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 trust in the relationship. He wants to believe the therapist genuinely enjoys being with him, but his own view of himself makes that difficult to accept.
I also explore an important balance in CCPT: remaining adherent without becoming unnatural in the playroom. Sometimes reflecting content is enough; other times, a simple statement of fact or relational truth—"I'm here playing with you" or "I like spending time with you"—allows us to respond genuinely without taking over the conversation or rescuing the child from their feelings. The key is understanding why the child is asking and responding to the deeper work rather than getting caught up in the literal question.
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Mentioned in the episode: The Happily Ever Asperger is now available in the Amazon bookstore. Click here to order your copy.
New Resource for Play Therapists: The Parent Companion for Play Therapy is now available at author pricing for therapists. Created specifically to help parents better understand the child-centered play therapy process, this book is designed to support parent engagement, improve buy-in, and reduce attrition throughout the therapeutic journey. As a listener of the Play Therapy Podcast, you can order a copy for just $8 (our cost plus shipping).
Click here to order your author-priced copy. ** Limit 1 per therapist, offer valid in the Continental U.S. only.
Order copies for your practice and save with discounted bulk pricing. Bulk ordering makes it easy to place Parent Companion for Play Therapy directly into the hands of the parents you serve.
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.
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APT Approved Play Therapy CE courses: https://childcenteredtraining.com
Common References:
Landreth, G.L. (2023). Play Therapy: The Art of the Relationship (4th ed.). Routledge.
Landreth, G.L., & Bratton, S.C. (2019). Child-Parent Relationship Therapy (CPRT): An Evidence-Based 10-Session Filial Therapy Model (2nd ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315537948
Benedict, Helen. Themes in Play Therapy. Used with permission to Heartland Play Therapy Institute.