In this episode of the CCPT Purism series, I take you through the foundational role of Virginia Axline in translating Carl Rogers’ person-centered theory into what we now know as Child-Centered Play Therapy. Axline worked closely with Rogers and applied his concepts to children by introducing her Eight Principles of Non-Directive Play Therapy—a philosophy describing how we show up and relate to children in session, not a list of techniques or tools.
I briefly walk through each of Axline’s eight principles, highlight their connections to Rogers’ core conditions, and explain how they continue to shape our model today. This episode is a reminder that CCPT isn’t something we do—it’s a way of being, requiring trust in the child, a release of control, and an unwavering presence. If you practice CCPT, you’re not just using Axline’s methods—you’re carrying on her legacy.
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!
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 masterclass in child-centered play therapy
and practical support and application for your
work with children and their families.
In today's episode,
(00:20):
we are continuing in our CCPT purism series.
And we're going to dive into
how we went from Rogers
into what we know today as CCPT,
which is through Virginia Axline.
But before we get into that,
I want to give a little shout out.
I just yesterday graduated another group
(00:42):
out of the Play Therapy Professional program
and
so excited for them,
their confidence and their communication.
And their efficacy just wanted to say congratulations
to my newest Play Therapy Professional graduates,
and there's just been such a transformation to watch and it's been such a joy,
and they're all saying that they want to keep going for another 6 months.
(01:05):
So
I don't know what that's gonna look like,
but anyway,
congrats to y'all and.
It's
one of my favorite things.
I,
I have a lot of favorite things these days,
but
podcasting is definitely one of them,
and then the Collective is one of them,
and then my coaching groups,
so
excited for
new graduates.
OK,
so last episode,
(01:26):
we
looked at
the core conditions
and the actualizing tendency.
And we looked at how that crossed over.
And
we've been following Roger's influence,
and now we're moving into Axline.
So here's what you need to know.
Axline
(01:47):
was the pioneer who brought Roger's person-centered play therapy
into the playroom.
And essentially gave us
the earliest version of what we know now
as CCPT.
So let's go back to look at her backstory,
and then we'll look at how
(02:07):
this actually practically speaking,
took place.
So she actually worked closely with Rogers at Ohio State.
And then at the University of Chicago as well.
And she had an interesting background.
She came from education
and psychology.
I know many of you all have a background in education,
(02:28):
so that's actually a pretty consistent path,
but it uniquely positioned her.
To take Roger's work
and modify it for children.
She published two landmark works,
which I own both,
so should you.
They're out of print,
but you can get them used.
(02:48):
She published Play Therapy
in 1947.
Which,
by the way,
just pause there,
that's
2 years after the World War.
And
we're looking at a really interesting scenario for her to have published that in 47.
And then she published Dibs In Search of Self in '64.
(03:11):
And
Dibs is,
gosh,
a groundbreaking book.
Every play therapist should read it.
It,
Dibs was a real child,
and it looked at
specific sessions
with Dibs.
As an example of what CCPT looks like
(03:33):
in a playroom.
That book
changed my life legitimately.
I,
I still
look at it every once in a while.
That
is an incredible book to own and to read.
Probably once a year.
You should probably read it every year.
OK,
so then.
Axline took
(03:53):
person centered therapy approaches.
And
created 8 principles.
Of non-directive play therapy.
So this is originally published in her 1947 work.
And essentially,
here's what you need to know about these principles.
I actually encourage you to memorize them,
but if you don't memorize them,
(04:14):
here's what you need to know about their function.
It
explained
how a therapist shows up
in the playroom.
That's really what these 8 principles are all about.
How a play therapist shows up
and how
they
participate in the relationship.
It's not about what we do,
(04:36):
it's about how we show up and pour into the relationship.
So I'm going to quickly go through each of the 8.
You should
know them and memorize them yourself.
But we'll hit highlights.
So the first,
the
therapist must develop a warm,
friendly relationship with the child,
in which good rapport established as soon as possible.
(04:57):
OK,
why does this matter?
