December 17, 2024 • 13 mins
In this episode of the Play Therapy Podcast, I share a collection of inspiring emails from therapists, parents, and listeners who have fallen in love with child-centered play therapy (CCPT). These stories highlight the powerful transformations happening in children, families, and the play therapy community worldwide. From parents finding hope and connection with their children, to therapists passionately advocating for CCPT in their practice, these emails demonstrate how CCPT is creating meaningful change.
I reflect on how children’s mental health needs are greater than ever and how CCPT is becoming a tidal wave of support, healing, and growth. As we head into the new year, I hope these stories encourage and remind you of the incredible impact CCPT has, one therapeutic hour at a time. Together, we’re changing the world, one child at a time.
Sign up for my exclusive newsletter at playtherapynow.com. Stay ahead with the latest CCPT CEU courses, personalized coaching opportunities and other opportunities you need to thrive in your CCPT practice!
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.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
You're listening to the Play Therapy Podcast with Dr. Brenna Hicks,
your source for centered and focused play therapy coaching.
Hi,
I'm Dr. Brenna Hicks,
The Kid Counselor.
This is the Play Therapy Podcast where you get
a master class in child-centered play therapy
and practical support and application for your
work with children and their families.
In today's episode,
(00:20):
I am going to share
some emails with you all.
I know every once in a while I will read
a story from the playroom or I'll read something to encourage you,
but
I've been receiving so many lately.
That I realized
I wanted you all to hear a little bit about what's going on
(00:40):
in the world
related to people falling in love with CCPT
and the impact that it's having and the change that it is creating
and the outcomes
that
are shared with me but not necessarily conveyed to you all
and I truly.
I view this in light of we're all in this together,
(01:03):
and although I'm the one that people send emails to,
I think that this is for all of us,
not just for me.
So I'm not going to share names or locations on
this because some of these I have not gotten permission
to read the entire email.
So to protect people who have emailed me,
I'm only going to read portions of the emails without names or locations.
(01:26):
But I just want to share some
thoughts that have been sent to me
to encourage you all
and to help you understand that
this is so much bigger than us
and
there is such incredible
change and meaningful significant work happening around the world
that it's something that we can celebrate and as the year
(01:48):
is coming to a close and we're ready to start 2025.
Wanted to just give you something to
celebrate and get excited about.
And we'll kind of
have these little moments to share together.
So,
as mentioned,
I'm just going to read portions from emails,
so I will let you know when I'm switching to a new one,
but won't be able to give you more details than that.
(02:09):
I've been recommended by
my daughter's new play therapist to your podcast.
I have recently felt at a loss of what I can do to help myself become a better parent.
I've reached my limit on self-researched and recommended books,
info,
podcasts,
and was looking for more and to dive deeper after
a few new issues have been arising with my daughter.
(02:32):
I never normally care about people's opinions on my parenting,
but I've been getting a lot of comments lately about how my daughter
had acted like a teenager for 2 years and counting.
By this they meant moody,
yelling,
lashing out,
rolling eyes,
sarcasm,
negativity,
and low self-esteem.
I stumbled on a pamphlet for a play therapist in our small town,
(02:53):
and after the initial parent consult,
I was given tips to use right now,
even ahead of the first appointment.
I knew this is exactly what I'd been looking for,
and I was so excited there was a podcast linked to the teachings.
So far I'm roughly 20 episodes in starting from the start,
and I feel so much relief and so many light bulb moments already.
(03:13):
I'm frantically making notes as I listen and I'm
already across the foundations and the four pillars.
My partner is listening now too,
so that he can catch up.
I have so much tweaking to do.
I just wanted to say that this information is life changing for me
as my daughter and my relationship has become very fractured this year.
So thank you so much for what you are doing
(03:35):
and making such an impact in our lives already,
and we haven't even had our first official session with the play therapist yet.
I will keep you updated with our progress.
If that doesn't make you excited,
oh my gosh.
Haven't even had a first session yet,
and there's already a sense of hope and transformation,
which is exactly what we're always trying to do
(03:56):
to support parents in the process.
