Play Therapy Podcast Dr. Brenna Hicks

In this lightning round episode, I tackle three listener questions about child-centered play therapy (CCPT). Cindy from California asked how to respond when parents say kids can learn academics, so why can't they learn coping skills the same way. I explain that academics are formulaic whereas emotions are non-linear, and the therapeutic relationship is key for learning coping, resilience and problem-solving skills.
Melanie from Iowa, who has recently fully committed to CCPT after previously using other approaches, wonders if it's too late for play therapy to be effective with a particular child. I reassure her that it's never too late, though the relationship has to shift when transitioning to true CCPT. Trust and safety need to be re-established, so progress may be slower but not impossible.
Finally, Julia from California asks how to handle kids requesting that the therapist not look at or talk to them during sessions. I discuss potential reasons like power/control, discomfort with reflections, or inability to receive the therapist's responses. I advise still doing our job of verbally engaging, but adjusting pace, volume and frequency to a level the child can manage, while explaining the purpose behind the skills we're using.
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: brenna@thekidcounselor.com
Brenna's CCPT Hub: https://www.playtherapynow.com
CCPT Collective (online community exclusively for CCPTs): https://www.ccptcollective.com
Podcast HQ: https://www.playtherapypodcast.com
APT Approved Play Therapy CE courses: https://childcenteredtraining.com
Twitter: @thekidcounselor https://twitter.com/thekidcounselor
Facebook: https://facebook.com/playtherapypodcast
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.

Today I'm beginning my "Summer School" Series where we are going to go back to the classical texts of child-centered play therapy.
In this episode, I dive into the challenges of truly understanding the meaning behind children's play, and the importance of grounding our work in the original theories and principles of child-centered play therapy. I share some passages from the seminal book "Innovations in Play Therapy" by Garry Landreth that offer valuable insights.
A key takeaway is that we need to be cautious about jumping to label everything a child does as representing a "theme." For something to truly be a theme, it needs to recur multiple times within or across play sessions. Just because a child does something once, like burying a toy, doesn't automatically indicate a "theme of permanence." We have to observe the play over time.
I also discuss how having knowledge of typical child development is critical for play therapists to determine if a child's play is normative or indicates something more significant going on under the surface. Some play is symbolic rather than thematic.
My goal with this episode and series is to help bring us back to the roots and core intentions of the child-centered model. I believe we need to deeply understand the "why" behind what we do as play therapists and not dilute the child-centered model as it gains in popularity. I hope these insights from a leader in the field like Landreth are helpful reminders of what's most important in our work! As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts. 
Episode Reference:
Landreth, G. L. (Ed.). (2001). Innovations in play therapy: Issues, process, and special populations. Brunner-Routledge.
Sign up for my exclusive newsletter at playtherapynow.com. Stay ahead with the latest CCPT CEU courses, personalized coaching opportunities and other opportunities you need to thrive in your CCPT practice!
Ask Me Questions: Call ‪(813) 812-5525‬, or email: brenna@thekidcounselor.com
Brenna's CCPT Hub: https://www.playtherapynow.com
CCPT Collective (online community exclusively for CCPTs): https://www.ccptcollective.com
Podcast HQ: https://www.playtherapypodcast.com
APT Approved Play Therapy CE courses: https://childcenteredtraining.com
Twitter: @thekidcounselor https://twitter.com/thekidcounselor
Facebook: https://facebook.com/playtherapypodcast
Common 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.

In this episode, I answer a listener question about working with siblings in play therapy. I share that joint sessions can be beneficial if siblings experienced the same stressful event, but recommend having individual sessions first to build rapport.
If a therapist is already seeing one sibling and the parent asks to start the other, I advise getting permission from the current child client first to preserve the relationship. If the child declines, it's best to wait until ending with the first child.
I discuss scheduling options when seeing siblings individually:
30 minute split sessions Back-to-back full sessions Alternating weeks For parents wanting therapy for multiple children, exploring filial therapy to support the whole family may be warranted.
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: brenna@thekidcounselor.com
Brenna's CCPT Hub: https://www.playtherapynow.com
CCPT Collective (online community exclusively for CCPTs): https://ccptcollective.com
Podcast HQ: https://www.playtherapypodcast.com
APT Approved Play Therapy CE courses: https://childcenteredtraining.com
Twitter: @thekidcounselor   https://twitter.com/thekidcounselor
Facebook: https://facebook.com/playtherapypodcast
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.

