The Play Therapy Circle

Kylie Ellison
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Mental Health
  • Updated Weekly

Hosted by therapist and trainer Kylie Ellison, this podcast explores the heart of Child-Centred Play Therapy and the healing power of play. Each episode offers thoughtful reflections and practical insights for play therapists, students, and caregivers supporting children’s emotional wellbeing. ✨ Join the community: https://mailchi.mp/playtherapycircle.com/play-therapy-circle ✨ Podcast subscriptions: https://kylieellison.com.au/ptcsub

  1. 1d ago

    Episode 56- The Stages of Play Therapy: How the Work Unfolds and How to Know It's Working

    In this episode, Kylie Ellison kicks off a new series on the shape of what unfolds in the playroom, breaking down the framework of stages in child-centred play therapy (CCPT). Drawing on Garry Landreth's foundational work and over a decade of clinical experience, Kylie walks through why this framework matters so much, not just for practitioners trying to make sense of what's happening in session, but for communicating progress to parents, schools and other stakeholders along the way. Kylie unpacks each stage in turn. The warm-up stage, where trust and safety are built and the therapeutic alliance begins to take shape. The aggressive stage, often the hardest for both therapist and child, where kids test the negative aspects of self and therapeutic limits become essential. The regressive (or nurturing) stage, a softer but emotionally taxing phase where earlier attachment needs surface and get processed. And finally, mastery, the integration point where children build competency and, eventually, exit therapy. Throughout, Kylie shares practical language for talking to parents about non-linear progress, the importance of caregiver buy-in during the tougher stages, and how to recognise when a child is genuinely ready to finish their work with you. She also reflects on countertransference, congruence and what it really means to trust the process, even when it feels like Groundhog Day in the playroom. Whether you're a student just learning the framework or a seasoned play therapist after a refresher, this episode offers grounding, clarity and language you can take straight into your next parent consult. Next week: Parents as Partners. Got a question or topic you'd love Kylie to cover? Reach out at hello@playtherapycircle.com or find us on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok @ThePlayTherapyCirclePodcast.

  2. Sep 10

    Episode 55- Back to Basics: Esteem-Building - The Skill That Builds Self-Worth from the Inside Out

    Esteem Building: Praising the Process, Not the Product In this episode of The Play Therapy Circle, Kylie Ellison wraps up our foundational skills series with a deep dive into esteem building statements, one of the most misunderstood skills in child centred play therapy. If you've ever caught yourself saying "good job" or "well done" in the playroom, this episode is for you. Kylie unpacks why praise, however well intentioned, can actually foster dependency on external validation rather than helping children build a genuine internal sense of self worth. Drawing on the work of Virginia Axline, Garry Landreth, and Cochran and Cochran, she explains the shift from evaluating a child's output to acknowledging their process, effort, and capability. In this episode, you'll learn: Why praise like "that's beautiful" or "I'm so proud of you" can unintentionally undermine a child's internal locus of control The difference between praise (evaluating the product) and esteem building (describing the process) Practical language you can start using today, including "you worked so hard and you didn't give up" and "you figured out how to make that work" How to respond when a child disagrees with your reflection, without slipping into reassurance or argument Common mistakes practitioners make with this skill, including overuse, making it about the adult, and disguising behaviour management as esteem building Why holding silence can sometimes be more powerful than jumping in with a reflection Kylie also connects the dots between each child centered play therapy skill and the deeper therapeutic goals they support, helping you see the bigger picture behind the work happening in the playroom. Whether you're a play therapy student building your foundational skills or an experienced practitioner wanting a refresher, this episode offers a grounded, practical guide to helping children build authentic, internally driven self esteem. Next episode, we move into the stages of child centred play therapy, exploring meaning making, transference, and countertransference through a psychodynamic lens. Join our free Play Therapy Circle community and find out more about training via the links in the show notes. And mark your calendars, our first ever Play Therapy Circle Conference is coming to Brisbane this October with Kylie Ellison and Jodi Mullen. Community - Circle Subscriptions - Kylie Ellison Therapy & TrainingTraining - Play Therapy Training Australia | Kylie Ellison Therapy & TrainingConference - Play Therapy Circle Conference 2026 - Kylie Ellison Therapy & Training

  3. Sep 3

    Episode 54- Back to Basics - Empathic Responding How Empathy Becomes Something the Child Can Actually Feel