OK,
here's another one.
I've been listening to both your
parenting podcast and your Play Therapy Podcast,
and I'm going through it all and even going back and relistening to episodes
that I really want to absorb.
I'm an educator and a parent of an autistic
child that was harmed by the public school system.
We have no openings for play therapists where I live,
(04:19):
so I decided to dive in and learn all about it on my own.
I was pleased to learn that I was already using most
of the tactics you teach about in my interactions with him,
but was glad to hear specific ways to tweak what I was doing.
My son has grown so much with these methods,
still has a ways to go.
He went back to public school at his own request
this year and has recently been processing more of his trauma from two years ago.
(04:45):
The school is not keen on a CCPT approach.
But I'm working to educate them as much as they will allow.
We have a meeting coming up,
so fingers crossed.
Parents are now becoming CCPT advocates for their children in the school system.
That is so exciting.
(05:05):
OK,
here's another one.
This is actually in response to
an episode that I recorded,
so I received a question.
I responded in the podcast and then got this email as a result.
Hi,
Doctor Brenna,
thank you for taking the time to respond and record the podcast episode.
We have seen success already with this approach
(05:27):
and can't wait to continue using it.
That's from a parent
that was given CCPT
tips.
Here's
something else that was shared with me.
I've been reflecting on some of the teachings I've been engaging with recently,
and I wanted to share my thoughts.
I watched the filial teaching and the Hope Children's Home teaching.
(05:50):
I found it so valuable in terms of what I'm learning and
how it's helping me to better articulate these concepts to teachers.
One thing that stood out to me was the
faith context you mentioned at the Children's Home.
You shared how this model aligns with biblical principles.
And I found that interesting.
It resonated deeply with me because so much of what I love about this approach
(06:11):
is how it aligns with what I know of God.
And I've had so many people reach out to me
with a faith background
that share those same thoughts
that it just makes sense
and in context of their understanding of faith,
it resonates deeply and
I've had a lot of people share things with that with me lately.
(06:35):
OK,
this might be my favorite one.
Hello from
undisclosed place.
I thought you would appreciate this little story as I am a devoted follower of yours.
I have a 3 and a half year old daughter and a 1 year old son.
I was watching them play together from our baby camera
and my son struggled to climb up on her bed.
(06:55):
I heard her say to him,
You can do it.
Keep trying.
He successfully did it,
and they both clapped,
and she said,
You kept trying and you did it.
I had tears in my eyes as I realized she is repeating exactly what I say to her.
Thank you for all your parenting and therapy guidance.
I listened to both.
(07:16):
That is so special when kids start to use CCPT language
amongst themselves because it's been so absorbed
and so much a part of their world.
OK,
and then last one.
Hi,
Brenna,
I'm finally on track with your episodes after binge listening for some time.
I remember in one of the episodes,
(07:37):
you said that if Jesus was a child therapist,
he would be a CCPT.
I can actually see it.
I'm at the end of my internship and I am now well known for my passion with kids
and the CCPT model in my department.
How amazing.
Yes,
that is amazing.
And for context for you all,
(07:58):
since I wasn't reading locations,
those were international emails.
So not just from the states,
all over the world,
people
falling in love with CCPT.
And
I,
at the meetups and in the coaching and sometimes
in different conversations,
(08:18):
I reference this being a wave or a movement.
And I don't think that there's any better way to explain
what's happening,
because let's track this a little bit together.
In the last 10 years,
but specifically the last 4 post COVID.
Children's mental health issues have skyrocketed.
(08:39):
And we could spend
days,
weeks probably,
trying to sort out causality there.
My
suspicions are that
it's largely due to
the COVID shutdowns and then
increased screen use and abuse.
But I'm sure there's also familial factors.
I'm sure there's also societal factors,
(09:01):
academic factors,
kids are being forced to grow up too soon,
too fast.
They don't get to play anymore.
I,
I mean,
look,
we could,
we could come up with reasons all day and they'd probably all be relevant.
But we know that kids are hurting more now than ever.
They're struggling more now than ever.
