also explain why ABA continues to be widely recommended despite growing criticism from autistic adults

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12:48

423 | What If a Child Tells You to Stop Talking?

Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in... ·

2026/08/05

In this episode, I answer a question about one of the most uncomfortable moments a child-centered play therapist can experience: when a child tells you to stop talking because your reflections are "annoying." I explain why these moments are often signs of therapeutic progress rather than therapist failure. As children become more vulnerable, our reflections bring subconscious emotions into conscious awareness, and that can feel threatening. I discuss why resistance can emerge in any phase of

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14:02

422 | What's Wrong with Our Field?: Universities and...

Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in... ·

2026/08/03

In this episode of the What's Wrong with Our Field? series, I tackle what I believe is one of the greatest shortcomings in graduate mental health education: the lack of meaningful preparation for working with children. I share why so many counseling, social work, psychology, and marriage and family therapy programs treat children as an afterthought, expose students to modified adult interventions instead of developmentally appropriate models, or fail to address pediatric therapy altogether. The

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21:27

421 | Does Birth Order Matter in CCPT? (Especially...

Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in... ·

2026/07/30

In this episode, I answer a question about birth order and, specifically, what research and clinical experience tell us about only children. While birth order doesn't change how I practice child-centered play therapy, it does provide valuable insight into family dynamics, personality development, and the parent-child relationship. I explain why only children often develop differently from oldest, middle, and youngest siblings, how growing up primarily around adults shapes their worldview, and why

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13:17

420 | What is Wrong With Our Field? (New Series) Have...

Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in... ·

2026/07/28

In this episode, I begin a new series exploring what I believe is wrong with the play therapy field today. I share a surprising piece of anonymous conference feedback that challenged me personally, but more importantly, raised a much deeper question: Have some play therapists lost the heart of this work? I revisit the progression from Rogers to Axline to Landreth and argue that love, empathy, genuineness, and deep respect for children have always been at the center of our model. I also challenge the

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