Because this is essentially the
therapeutic relationship
as the primary vehicle for change,
as Rogers presented.
And the play therapist offers the warm presence
where the child feels emotionally safe.
That that's as simple as it can be.
(05:18):
We're just creating a relationship where the child feels safe.
They'll naturally self-actualize.
It all begins with connection.
OK,
#2,
the therapist accepts the child exactly as they are.
This is essentially unconditional positive regard from Rogers.
The therapist shows up
(05:39):
and
Accepts every bit of the child.
The child's behaviors,
the child's emotions,
the child's personality,
doesn't matter if it's aggressive or whatever.
The,
the child comes,
the therapist accepts the child,
no matter what.
This allows the child to be authentic.
(05:59):
And again,
if the child feels safe and can be authentic,
the child will naturally self-actualize.
OK,
#3,
the therapist establishes a feeling of permissiveness in the relationship.
So that the child feels free to express their feelings completely.
Kids will only express
how they really feel
(06:20):
if they know it's safe to do so.
And so basically what's happening in this one,
the play therapist communicates both verbally and nonverbally.
You can feel however you need to feel in here.
And
here's where we get
a lot of barbs thrown at us.
(06:44):
This does not mean
that chaos ensues in the playroom.
It means emotional freedom.
Child,
any feeling is valid.
All feelings are valid.
The child can feel anything.
But there are relational boundaries.
In the way of limits.
(07:05):
But it does not mean chaos.
It does not mean child gets to do whatever child wants.
It does not mean that there are no expectations.
None of those are true.
It just means
that we allow
for the child to feel
anything that they need to feel
because permissiveness is a principle.
(07:26):
Fourth,
the therapist is alert to recognize the feelings the child is expressing.
And reflects those feelings back to the child in such
a way that the child gains insight into their behavior.
This is essentially
empathy.
Empathic understanding
practically applied.
(07:48):
We
track.
Behavior,
we reflect
content,
but we also reflect feelings.
And what that does is it provides meaning
to the child
that they may not have words for that feeling yet.
And
we do not interpret what's going on.
(08:11):
But we just
reflectively respond
in such a way that the child gains clarity on their emotions
and they better understand themselves.
OK,
5th,
the therapist maintains a deep respect for the child's ability to
solve their own problems if given an opportunity to do so.
(08:31):
The responsibility to make choices and institute change is the child's.
This is essentially
communicating
that the child will self-actualize.
And it
believes
that the child has the capacity for growth.
Therefore,
we'd resist the urge to solve problems.
(08:54):
We resist the urge to teach coping skills.
We resist the urge to redirect play.
We trust the process.
And we resist adult-driven
goals.
Why?
Because let's go back to the principle.
We maintain a deep respect for the child's ability to solve their own problems.
(09:17):
We don't need to solve the problems for the child.
This is going straight back to Rogers
when we talked about
the psychoanalysts and the behaviorists.
We just get out of the way
and the child does what the child needs to do.
#6,
the therapist does not attempt to direct
the child's actions or conversation in any manner.
(09:39):
The child leads the way the therapist follows.
The defining feature
of CCPT
is being non-directive.
We don't ask leading questions,
we don't suggest
what the child should do.
We don't
nudge them in a specific direction.
Why?
(10:00):
Because.
We witness what's going on,
we support what's going on.
But we don't lead.
The child is the expert on their own inner world.
So we don't attempt to do anything
other than witness and support
(10:20):
the work that's being done.
#7,
this is,
this is the big one.
The therapist does not hurry the therapy along.
It is a gradual process and it is recognized as such by the therapist.
All right,
we all know what it's like.
We all feel pressure
for progress or outcomes.
(10:42):
Sometimes from within,
sometimes from without,
from stakeholders,
from teachers,
from parents,
from pediatricians,
from judges,
from ourselves,
from whoever.
We all have
this pressure
for progress and outcomes.
And this principle counters
(11:02):
the urge
to do something about that pressure.
Essentially what we're doing is trusting the child's internal timeline.