    Host Kylie Ellison continues the Back to Basics series with a deep dive into empathetic responding, the skill that takes reflecting feelings a step further. Kylie unpacks how empathetic responding differs from sympathy, agreement, and projection, why it stays with the child's felt experience rather than the cause behind it, and what it actually takes to deliver it well: warmth, congruence, following the child's pace, matching intensity, and trusting silence as part of the work. She also walks through five common pitfalls practitioners fall into, from evaluating instead of reflecting to rushing in to fix or reassure, and shares why authenticity matters more than getting the script "right." Alongside the clinical content, Kylie brings her usual warmth and honesty, talking through a new microphone arm, a very work-in-progress home studio, and the joys of spring arriving in Brisbane, plus shout-outs to listeners tuning in from 86 countries. Next week: esteem-building statements, the final skill in this foundational series. This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not provide therapeutic advice. If you're seeking personal support, please reach out to a qualified mental health professional in your area. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, and send your CCPT questions to hello@playtherapycircle.com.

  4. Aug 27

    Episode 53- The First Session- What Actually Happens & Why It Matters

    The First Session: What to Expect (and What Not to Do) in Child-Centred Play Therapy In this episode of the Foundation Series, Kylie Ellison, therapist, clinical supervisor, and play therapy trainer, dives deep into one of the biggest sources of anxiety for new play therapists: the first session with a child. If you've just finished your training or you're still building confidence in the playroom, this one's for you. The neurobiology of a first meeting Kylie starts by unpacking neuroception, the concept from polyvagal theory describing how a child's nervous system is constantly assessing safety below conscious awareness. Before a single word is exchanged, a child's body is already deciding whether the playroom, and the therapist in it, feels safe. Understanding this piece is key to setting the tone for everything that follows. Why the relational piece matters so much Children don't arrive as blank slates. They come with an existing template for how adults behave, shaped by prior relationships, previous therapy experiences, or in some cases, trauma and child protection histories. Kylie reflects on Gary Landreth's idea that the therapist is often the first adult in a child's life who doesn't want anything from them, and why that shift can be so disarming and healing for kids who are used to placating, performing, or people-pleasing with the adults around them. Structuring the first session Kylie walks through the practical mechanics of a first session, including: Grounding and regulating yourself before the child arrivesGetting on the child's physical level (and why she prefers sitting on the floor)The opening welcome statement, and variations for younger childrenSitting with the silence that follows, and recognizing when the urge to fill it is about you, not the childWhat not to do: asking questions, explaining play therapy, offering praise, or rescuingEnding the session with a five-minute warning and a clear, embodied closing statementWorking through common scenarios Kylie also talks through real situations that come up in first sessions, including children who refuse to enter the playroom, kids with attachment or trauma histories who need more time to feel safe, separated or high-conflict families, and how to manage stakeholder expectations when trust-building takes longer than a few sessions. She's honest about the emotional toll this work can take, and the importance of clinical supervision and self-care along the way. This episode is a grounding reminder that CCPT isn't about having the perfect script. It's about trusting yourself, trusting the child, and trusting the process. Coming up next week: reflecting feelings and empathetic responding. Got a question or topic you'd love Kylie to cover? Email hello@playtherapycircle.com or find the podcast @playtherapycircle on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.

  5. Aug 13

    Episode 52- Back to Basics: Empathic Responding & Returning Responsibility

    Returning Responsibility: Handing the Power Back to the Child In this episode of The Play Therapy Circle, host Kylie Ellison continues the series on foundational child-centered play therapy skills. Following on from tracking and reflecting feelings, this week's focus is returning responsibility: the skill of handing decisions, choices, and problem-solving back to the child, without withholding support, delivered in a warm and genuinely caring way. Kylie explores why this skill can feel counterintuitive for caring professionals whose natural instinct is to step in and help. She unpacks the difference between doing for a child and empowering a child to do for themselves, and why that distinction matters so much developmentally. Many children arrive in the playroom with underdeveloped agency, having learned that adults are the ones who speak, decide, and solve problems for them. Some children defer responsibility because of an external locus of control, while for others, particularly those who have experienced trauma or family violence, deferring to adults and people-pleasing has been a survival strategy. Returning responsibility offers these children a different relational experience: one where they are trusted to know what they need and capable of deciding for themselves. Kylie shares some of the classic Landreth-informed language she leaned on early in her career, phrases like "in here, that's something you can decide" and "you can decide how you want it to look," and explains why grounding statements in "in here" helps signal that the playroom operates by different rules to the outside world. She also walks through the common mistakes practitioners make when learning this skill: refusing to help with tasks that are genuinely beyond a child's developmental capability, delivering the statement too rigidly or without warmth, overusing it when a child actually needs practical assistance, and missing the moments when a distressed, dysregulated child needs co-regulation rather than an invitation to problem-solve alone. Kylie also touches on how this skill extends beyond the playroom, and why it's a valuable tool to introduce to time-poor, overstretched parents during consultations, so the growth happening in session can be reinforced at home. A short but rich episode packed with practical, ready-to-use language for your next session. Don't miss out - tickets to the 2026 Play Therapy Circle Conference are limited. Secure yours today - Play Therapy Circle Conference 2026 - Kylie Ellison Therapy & TrainingJoin the circle - Circle Subscriptions - Kylie Ellison Therapy & Training

