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Latest podcast episodes
331 | Art of the Session: The ACT of Setting Limits
In this episode of the Art of the Session series, I walk through one of the trickiest and frequently rushed CCPT skills: limit setting. We revisit why going back to the basics is so important—because true mastery lives there. I explain the ACT formula (Acknowledge,...
330 | From Over-Attachment to Avoidance: Making Sense of Child Responses in CCPT
In this episode, I respond to a listener question that highlights two very different—but equally important—play therapy dynamics. One child clings to the therapist immediately, handcuffing herself to me in the first session and refusing to leave in the second. Another...
329 | Art of the Session: Empowerment Through Choice Giving
In this episode of the Art of the Session series, I focus on the second pillar of CCPT: choice giving. While limit-setting often leads to enforcement choices, empowerment choices are much rarer—and very powerful. Empowerment choices allow children to practice making...
328 | When They Want It Left Just the Way It Was – Permanence Response in CCPT
In this episode, I respond to a listener question about how to handle situations where children want their creations or work in the playroom to remain untouched between sessions. Whether it’s a LEGO build, a coloring page, or a carefully constructed scene, children...
327 | Art of the Session: Reflecting Feelings with Effectiveness and Precision in CCPT
In this episode of the Art of the Session series, I walk through one of the most important and most underutilized CCPT skills: reflecting feelings. Despite its central role in both the reflective responses and the four pillars of CCPT, reflecting feelings is...
326 | Setting Up for Success: HTP Assessments and the Glue Dilemma in CCPT
In this Q&A episode, I answer two questions from Mara in North Carolina—one about the House-Tree-Person drawing assessment and one about the use of consumables like glue and paint in the playroom. I clarify when the HTP assessment is developmentally appropriate...
325 | Art of the Session: Why Reflecting Content Keeps You Engaged Without Taking Over
In this episode of the Art of the Session series, I focus on the skill of Reflecting Content—what it is, when to use it, and how to do it well. Reflecting content helps us stay connected and engaged in the session even when we’re not active participants in the child’s...
324 | Art of the Session: Tracking Behavior—The Skill You Can Always Use In Any Given Moment
In this episode of the Art of the Session series, I focus on one of the most foundational yet misunderstood CCPT skills: tracking behavior. I explain what it is, when to use it, and why it matters—even when it seems like “nothing is happening” in the playroom. I walk...
323 | What to Do When Time Is Up But the Child Isn’t Regulated Yet
In this episode, I respond to a question from Crystal, a school-based clinician in Minnesota, about how to end sessions when a child is emotionally dysregulated. Especially in settings like schools, where transitions can be abrupt and expectations are high, it can be...
322 | Art of the Session: The CCPT Therapist’s Shortlist—11 Responses That Work In Any Given Moment In A Session
In this Art of the Session episode, I walk through one of the most empowering and clarifying truths about CCPT: there’s a finite list of responses we use in session—and mastering those is enough. I outline what I consider to be the 11 foundational responses we pull...
321 | Managing Repetitive, Attention-Seeking Behaviors in the Playroom: Staying Neutral in CCPT
In this episode, I answer a unique and surprisingly common question from Zoe in Texas: what do you do when a child in CCPT is consistently farting in session—and seems to be doing it on purpose? We unpack how repetitive, attention-seeking behaviors like this often...
320 | Art of the Session: The Exact Words You Say When Entering the Playroom
In this episode of the Art of the Session series, I focus on a key moment that sets the tone for every CCPT session: the exact phrase you say when entering the playroom. While it may seem like a small detail, how we introduce the session either preserves or undermines...
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