And we can't measure progress
by external standards.
Because healing happens in the child's time.
(11:23):
So therefore,
we have to honor the process.
And finally,
therapy is limited only by the boundaries required
for the child to feel free and protected.
The child's freedom is restricted only when necessary to protect the child,
others,
or the physical environment.
Structure is important,
(11:44):
safety is important.
Security is important.
But
It must be
minimal,
it must be predictable.
It must be respectful.
And
We understand
that there is only safety and security and structure.
(12:08):
Within boundaries in a relationship.
But
we also know.
That
those boundaries need to be minimal,
predictable,
and respectful.
There's
the fine line.
There's the tightrope
that we find ourselves walking.
(12:28):
Because limits are set only when they're absolutely necessary
in a consistent format.
Right?
3 steps.
Reflect the feeling,
acknowledge what the limit is neutrally,
and then provide choices.
OK,
we know there needs to be structure and safety and security.
We know that sometimes limits are necessary.
(12:50):
But they're minimal,
predictable,
and respectful.
Why?
Because
the therapeutic environment,
specifically the playroom.
It is always intended to be emotionally permissive.
It's always intended to be behaviorally permissive.
While being
physically and relationally safe.
(13:15):
I'm gonna say that again,
because that's,
that's pretty much
a mantra.
So the playroom
is meant to be emotionally permissive
and behaviorally permissive.
While being physically safe and relationally safe.
(13:36):
And that's what the 8th principle is about.
It's about when we need to set limits and how.
All right,
so I told you that was a very brief cliffs notes,
but.
Let's be really clear
on why these eight principles matter.
Not only do they serve as
our guide rails of how to show up.
(13:56):
But these are not techniques.
I,
I want that to be abundantly clear.
These are not techniques.
She was defining
the way of being
with children.
That echoed Roger's principles.
So she took Roger's principles
(14:17):
and defined the way of being
in relation to children.
Just like Rogers defined the way of being with an adult client
in the person centered approach.
And these 8 principles essentially
became the foundation
for CCPT as we know it today.
(14:39):
And here's
in summary what these 8 principles do.
They challenge us as play therapists.
To first trust the child.
Second,
To let go of control.
Yikes,
that's a hard one.
And 3rd,
(14:59):
to show up with presence
instead of agenda.
Those are the three
challenges.
That comes straight out of those eight principles
we trust the child,
we let go of control,
and we show up with presence instead of agenda.
(15:20):
She stayed so true
to Roger's theory.
But translated it
into the world of children.
And
honored the fact that children will play
rather than speak.
So,
what does this mean in
the grand scheme other than we now have
(15:43):
a sense of
the way to be with children.
And
To meet those challenges that we just talked about,
but
you have to keep in mind,
before Axline,
similarly to Rogers,
right?
We looked at psychoanalytic and behaviorists,
that was the standard before Rogers.
Well,
similarly,
child therapy before Axline.
(16:05):
Was either psychoanalytic or behavioral,
but in either case,
they were both highly directive.
So Axline shifts the focus to the child's inner world,
just like Rogers shifted the focus to the adult's inner world.
But
uniquely,
Axline said play
is the medium for growth and healing for children.
(16:27):
And she
fully and wholly trusted and believed
that what Roger said about adults applied equally to children.
And
what,
what did Rogers put out into the world that was so groundbreaking and
such a shift?
Well,
That people need acceptance,
not fixing.
(16:48):
And they grow when they feel safe
and
seen and understood.
And those are true for children as well.
They don't need to be fixed,
they need acceptance.
And they will naturally grow,
become a better version of themselves
if they feel safe in the relationship,
if they feel seen by the
therapist,
(17:09):
and if they feel understood.
So
Axline's legacy.
Essentially laid the groundwork for Landreth and other pioneers to follow.
Her 8 principles are still taught today.
Consistently
Dibs is often the first book that CCPT therapists read.
(17:32):
It was for me.
It was required coursework in my graduate certificate program.