  6. Aug 6

    Episode 51- Inside the Play Room - What Belongs There and Why the Space Matters

    The Playroom as the Third Therapist: Setting Up a Child-Centred Space In this episode, Kylie continues the foundational series with a deep dive into the child-centred play therapy playroom, what belongs in it, why it matters, and how the space itself communicates safety, welcome, and possibility to the children we work with. Drawing on Gary Landreth's teaching that the playroom is "the child's world in miniature," Kylie unpacks the three essential toy categories every CCPT playroom needs: nurturing, aggressive, and expressive/creative, and explains the message each category sends when it's present, and when it's missing. She talks through practical toy suggestions (with an Aussie flavour, hello, Kmart), how to explain aggressive toys to cautious parents, and why "quality over quantity" remains the guiding principle, no matter how tempting it is to fill a room with resources. Kylie also gets honest about what this looks like outside a picture-perfect private practice playroom: shared clinic spaces, outreach work, schools, and home visits, and shares ideas for building a simple, portable travel kit that still covers all three categories. Plus: what typically doesn't belong in a CCPT playroom (think licensed characters, electronics, and toys with predetermined narratives), and why board games might be the exception that proves the rule. Whether you're setting up your very first playroom or auditing a well-established one, this episode offers a grounded, practical reminder that a modest, thoughtful space with genuine warmth will always beat a beautifully stocked room, because ultimately, it's your presence, congruence, and connection that create the safety a child needs to do their work. In this episode:🧸 Why the playroom is often called "the third therapist"🎯 The three core toy categories, nurturing, aggressive, expressive, and what each communicates🥊 How to talk to parents about aggressive toys in the playroom🚫 What typically doesn't belong in a CCPT playroom, and why🎒 Building a travel kit for shared spaces, outreach, and school-based work💛 Why intention matters more than a perfectly curated room Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It does not provide therapeutic advice, and listening does not create a client-therapist relationship. All views expressed are Kylie's own, and any case examples shared have been de-identified to protect privacy. If you're seeking personal support, please reach out to a qualified mental health professional in your area. 🎧 New episodes every week, follow along as we build our foundational CCPT series.💬 Got a topic or question you'd love us to explore? We'd love to hear from you.🎟️ Join us in person in October in Brisbane for our first-ever Play Therapy Circle Conference, link in show notes.🌱 Connect with our free Play Therapy Circle community, link in show notes.📱 Follow along on Instagram and Facebook: @ThePlayTherapyCirclePodcast

  7. Jul 30

    Episode 50- Characteristics of the Play Therapist - The Personhood at the Heart of the Work