And
we have to
support
children's mental health.
(09:23):
My
vision is a world full of happy kids that become happy adults.
And
in order for us to even consider that a possibility,
we need
early intervention.
So we have an entire
group of children that are needing
support.
(09:44):
And
historically,
we've had a whole field of people that didn't want to work with kids
and didn't know how to work with kids.
And didn't feel equipped or trained to work with kids.
And here's what's happening.
People are falling in love with CCPT.
Because CCPT finds us.
(10:04):
And once it
grabs us,
it doesn't let us go.
And then we're all in.
And what is happening from the emails that I'm getting and
the messages and the texts and everyone that's reaching out,
what I'm
realizing
is that
this is becoming
(10:24):
a force in the field.
And recently someone emailed me and said,
I can't wait to see the wave and then she put tidal wave question mark.
I like to think of it as a tidal wave,
yes.
Why?
Because
it's all consuming
and it's taking over,
and it's exactly what we need as a field.
(10:45):
It's what children need,
it's what families need.
I have had people say,
I want to reach a point
where every time someone mentions play therapy,
everyone knows what it is.
I never want to have to answer the question again.
What's that?
When I say that I'm a play therapist.
(11:05):
And that's exactly where we're moving.
I see it.
So I wanted to share some of these stories and this was from therapists,
this was from parents,
this was from
just podcast listeners
all over people are falling in love with CCPT
and seeing
what it does.
What
(11:25):
changes emerge and what growth and healing takes place.
It is incredible
to know that kids all day,
every day,
all around the world and their parents and the therapists.
They're all
seeing CCPT work.
So I hope that that is an encouragement to you.
I hope that it
(11:47):
reminds you of
why we're doing what we're doing
and that it sparks some
passion as you head into your sessions this week.
I hope that you are
very aware
of the impact that every single moment
that
we're engaged in CCPT has.
(12:08):
It changes us,
it changes kids,
it changes families,
it changes the world.
And
we're meant to be world changers.
I'll,
I'll tell that story on another episode.
I have a story behind the,
the world changer phrase,
so I'll share that at some point,
but we're meant to be world changers.
And it starts
(12:29):
with that 50 minute therapeutic hour in the playroom with
that one kid that you're going to see today.
And that's how we change the world.
So,
I love you all so much.
I hope you're encouraged.
We'll talk again soon.
Bye.
Thank you for listening to the Play Therapy Podcast with Dr.
Brenna Hicks.
For more episodes and resources,
please go to www.playtherapypodcast.com.
You're listening to the Play Therapy Podcast with Dr. Brenna Hicks,
your source for centered and focused play therapy coaching.
Hi,
I'm Dr. Brenna Hicks,
The Kid Counselor.
This is the Play Therapy Podcast where you get
a master class in child-centered play therapy
and practical support and application for your
work with children and their families.
In today's episode,
(00:20):
I am going to share
some emails with you all.
I know every once in a while I will read
a story from the playroom or I'll read something to encourage you,
but
I've been receiving so many lately.
That I realized
I wanted you all to hear a little bit about what's going on
(00:40):
in the world
related to people falling in love with CCPT
and the impact that it's having and the change that it is creating
and the outcomes
that
are shared with me but not necessarily conveyed to you all
and I truly.
I view this in light of we're all in this together,
(01:03):
and although I'm the one that people send emails to,
I think that this is for all of us,
not just for me.
So I'm not going to share names or locations on
this because some of these I have not gotten permission
to read the entire email.
So to protect people who have emailed me,
I'm only going to read portions of the emails without names or locations.
(01:26):
But I just want to share some
thoughts that have been sent to me
to encourage you all
and to help you understand that
this is so much bigger than us
and
there is such incredible
change and meaningful significant work happening around the world
that it's something that we can celebrate and as the year
(01:48):
is coming to a close and we're ready to start 2025.
Wanted to just give you something to
celebrate and get excited about.
And we'll kind of
have these little moments to share together.
So,
as mentioned,
I'm just going to read portions from emails,
so I will let you know when I'm switching to a new one,
but won't be able to give you more details than that.
