Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in Child-Centered Play Therapy

In this episode, I answer a question about one of the more delicate aspects of child-centered play therapy: how do we protect a child's confidentiality while reassuring parents who are worried about being kept in the dark? When a child shares something significant with their therapist but hasn't told their parents, it's understandable that parents may feel hurt, confused, or concerned. I explain why we need to establish clear expectations from the very beginning about what we can and cannot disclose, including the distinction between discussing broad themes and progress versus revealing the specific details of a child's play or conversations. I also address mandatory reporting and how I approach communicating with parents when a report is required.
I also explore something that can completely change the way parents understand confidentiality: children often withhold information because they're trying to protect the people they love. When children sense that their sadness, fear, anger, or anxiety might overwhelm a parent, they may choose not to share those feelings. As therapists, our neutrality allows children to be vulnerable without worrying about how their emotions will affect us. I share how explaining this dynamic to parents can shift their perspective from feeling excluded or betrayed to appreciating that their child has a safe relationship where they can express what they may not yet feel comfortable sharing at home. Ultimately, protecting confidentiality isn't about keeping secrets from parents—it's about preserving the therapeutic relationship while continuing to partner with families.
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!
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.
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
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.

In this episode, I return to the topic of limit setting, but this time I'm focusing on something even more foundational than the ACT process itself: trust. Drawing from a powerful email from a fellow CCPT and passages from Landreth's Play Therapy: The Art of the Relationship, I explore how our underlying beliefs about children influence every decision we make in the playroom. Do we genuinely believe children are capable, competent, and trustworthy? Or do our reactions, expectations, and anxieties communicate that we don't actually trust them? I explain why limit setting is not simply about establishing boundaries, but about giving children opportunities to experience self-control, responsibility, and the power of their own choices.
I also unpack Landreth's reminder that limits should be delivered calmly, patiently, and with a genuine belief that the child can respond responsibly. When we rush to intervene, become visibly anxious, or try to control the outcome, we may unintentionally communicate that we expect the child to fail. Instead, I challenge therapists to make a deliberate choice to trust children, even when their behavior makes that difficult. Sometimes the most important thing we can do is remain calm, maintain the necessary boundaries, and allow the child to work through the moment. Trust isn't simply something we feel—it's something we choose to demonstrate. And that choice has the power to transform both our clinical practice and the child's experience of the therapeutic 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!
New Live Training Events Announced:
New Jersey registration is open for only a few more days! Go to iamccpt.live for more information.
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.
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
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.

In this episode, I answer a question about the growing use of artificial intelligence in therapy, particularly AI tools that record sessions and automatically generate clinical notes. As more employers encourage therapists to adopt these technologies, I explore the ethical concerns surrounding confidentiality, informed consent, data security, and the child's ability to understand what is being recorded and how that information might be used. I explain why parental consent doesn't necessarily resolve these concerns and why we need to carefully consider whether the convenience AI offers therapists justifies the potential risks to children.
I also discuss a concern that is particularly important for CCPT: children communicate through their play, not primarily through conversation. An AI-generated transcript cannot adequately capture the symbolic and thematic significance of what happens in the playroom, and therapists may inadvertently begin changing their reflective responses to provide the AI with more context. That creates a direct threat to fidelity and adherence. Ultimately, I challenge therapists to consider whether AI belongs in the playroom at all. Just because technology makes something possible doesn't mean it is appropriate, necessary, or beneficial to the therapeutic process.
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!
New Live Training Events Announced:
New Jersey & Tampa dates are locked in and registration is open for New Jersey. Go to iamccpt.live for more information.
New Podcast Meetup:
Scotch Plains, New Jersey. October 18th, 2026 @ 11am (local time). Go to https://iamccpt.live/meetup/ for more information.
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.
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
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.

In this episode, I focus on a deceptively simple part of what it means to let the child lead in child-centered play therapy: the floor belongs to the child. Landreth is clear that when therapists automatically sit on the floor, children may interpret that as an expectation that we want to be included in their play—even when they never intended to invite us. I explain why we should begin each session in a consistent place off the floor and wait for the child to invite us into that space. The floor is the child's territory, and respecting that boundary preserves their autonomy and keeps us from subtly influencing where their play goes.
I also explain why I advocate for a low, rolling, spinning chair or stool in the CCPT playroom. It allows us to remain physically close, engaged, mobile, and at the child's level without inserting ourselves into their space. When the child says, "Come sit here," hands us a puppet, or assigns us a role, we absolutely join them—but participation happens at the child's direction or invitation. This is one of those small details of CCPT that reveals just how intentional the model really is: letting the child lead includes allowing the child to decide when we enter their world.
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!
New Live Training Events Announced:
New Jersey & Tampa dates are locked in and registration is open for New Jersey. Go to iamccpt.live for more information.
New Podcast Meetup:
Scotch Plains, New Jersey. October 18th, 2026 @ 11am (local time). Go to https://iamccpt.live/meetup/ for more information.
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.
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
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.

In this episode, I answer a question about a familiar playroom dynamic: the child who constantly wants the therapist to guess. "Guess what I ate for lunch." "Guess what I built." "You have three guesses for what I did yesterday." I explain why these interactions can serve several different purposes, including connection, self-esteem, and power and control. In this particular case, the child's insistence on making the therapist guess appears largely driven by the experience of knowing something the therapist doesn't know—giving the child temporary power, control, and authority within the relationship.
I also walk through the delicate CCPT dance of responding without either immediately playing the guessing game or awkwardly refusing to engage. Simply reflecting over and over can create a reverse power struggle, so I share practical ways to "hem and haw," ask for clues, engage enough to honor the child's need, and—when necessary—offer a reasonable guess without taking over the interaction. This is one of those nuanced moments where adherence isn't about mechanically applying a skill; it's about understanding the why behind the child's behavior and responding in a way that remains genuinely child-centered.
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!
New Live Training Events Announced:
New Jersey & Tampa dates are locked in and registration is open for New Jersey. Go to iamccpt.live for more information.
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.
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
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.