In this episode, I dive into the proper use of "I wonder" statements and the whisper technique in child-centered play therapy. I've noticed these skills are sometimes being misused or overused, so I wanted to provide some clarification.
I discuss how "I wonder" statements should be used sparingly and only when clinically necessary to gather information to facilitate play. Using them too frequently to get a child to discuss feelings, plans, or reasoning behind behaviors can become directive rather than child-centered. The statements work best when playing a role the child has assigned and more details are needed.
I also explain how the whisper technique allows therapists to conspiratorially check in with a child during play to see how to respond while still honoring the child's lead. Whispering masks questions to keep a child emotionally engaged in the play.
My goal is to help play therapists understand the originally intended purpose of these techniques so they can apply them skillfully to benefit their child clients. I'm hopeful these guidelines prove useful for informing your practice as a play therapist.
Sign up for my exclusive newsletter at playtherapynow.com. Stay ahead with the latest CCPT CEU courses, personalized coaching opportunities and other opportunities you need to thrive in your CCPT practice!
Ask Me Questions:  Call ‪(813) 812-5525‬, or email: brenna@thekidcounselor.com
Brenna's CCPT Hub: https://www.playtherapynow.com
CCPT Collective (online community exclusively for CCPTs): https://ccptcollective.com
Podcast HQ: https://www.playtherapypodcast.com
APT Approved Play Therapy CE courses: https://childcenteredtraining.com
Twitter: @thekidcounselor   https://twitter.com/thekidcounselor
Facebook: https://facebook.com/playtherapypodcast
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.

In this episode, I address a great question from Katie in Florida about what to do when kids seem unsure of what to play with in later play therapy sessions and gravitate toward the same activities each time.
First, I discuss how this pattern could indicate the child is in a state of resistance or avoidance. They may be doing "safe play" to delay diving into deeper issues they don't feel ready to tackle yet. It's important to remember that even if a child isn't playing in the way we expect, it doesn't mean valuable work isn't happening. We have to trust the child-centered play therapy process and the child's own self-actualization.
I share an illustrative story about a child who vacuumed every session, emphasizing the importance of allowing children to do what they need to do and not forcing the process.
Finally, I touch on the topic of toy visibility and accessibility in the playroom. While it's ideal to have toys openly displayed, children will make do with what is available. The most important thing is providing a safe, accepting therapeutic environment.
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: brenna@thekidcounselor.com
Brenna's CCPT Hub: https://www.playtherapynow.com
CCPT Collective (online community exclusively for CCPTs): https://ccptcollective.com
Podcast HQ: https://www.playtherapypodcast.com
APT Approved Play Therapy CE courses: https://childcenteredtraining.com
Twitter: @thekidcounselor   https://twitter.com/thekidcounselor
Facebook: https://facebook.com/playtherapypodcast
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.

In this episode, I discuss how to transition from a directive or eclectic play therapy approach to a fully child-centered play therapy model. I share tips for communicating this change to both parents and the child in a direct, transparent way.
When making this transition with a child you're already working with, it's important to acknowledge the upcoming change in approach, explain the reasoning and benefits, and give them space to ask questions. Let them know that moving forward, they will be in charge during play sessions. The child may need an adjustment period to get used to this new dynamic.
I also discuss what to expect during this transition. The strong therapeutic relationship you've already built will remain, but in some ways it's like restarting the process as the child acclimates to having full autonomy and control, which may feel unfamiliar at first. Trust the process and the child's innate capacity for self-direction. In time, you'll be amazed to witness the transformative power of fully child-centered play therapy.
While we can't change the past, I encourage you to draw a line in the sand and commit to a completely child-centered approach moving forward. Seek support and training if needed. When we dedicate ourselves fully to one proven modality, that's when we can most effectively help the children we serve.
Sign up for my exclusive newsletter at playtherapynow.com. Stay ahead with the latest CCPT CEU courses, personalized coaching opportunities and other opportunities you need to thrive in your CCPT practice!
Ask Me Questions:  Call ‪(813) 812-5525‬, or email: brenna@thekidcounselor.com
Brenna's CCPT Hub: https://www.playtherapynow.com
CCPT Collective (online community exclusively for CCPTs): https://ccptcollective.com
Podcast HQ: https://www.playtherapypodcast.com
APT Approved Play Therapy CE courses: https://childcenteredtraining.com
Twitter: @thekidcounselor   https://twitter.com/thekidcounselor
Facebook: https://facebook.com/playtherapypodcast
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.