(02:09):
I've been recommended by
my daughter's new play therapist to your podcast.
I have recently felt at a loss of what I can do to help myself become a better parent.
I've reached my limit on self-researched and recommended books,
info,
podcasts,
and was looking for more and to dive deeper after
a few new issues have been arising with my daughter.
(02:32):
I never normally care about people's opinions on my parenting,
but I've been getting a lot of comments lately about how my daughter
had acted like a teenager for 2 years and counting.
By this they meant moody,
yelling,
lashing out,
rolling eyes,
sarcasm,
negativity,
and low self-esteem.
I stumbled on a pamphlet for a play therapist in our small town,
(02:53):
and after the initial parent consult,
I was given tips to use right now,
even ahead of the first appointment.
I knew this is exactly what I'd been looking for,
and I was so excited there was a podcast linked to the teachings.
So far I'm roughly 20 episodes in starting from the start,
and I feel so much relief and so many light bulb moments already.
(03:13):
I'm frantically making notes as I listen and I'm
already across the foundations and the four pillars.
My partner is listening now too,
so that he can catch up.
I have so much tweaking to do.
I just wanted to say that this information is life changing for me
as my daughter and my relationship has become very fractured this year.
So thank you so much for what you are doing
(03:35):
and making such an impact in our lives already,
and we haven't even had our first official session with the play therapist yet.
I will keep you updated with our progress.
If that doesn't make you excited,
oh my gosh.
Haven't even had a first session yet,
and there's already a sense of hope and transformation,
which is exactly what we're always trying to do
(03:56):
to support parents in the process.
OK,
here's another one.
I've been listening to both your
parenting podcast and your Play Therapy Podcast,
and I'm going through it all and even going back and relistening to episodes
that I really want to absorb.
I'm an educator and a parent of an autistic
child that was harmed by the public school system.
We have no openings for play therapists where I live,
(04:19):
so I decided to dive in and learn all about it on my own.
I was pleased to learn that I was already using most
of the tactics you teach about in my interactions with him,
but was glad to hear specific ways to tweak what I was doing.
My son has grown so much with these methods,
still has a ways to go.
He went back to public school at his own request
this year and has recently been processing more of his trauma from two years ago.
(04:45):
The school is not keen on a CCPT approach.
But I'm working to educate them as much as they will allow.
We have a meeting coming up,
so fingers crossed.
Parents are now becoming CCPT advocates for their children in the school system.
That is so exciting.
(05:05):
OK,
here's another one.
This is actually in response to
an episode that I recorded,
so I received a question.
I responded in the podcast and then got this email as a result.
Hi,
Doctor Brenna,
thank you for taking the time to respond and record the podcast episode.
We have seen success already with this approach
(05:27):
and can't wait to continue using it.
That's from a parent
that was given CCPT
tips.
Here's
something else that was shared with me.
I've been reflecting on some of the teachings I've been engaging with recently,
and I wanted to share my thoughts.
I watched the filial teaching and the Hope Children's Home teaching.
(05:50):
I found it so valuable in terms of what I'm learning and
how it's helping me to better articulate these concepts to teachers.
One thing that stood out to me was the
faith context you mentioned at the Children's Home.
You shared how this model aligns with biblical principles.
And I found that interesting.
It resonated deeply with me because so much of what I love about this approach
(06:11):
is how it aligns with what I know of God.
And I've had so many people reach out to me
with a faith background
that share those same thoughts
that it just makes sense
and in context of their understanding of faith,
it resonates deeply and
I've had a lot of people share things with that with me lately.
(06:35):
OK,
this might be my favorite one.
Hello from
undisclosed place.
I thought you would appreciate this little story as I am a devoted follower of yours.
I have a 3 and a half year old daughter and a 1 year old son.
I was watching them play together from our baby camera
and my son struggled to climb up on her bed.
(06:55):
I heard her say to him,
You can do it.
Keep trying.
He successfully did it,
and they both clapped,
and she said,
You kept trying and you did it.
I had tears in my eyes as I realized she is repeating exactly what I say to her.
