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Play Therapy Podcast

Play Therapy Podcast

By: Dr. Brenna Hicks
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Your source for centered and focused Play Therapy coaching.© 2023 Education
Episodes
  • E213 | CCPT Mindset: The Final Mindset Shift…From Doing CCPT to Being CCPT
    Jun 20 2025

    In 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 “do it right” in session—say the right thing, follow the right steps, get the right outcome—keeps us stuck in a performance mindset that actually undermines the very heart of the model.

    Instead, I walk through what a being posture looks and feels like in the playroom: calm, grounded, attuned, and fully present. I talk about how our presence—more than our techniques—is the true intervention in CCPT. This episode is an invitation to reflect on how we show up with children and how we care for ourselves so that who we are supports healing, growth, and authentic relationship.

    PlayTherapyNow.com is my HUB for everything I do! playtherapynow.com. Sign up for my email newsletter, stay ahead with the latest CCPT CEU courses, personalized coaching opportunities and other opportunities you need to thrive in your CCPT practice. If you click one link in these show notes, this is the one to click!

    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

    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. (2023). Play Therapy: The Art of the Relationship (4th ed.). 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.

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    16 mins
  • 311 | Two Questions, One Answer: Trust the Process in Child-Centered Play Therapy
    Jun 17 2025

    In 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 the competence theme and why it’s important not to jump to conclusions until patterns emerge across sessions. I also highlight how subtle shifts—like reduced time spent with slime or changes in how it's used—can signal important progress.

    The second question is about when (or if) we refer a child out to other modalities like EMDR or ERP for phobias or trauma. I walk through my thinking on when to refer, how to manage parallel therapies ethically, and why CCPT is effective for both trauma and phobias—without needing specialized toys or supplemental approaches. This episode is all about staying grounded in the model, trusting the child, and letting CCPT do the work it's meant to do.

    PlayTherapyNow.com is my HUB for everything I do! playtherapynow.com. Sign up for my email newsletter, stay ahead with the latest CCPT CEU courses, personalized coaching opportunities and other opportunities you need to thrive in your CCPT practice. If you click one link in these show notes, this is the one to click!

    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

    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. (2023). Play Therapy: The Art of the Relationship (4th ed.). 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.

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    10 mins
  • 310 | CCPT With Toddlers and Preschoolers: What Changes and What Doesn’t
    Jun 13 2025

    In 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 five. I share what you can expect when seeing toddlers and preschoolers in the playroom, including how their play differs, what sessions often look like, and how the process tends to unfold at a much faster pace.

    I also talk through common concerns like session length, speech challenges, attachment to caregivers, and the tendency toward repetitive play. While the CCPT model stays the same, younger clients show us the power of the process in a condensed and accelerated form. This episode is a great resource for anyone working with—or considering taking on—younger kids in the playroom.

    PlayTherapyNow.com is my HUB for everything I do! playtherapynow.com. Sign up for my email newsletter, stay ahead with the latest CCPT CEU courses, personalized coaching opportunities and other opportunities you need to thrive in your CCPT practice. If you click one link in these show notes, this is the one to click!

    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

    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. (2023). Play Therapy: The Art of the Relationship (4th ed.). 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.

    Show More Show Less
    9 mins
All stars
Most relevant  
I’m a mental health therapist and manage other therapist. I promote child-led and direct all my staff to this podcasts. The only issues I have if the fairly frequent mention of God and Christianity, although this isn’t directly related to being a play therapist.

Life changing

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Excellent resource for play therapists. I use a sandtray in my room and it’s difficult to get much useful info about possible interpretations of play in it. The podcast has been valuable in this sense.

Newly qualified play therapist

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