And
it is,
it stands the test of time because it is so helpful to understand what it looks like
with a case that you actually get to follow from beginning to end.
But here's the thing,
her work is often misunderstood.
(17:54):
I,
I want
to pause on this for a second.
A lot of times therapists will read Dibs.
And and see
it as an opportunity to take techniques away.
But here's the thing,
if you take techniques away
without embracing
the non-directive child-centered,
(18:15):
child-led
philosophy behind it.
Then
you're just eclectic.
And Axline was not creating a toolbox.
That's not what her work was about.
She laid a foundation
for a way of being with children.
We talk about that all the time.
(18:36):
This is a way of being.
We don't do this,
we are this.
This is a way of being.
This way of being
requires
presence.
It requires trust.
It requires humility.
That's why CCPT isn't for everyone.
(18:56):
It requires things of us,
and we have to be able to give those things.
So,
here's the takeaway.
You're not just using Axline's techniques.
When you are fully CCPT
you are continuing Axline's legacy.
(19:17):
If you are
CCPT.
You need to understand Axline's
influence,
where this model came from.
Why
the non-directive component matters.
And resist the temptation
to guide or interpret or analyze what's going on.
Why?
(19:37):
Because everything about Axline's work trusted the child.
And we should too.
Yes,
we trust the process all the time,
but we also have to trust the child.
That's,
that's what Axline put out into the world.
Just trust the child.
So I hope that that helps you
(19:58):
see
where we've been.
And next episode,
we're going to look at
Bernard and Louise Guerney.
And how they expanded this model
and brought parents into the process through
filial play therapy,
teaching parents to use CCPT principles with their own children.
(20:18):
So I'd love to hear from you if you have thoughts about this series,
if you have thoughts about
Axline or anything that we've been talking about,
shoot me an email.
I'd love to receive it brenna@thekidcounselor.com.
If you wanna ask me a question,
you can do that.
If you'd like to leave a voicemail for me to answer a question,
you can call 813-812-5525 in the states.
(20:39):
And I love y'all,
and I can't wait to dive into this series more.
Thank you for letting me know that this series is meaningful and helpful to you.
A lot of you have reached out and I appreciate that.
You're why I do this,
so we're,
we're in this CCPT thing together.
Love y'all.
We'll talk again soon.
Bye.
Thank you for listening to the Play Therapy Podcast with Dr.
Brenna Hicks.
(21:00):
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 masterclass in child-centered play therapy
and practical support and application for your
work with children and their families.
In today's episode,
(00:20):
we are continuing in our CCPT purism series.
And we're going to dive into
how we went from Rogers
into what we know today as CCPT,
which is through Virginia Axline.
But before we get into that,
I want to give a little shout out.
I just yesterday graduated another group
(00:42):
out of the Play Therapy Professional program
and
so excited for them,
their confidence and their communication.
And their efficacy just wanted to say congratulations
to my newest Play Therapy Professional graduates,
and there's just been such a transformation to watch and it's been such a joy,
and they're all saying that they want to keep going for another 6 months.
(01:05):
So
I don't know what that's gonna look like,
but anyway,
congrats to y'all and.
It's
one of my favorite things.
I,
I have a lot of favorite things these days,
but
podcasting is definitely one of them,
and then the Collective is one of them,
and then my coaching groups,
so
excited for
new graduates.
OK,
so last episode,
(01:26):
we
looked at
the core conditions
and the actualizing tendency.
And we looked at how that crossed over.
And
we've been following Roger's influence,
and now we're moving into Axline.
So here's what you need to know.
Axline
(01:47):
was the pioneer who brought Roger's person-centered play therapy
into the playroom.
And essentially gave us
the earliest version of what we know now
as CCPT.
So let's go back to look at her backstory,
and then we'll look at how
(02:07):
this actually practically speaking,
took place.
So she actually worked closely with Rogers at Ohio State.
And then at the University of Chicago as well.
And she had an interesting background.
She came from education
and psychology.
I know many of you all have a background in education,
(02:28):
so that's actually a pretty consistent path,
but it uniquely positioned her.
