CCPT Purism (New Series): How Rogers Broke the Rules—And Changed Child-Centered Play Therapy Forever

Mar 4, 2025

In this episode, I kick off a brand new series: CCPT Purism—a deep dive into what it truly means to be a pure Child-Centered Play Therapist. I’ve seen a growing trend where therapists think they are practicing CCPT, but in reality, they’ve drifted from full adherence to the model. This series is about going back to the foundations—understanding where CCPT came from, why it matters, and how to ensure we are practicing in full alignment with its core principles.

We start by looking at Carl Rogers and his revolutionary shift from psychoanalytic and behavioral approaches to person-centered therapy. Rogers’ belief in self-actualization, client autonomy, and the healing power of the therapeutic relationship paved the way for CCPT. I explore how these core ideas challenged traditional therapy and why our role is not to fix, direct, or control—but to provide a space where healing naturally unfolds.

Episode References:

Rogers, C. R. (1951). Client-Centered Therapy: Its Current Practice, Implications, and Theory. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
Rogers, C. R. (1961). On Becoming a Person: A Therapist’s View of Psychotherapy. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
Rogers, C. R. (1980). A Way of Being. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
Kirschenbaum, H., & Henderson, V. L. (Eds.). (1990). The Carl Rogers Reader. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
Thorne, B. (1992). Carl Rogers (Key Figures in Counselling and Psychotherapy series). London: Sage Publications.
Carl Rogers Biography – Person Centred Therapy. (n.d.). Counselling Tutor. Retrieved from https://counsellingtutor.com/biography-of-carl-rogers/
Carl Rogers’ Theory. (n.d.). Counselling Tutor. Retrieved from https://counsellingtutor.com/counselling-approaches/person-centred-approach-to-counselling/carl-rogers-theory/

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Ask Me Questions: Call ‪(813) 812-5525‬, or email: [email protected]
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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.

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