    Episode 50: Characteristics of a Child-Centered Play Therapist, The Way of Being Behind the Technique We've hit a milestone, you guys, Episode 50! To mark one year of The Play Therapy Circle Podcast, Kylie Ellison is kicking off a brand-new series unpacking the core topics she covers in her CCPT training programs, starting with a question that comes up again and again in her supervision sessions: what kind of person does this work invite us to become? Kylie opens up about imposter syndrome (still present eleven years into practice!), the discipline it takes to stay non-directive when outside pressures pull you toward "doing something," and why child-centered play therapy can never be reduced to a checklist of techniques. Drawing on Rogers and Landreth, she makes the case that the relationship itself is the intervention, and that empathy, congruence, and unconditional positive regard only work when they come from genuine presence, not performance. As she puts it: being with the child matters more than doing something to the child. She walks through five characteristics she believes are essential for CCPT practitioners, plus the practical pathways for growing each one: 🌿 Genuine warmth: holding a child as inherently worthy of care, not because they've earned it, but simply because they're there. Children pick up on performative warmth almost instantly, so this has to be real. 🌿 Self-awareness: knowing what's yours versus what belongs to the child. Noticing your own triggers, history, and countertransference, and doing that unpacking work in supervision rather than in the room. 🌿 Tolerance for not knowing: sitting in uncertainty, trusting the process, and resisting the urge to interpret, control, or rush a child's timeline. 🌿 Genuine humility: remembering the child is the expert on themselves, and that every child who sits with us is also our teacher. Humility here isn't a lack of confidence, it's confidence that doesn't require the child to prove their worth. 🌿 Capacity for stillness: offering active, regulated presence in a culture obsessed with productivity. Kylie reframes stillness as the antidote children need, not passivity. Kylie also speaks candidly to the very real pressures practitioners face working across systems, including funding bodies, education, and NDIS, and how to protect the sacredness of the playroom while still translating the work for outside stakeholders. She shares four pathways for developing these characteristics over time: personal therapy (a deeply individual choice, but one she's found invaluable), ongoing supervision that holds the whole practitioner rather than just the caseload, deliberate practice of stillness outside the playroom, and community with fellow CCPT practitioners. This episode also carries some exciting news: The Play Therapy Circle's very first conference is coming later this year, bringing the global CCPT community together, with plans in place for international listeners to access recordings if they can't attend in person. Whether you're just beginning your play therapy journey or years into practice, this episode is a generous reminder that growth in this work never really ends. There's no finish line, only an ongoing commitment to show up as your fullest, most congruent self. 🎧 Tune in for an honest, reflective conversation about the person behind the practitioner, and thank you for being part of our first year. 👉 Learn more about our CCPT training programs and join our free community forum, links in the show notes. This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not provide therapeutic advice. Listening does not create a client-therapist relationship.

  8. Jul 23

    Episode 49- A Milestone Episode

    🎉 Happy 1st Birthday, Play Therapy Circle! + Our First-Ever Conference It's officially been 12 months since The Play Therapy Circle podcast began and in this special milestone episode, host Kylie Ellison (therapist, clinical supervisor, and play therapy trainer) is celebrating with a shorter, more personal episode recorded on the run between training sessions. In this episode, Kylie reflects on:🎙️ A whirlwind first year - reaching listeners in 72 countries every week via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and beyond💚 Why she started the podcast: to represent Australia in the Child-Centred Play Therapy (CCPT) space and share her passion for this work with the wider community🌏 Gratitude for the incredible global community that has grown around the show, including regular listeners from the US, UK, Ireland, Germany, and New Zealand📈 Landing in the top 25% of podcasts worldwide by the end of last year🤝 The privilege of connecting with supervisees and practitioners navigating the challenges of play therapy work✨ Why she believes anyone doing this hard, emotional work needs to know: you are not alone, and what you do matters 🎊 Big News: Our First-Ever Conference! Kylie announces the very first Play Therapy Circle Conference, a two-day, in-person event this October at The Ridges, South Bank, Brisbane, featuring the incredible Dr. Jodie Mullen (Kylie's own clinical supervisor and a recent podcast guest). Expect sessions on working with parents, compassion fatigue, and burnout, plus the chance to connect with fellow CCPT practitioners from around the world. 🎁 Win a Free Ticket!Head to our Instagram or Facebook (@ThePlayTherapyCirclePodcast), follow along, and tag a friend or colleague in our pinned "Win a Free Ticket" post to enter. Tag as many people as you like for multiple entries! Can't make it in person? Stay tuned — recordings will be made available. Whether you've been with us since day one or just found the show, thank you for being part of this community. Here's to the next 12 months of CCPT conversations, connection, and growth. 💛 Follow, share, and leave a review to help others find the circle.📍 Play Therapy Circle Conference 2026 - Kylie Ellison Therapy & Training This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not provide therapeutic advice. All views expressed are Kylie's own; any case examples shared have been de-identified to protect privacy.

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About

Hosted by therapist and trainer Kylie Ellison, this podcast explores the heart of Child-Centred Play Therapy and the healing power of play. Each episode offers thoughtful reflections and practical insights for play therapists, students, and caregivers supporting children’s emotional wellbeing. ✨ Join the community: https://mailchi.mp/playtherapycircle.com/play-therapy-circle ✨ Podcast subscriptions: https://kylieellison.com.au/ptcsub

Information

  • Creator
    Kylie Ellison
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    59
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Kylie Ellison
  • Show Website
    The Play Therapy Circle

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