To take Roger's work
and modify it for children.
She published two landmark works,
which I own both,
so should you.
They're out of print,
but you can get them used.
(02:48):
She published Play Therapy
in 1947.
Which,
by the way,
just pause there,
that's
2 years after the World War.
And
we're looking at a really interesting scenario for her to have published that in 47.
And then she published Dibs In Search of Self in '64.
(03:11):
And
Dibs is,
gosh,
a groundbreaking book.
Every play therapist should read it.
It,
Dibs was a real child,
and it looked at
specific sessions
with Dibs.
As an example of what CCPT looks like
(03:33):
in a playroom.
That book
changed my life legitimately.
I,
I still
look at it every once in a while.
That
is an incredible book to own and to read.
Probably once a year.
You should probably read it every year.
OK,
so then.
Axline took
(03:53):
person centered therapy approaches.
And
created 8 principles.
Of non-directive play therapy.
So this is originally published in her 1947 work.
And essentially,
here's what you need to know about these principles.
I actually encourage you to memorize them,
but if you don't memorize them,
(04:14):
here's what you need to know about their function.
It
explained
how a therapist shows up
in the playroom.
That's really what these 8 principles are all about.
How a play therapist shows up
and how
they
participate in the relationship.
It's not about what we do,
(04:36):
it's about how we show up and pour into the relationship.
So I'm going to quickly go through each of the 8.
You should
know them and memorize them yourself.
But we'll hit highlights.
So the first,
the
therapist must develop a warm,
friendly relationship with the child,
in which good rapport established as soon as possible.
(04:57):
OK,
why does this matter?
Because this is essentially the
therapeutic relationship
as the primary vehicle for change,
as Rogers presented.
And the play therapist offers the warm presence
where the child feels emotionally safe.
That that's as simple as it can be.
(05:18):
We're just creating a relationship where the child feels safe.
They'll naturally self-actualize.
It all begins with connection.
OK,
#2,
the therapist accepts the child exactly as they are.
This is essentially unconditional positive regard from Rogers.
The therapist shows up
(05:39):
and
Accepts every bit of the child.
The child's behaviors,
the child's emotions,
the child's personality,
doesn't matter if it's aggressive or whatever.
The,
the child comes,
the therapist accepts the child,
no matter what.
This allows the child to be authentic.
(05:59):
And again,
if the child feels safe and can be authentic,
the child will naturally self-actualize.
OK,
#3,
the therapist establishes a feeling of permissiveness in the relationship.
So that the child feels free to express their feelings completely.
Kids will only express
how they really feel
(06:20):
if they know it's safe to do so.
And so basically what's happening in this one,
the play therapist communicates both verbally and nonverbally.
You can feel however you need to feel in here.
And
here's where we get
a lot of barbs thrown at us.
(06:44):
This does not mean
that chaos ensues in the playroom.
It means emotional freedom.
Child,
any feeling is valid.
All feelings are valid.
The child can feel anything.
But there are relational boundaries.
In the way of limits.
(07:05):
But it does not mean chaos.
It does not mean child gets to do whatever child wants.
It does not mean that there are no expectations.
None of those are true.
It just means
that we allow
for the child to feel
anything that they need to feel
because permissiveness is a principle.
(07:26):
Fourth,
the therapist is alert to recognize the feelings the child is expressing.
And reflects those feelings back to the child in such
a way that the child gains insight into their behavior.
This is essentially
empathy.
Empathic understanding
practically applied.
(07:48):
We
track.
Behavior,
we reflect
content,
but we also reflect feelings.
And what that does is it provides meaning
to the child
that they may not have words for that feeling yet.
And
we do not interpret what's going on.
(08:11):
But we just
reflectively respond
in such a way that the child gains clarity on their emotions
and they better understand themselves.
OK,
5th,
the therapist maintains a deep respect for the child's ability to
solve their own problems if given an opportunity to do so.
(08:31):
The responsibility to make choices and institute change is the child's.
This is essentially
communicating
that the child will self-actualize.