Thank you for all your parenting and therapy guidance.
I listened to both.
(07:16):
That is so special when kids start to use CCPT language
amongst themselves because it's been so absorbed
and so much a part of their world.
OK,
and then last one.
Hi,
Brenna,
I'm finally on track with your episodes after binge listening for some time.
I remember in one of the episodes,
(07:37):
you said that if Jesus was a child therapist,
he would be a CCPT.
I can actually see it.
I'm at the end of my internship and I am now well known for my passion with kids
and the CCPT model in my department.
How amazing.
Yes,
that is amazing.
And for context for you all,
(07:58):
since I wasn't reading locations,
those were international emails.
So not just from the states,
all over the world,
people
falling in love with CCPT.
And
I,
at the meetups and in the coaching and sometimes
in different conversations,
(08:18):
I reference this being a wave or a movement.
And I don't think that there's any better way to explain
what's happening,
because let's track this a little bit together.
In the last 10 years,
but specifically the last 4 post COVID.
Children's mental health issues have skyrocketed.
(08:39):
And we could spend
days,
weeks probably,
trying to sort out causality there.
My
suspicions are that
it's largely due to
the COVID shutdowns and then
increased screen use and abuse.
But I'm sure there's also familial factors.
I'm sure there's also societal factors,
(09:01):
academic factors,
kids are being forced to grow up too soon,
too fast.
They don't get to play anymore.
I,
I mean,
look,
we could,
we could come up with reasons all day and they'd probably all be relevant.
But we know that kids are hurting more now than ever.
They're struggling more now than ever.
And
we have to
support
children's mental health.
(09:23):
My
vision is a world full of happy kids that become happy adults.
And
in order for us to even consider that a possibility,
we need
early intervention.
So we have an entire
group of children that are needing
support.
(09:44):
And
historically,
we've had a whole field of people that didn't want to work with kids
and didn't know how to work with kids.
And didn't feel equipped or trained to work with kids.
And here's what's happening.
People are falling in love with CCPT.
Because CCPT finds us.
(10:04):
And once it
grabs us,
it doesn't let us go.
And then we're all in.
And what is happening from the emails that I'm getting and
the messages and the texts and everyone that's reaching out,
what I'm
realizing
is that
this is becoming
(10:24):
a force in the field.
And recently someone emailed me and said,
I can't wait to see the wave and then she put tidal wave question mark.
I like to think of it as a tidal wave,
yes.
Why?
Because
it's all consuming
and it's taking over,
and it's exactly what we need as a field.
(10:45):
It's what children need,
it's what families need.
I have had people say,
I want to reach a point
where every time someone mentions play therapy,
everyone knows what it is.
I never want to have to answer the question again.
What's that?
When I say that I'm a play therapist.
(11:05):
And that's exactly where we're moving.
I see it.
So I wanted to share some of these stories and this was from therapists,
this was from parents,
this was from
just podcast listeners
all over people are falling in love with CCPT
and seeing
what it does.
What
(11:25):
changes emerge and what growth and healing takes place.
It is incredible
to know that kids all day,
every day,
all around the world and their parents and the therapists.
They're all
seeing CCPT work.
So I hope that that is an encouragement to you.
I hope that it
(11:47):
reminds you of
why we're doing what we're doing
and that it sparks some
passion as you head into your sessions this week.
I hope that you are
very aware
of the impact that every single moment
that
we're engaged in CCPT has.
(12:08):
It changes us,
it changes kids,
it changes families,
it changes the world.
And
we're meant to be world changers.
I'll,
I'll tell that story on another episode.
I have a story behind the,
the world changer phrase,
so I'll share that at some point,
but we're meant to be world changers.
And it starts
(12:29):
with that 50 minute therapeutic hour in the playroom with
that one kid that you're going to see today.
And that's how we change the world.
So,
I love you all so much.
I hope you're encouraged.
We'll talk again soon.
Bye.
Thank you for listening to the Play Therapy Podcast with Dr.
Brenna Hicks.
For more episodes and resources,
please go to www.playtherapypodcast.com.
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