And it
believes
that the child has the capacity for growth.
Therefore,
we'd resist the urge to solve problems.
(08:54):
We resist the urge to teach coping skills.
We resist the urge to redirect play.
We trust the process.
And we resist adult-driven
goals.
Why?
Because let's go back to the principle.
We maintain a deep respect for the child's ability to solve their own problems.
(09:17):
We don't need to solve the problems for the child.
This is going straight back to Rogers
when we talked about
the psychoanalysts and the behaviorists.
We just get out of the way
and the child does what the child needs to do.
#6,
the therapist does not attempt to direct
the child's actions or conversation in any manner.
(09:39):
The child leads the way the therapist follows.
The defining feature
of CCPT
is being non-directive.
We don't ask leading questions,
we don't suggest
what the child should do.
We don't
nudge them in a specific direction.
Why?
(10:00):
Because.
We witness what's going on,
we support what's going on.
But we don't lead.
The child is the expert on their own inner world.
So we don't attempt to do anything
other than witness and support
(10:20):
the work that's being done.
#7,
this is,
this is the big one.
The therapist does not hurry the therapy along.
It is a gradual process and it is recognized as such by the therapist.
All right,
we all know what it's like.
We all feel pressure
for progress or outcomes.
(10:42):
Sometimes from within,
sometimes from without,
from stakeholders,
from teachers,
from parents,
from pediatricians,
from judges,
from ourselves,
from whoever.
We all have
this pressure
for progress and outcomes.
And this principle counters
(11:02):
the urge
to do something about that pressure.
Essentially what we're doing is trusting the child's internal timeline.
And we can't measure progress
by external standards.
Because healing happens in the child's time.
(11:23):
So therefore,
we have to honor the process.
And finally,
therapy is limited only by the boundaries required
for the child to feel free and protected.
The child's freedom is restricted only when necessary to protect the child,
others,
or the physical environment.
Structure is important,
(11:44):
safety is important.
Security is important.
But
It must be
minimal,
it must be predictable.
It must be respectful.
And
We understand
that there is only safety and security and structure.
(12:08):
Within boundaries in a relationship.
But
we also know.
That
those boundaries need to be minimal,
predictable,
and respectful.
There's
the fine line.
There's the tightrope
that we find ourselves walking.
(12:28):
Because limits are set only when they're absolutely necessary
in a consistent format.
Right?
3 steps.
Reflect the feeling,
acknowledge what the limit is neutrally,
and then provide choices.
OK,
we know there needs to be structure and safety and security.
We know that sometimes limits are necessary.
(12:50):
But they're minimal,
predictable,
and respectful.
Why?
Because
the therapeutic environment,
specifically the playroom.
It is always intended to be emotionally permissive.
It's always intended to be behaviorally permissive.
While being
physically and relationally safe.
(13:15):
I'm gonna say that again,
because that's,
that's pretty much
a mantra.
So the playroom
is meant to be emotionally permissive
and behaviorally permissive.
While being physically safe and relationally safe.
(13:36):
And that's what the 8th principle is about.
It's about when we need to set limits and how.
All right,
so I told you that was a very brief cliffs notes,
but.
Let's be really clear
on why these eight principles matter.
Not only do they serve as
our guide rails of how to show up.
(13:56):
But these are not techniques.
I,
I want that to be abundantly clear.
These are not techniques.
She was defining
the way of being
with children.
That echoed Roger's principles.
So she took Roger's principles
(14:17):
and defined the way of being
in relation to children.
Just like Rogers defined the way of being with an adult client
in the person centered approach.
And these 8 principles essentially
became the foundation
for CCPT as we know it today.
(14:39):
And here's
in summary what these 8 principles do.
They challenge us as play therapists.
To first trust the child.
Second,
To let go of control.
Yikes,
that's a hard one.
And 3rd,
(14:59):
to show up with presence
instead of agenda.
Those are the three
challenges.
That comes straight out of those eight principles
we trust the child,
we let go of control,
and we show up with presence instead of agenda.
(15:20):
She stayed so true
to Roger's theory.
But translated it
into the world of children.
And
honored the fact that children will play
rather than speak.
So,
what does this mean in
the grand scheme other than we now have
(15:43):
a sense of
the way to be with children.
And
To meet those challenges that we just talked about,
but
you have to keep in mind,
before Axline,
similarly to Rogers,
right?
We looked at psychoanalytic and behaviorists,
that was the standard before Rogers.
Well,
similarly,
child therapy before Axline.
(16:05):
Was either psychoanalytic or behavioral,
but in either case,
they were both highly directive.
So Axline shifts the focus to the child's inner world,
just like Rogers shifted the focus to the adult's inner world.
But
uniquely,
Axline said play
is the medium for growth and healing for children.
(16:27):
And she
fully and wholly trusted and believed
that what Roger said about adults applied equally to children.
And
what,
what did Rogers put out into the world that was so groundbreaking and
such a shift?
Well,
That people need acceptance,
not fixing.
(16:48):
And they grow when they feel safe
and
seen and understood.
And those are true for children as well.
They don't need to be fixed,
they need acceptance.
And they will naturally grow,
become a better version of themselves
if they feel safe in the relationship,
if they feel seen by the
therapist,
(17:09):
and if they feel understood.
So
Axline's legacy.
Essentially laid the groundwork for Landreth and other pioneers to follow.
Her 8 principles are still taught today.
Consistently
Dibs is often the first book that CCPT therapists read.
(17:32):
It was for me.
It was required coursework in my graduate certificate program.
And
it is,
it stands the test of time because it is so helpful to understand what it looks like
with a case that you actually get to follow from beginning to end.
But here's the thing,
her work is often misunderstood.
(17:54):
I,
I want
to pause on this for a second.
A lot of times therapists will read Dibs.
And and see
it as an opportunity to take techniques away.
But here's the thing,
if you take techniques away
without embracing
the non-directive child-centered,
(18:15):
child-led
philosophy behind it.
Then
you're just eclectic.
And Axline was not creating a toolbox.
That's not what her work was about.
She laid a foundation
for a way of being with children.
We talk about that all the time.
(18:36):
This is a way of being.
We don't do this,
we are this.
This is a way of being.
This way of being
requires
presence.
It requires trust.
It requires humility.
That's why CCPT isn't for everyone.
(18:56):
It requires things of us,
and we have to be able to give those things.
So,
here's the takeaway.
You're not just using Axline's techniques.
When you are fully CCPT
you are continuing Axline's legacy.
(19:17):
If you are
CCPT.
You need to understand Axline's
influence,
where this model came from.
Why
the non-directive component matters.
And resist the temptation
to guide or interpret or analyze what's going on.
Why?
(19:37):
Because everything about Axline's work trusted the child.
And we should too.
Yes,
we trust the process all the time,
but we also have to trust the child.
That's,
that's what Axline put out into the world.
Just trust the child.
So I hope that that helps you
(19:58):
see
where we've been.
And next episode,
we're going to look at
Bernard and Louise Guerney.
And how they expanded this model
and brought parents into the process through
filial play therapy,
teaching parents to use CCPT principles with their own children.
(20:18):
So I'd love to hear from you if you have thoughts about this series,
if you have thoughts about
Axline or anything that we've been talking about,
shoot me an email.
I'd love to receive it brenna@thekidcounselor.com.
If you wanna ask me a question,
you can do that.
If you'd like to leave a voicemail for me to answer a question,
you can call 813-812-5525 in the states.
(20:39):
And I love y'all,
and I can't wait to dive into this series more.
Thank you for letting me know that this series is meaningful and helpful to you.
A lot of you have reached out and I appreciate that.
You're why I do this,
so we're,
we're in this CCPT thing together.
Love y'all.
We'll talk again soon.
Bye.
Thank you for listening to the Play Therapy Podcast with Dr.
Brenna Hicks.
(21:00):
For more episodes and resources,
please go to www.playtherapypodcast.com.
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