322 | Art of the Session: The CCPT Therapist’s Shortlist—11 Responses That Work In Any Given Moment In A Session - Play Therapy Podcast

Episode Transcript
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(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):
we are continuing with the summer series,
which is Art of the Session.
And we are talking through
the limited responses for the playroom today.
What I mean by that
is there is a finite list.
From which we have to work

(00:40):
with how we respond
in the playroom.
And if we are within
the list,
we are adherent.
If we are doing something other than the list,
we are likely deviating.
So we have a very limited set of options
for how we respond
and we'll talk through that.

(01:01):
I think a lot of times therapists miss the boat.
I think a lot of times therapists make things very difficult,
unnecessarily,
and we'll debunk some myths,
we'll talk about what the options are,
all kinds of stuff to dive into today.
Before we get there,
a couple of things.
First and foremost.
So many of you,
legit,
so many

(01:22):
of you took advantage of the discount for the CPRT course.
I am so excited
for those of you
that have already purchased that
and are ready to add CPRT into your practice with your families.
I think you will absolutely love.
Doing CPRT with parents.

(01:43):
I truly,
it's one of my favorite things that I've ever done in my 20 years.
I love every single CPRT that I've ever facilitated.
So for those of you,
and there were so many of you,
like we were all blown away.
Core Well was blown away.
I was blown away.
It was incredible to see how many of you were hungry for that.
So really looking forward to hearing stories about that.

(02:03):
Please send me emails.
A few of you already have.
Thank you for those of you that have mentioned that you've already
started doing the course and you've already seen benefit from it.
If you have stories,
if you want to share things,
if you want to ask me questions,
shoot me an email.
I'd love to hear from you,
brenna@thekidcounselor.com.
Also,
if you are interested in doing
coaching,
we have a group starting in about a month.

(02:24):
So go to playtherapynow.com.
You'll be able to sign up for a discovery call.
We have one spot left in the August group,
so
don't wait if you're interested.
Otherwise,
you're gonna be in November.
So I'm just letting you know if you want to get started now,
you need to hurry,
otherwise it'll be November before the next one starts.
OK,
so let's talk through.
The

(02:44):
finite set of options here.
When we step foot into the playroom,
we've been going through
from the ground up.
What is the process of the session?
How do we have that initial meeting with parents?
How do we greet kids in the lobby?
What do we say when we're walking toward the playroom?
What do we say when we walk in the playroom?

(03:06):
Now we're in a session,
we have a limited
list
from which we can choose our response.
And I am going to go into each of these in more detail
in subsequent episodes,
so for those of you that might not be super familiar
with the skills and or in the context of using them in session,

(03:28):
we're going to look at each one individually,
but for today I'm going to kind of hit an overview of what the options are.
Knowing that I'm going to do a much deeper dive
as we get into more episodes in this series.
But here's the myth that I'd like to debunk.
I mean,
gosh,
there are so many,
but who has time?
Y'all don't,
I don't,
we,
we'd be here forever.

(03:49):
But there are so many myths surrounding CCPT
that I would really love to just absolutely
myth bust.
That's such a great show,
by the way.
Anyway,
but if
we are talking about the biggie,
I think the,
the greatest myth surrounding CCPT
is that there's no structure.

(04:09):
You just let kids play
and kids just get to come in and do whatever they want.
And there's no framework,
and you just are kind of willy-nilly just hanging out with a kid and
who knows what goes on in there.
This
is really kind of crazy to me
that this is the notion
of CCPT
because I would argue,

(04:31):
in complete contrast to the myth.
That CCPT has more structure and framework than any other play therapy model.
Because we are never
at the helm,
we are never deciding what happens,
we are never
bringing something new in
there are never confounding variables there are never changes.

(04:53):
There's never an unknown.
We are 100% governed
by our list of responses.
Yes,
we have to execute them
using the appropriate phrase and understanding how and when,
etc.
It's not just as simple as we're pulling from a list,
but at the end of the day,

(05:15):
there are no
other outliers,
no variables.
We remain adherent to the skills,
and that's it.
So I would argue we actually have far more structure and framework built in,
and so many of you,
so many of you have reached out to me
and said,
one of the reasons I have fallen in love with CCPT

(05:35):
is because
there's a process that you follow.
There's a system.
I'm not guessing.
I'm not throwing something out there.
I'm not hypothesizing.
I'm not directing.
I'm,
I was always just feeling like I had no idea what was going on,
but now
I just remain adherent to the model and there's,
there's framework for me.

(05:57):
Yes.
That's one of the most incredible facets of CCPT.
We just adhere to the model
and it's all there for us.
So
When a child is in a session,
no matter what,
and I don't use an absolute,
you know me,
unless it's legitimate.

(06:17):
No
matter what,
this is an absolute meaning
in any scenario.
I literally,
you could give me a list of 1000 things that could happen in a play session,
and every single one of those 1000 things is going to get
my same comment.
You have a skillful and intentional response that you can provide.

(06:42):
No matter what is happening.
We're not guessing,
we're not hoping,
we're not
thinking maybe.
We are using an intentional,
purposeful,
skillful response.
Because we have structure and framework in the model.
So you might be saying,
OK,
great.
So you keep talking about this list,

(07:03):
Brenna,
what's,
what's our options?
Well,
let's start with the basics,
the three reflective responses.
No matter what is going on.
One of these is going to apply at least.
In other words,
this is your keep in your back pocket and pull it out at any given moment.

(07:24):
The pillars,
some of the other things we're gonna talk about,
they're
always going to be relevant depending on the circumstance,
and
we're going to fall back on something from this list.
However,
in
any scenario,
you can either track behavior,
reflect feelings,
or reflect content.

(07:45):
Sometimes you can only do 1,
sometimes you can only do 2,
sometimes you can do all 3.
But regardless of what is happening or not happening in a playroom.
You can use one of those 3.
So your reflective responses are going to be your go to standard.
Reflect feeling,
reflect content,

(08:05):
track behavior.
Then
another category
of our options.
One of the four pillars.
And we know that reflecting feelings is the crossover.
So reflecting feelings is a reflective response as well as a pillar,
so that one has
double category.
Then
you have limit setting,

(08:27):
you have choice giving,
you have encouragement.
So at this point
with the reflective responses and with the pillars,
knowing that reflecting feelings is categorized in both.
We have
6 options
that we're going to be pulling from.
Depending on the scenario,

(08:47):
we might
provide a choice.
We might use an encouragement phrase.
If a limit is required and necessary,
we'll set a limit.
Will reflect feelings,
will reflect content,
will track behavior.
6 options,
unequivocally
that you're going to have as
options on your list.

(09:09):
Some secondary options,
you can use esteem building
responses.
Serve a similar purpose to encouragement,
but they are a little bit distinct and separate.
So you can
use esteem building responses with a child.
You can provide narrative commentary.

(09:30):
For what's happening in the session.
You can enlarge the meaning
of what's taking place.
You can use an I wonder statement.
You can use the whisper technique.
That's it,
y'all.
Let me count real fast,
6, 7, 8, 9,
10, 11,
11.
11 options.
Now,

(09:50):
I have a feeling
because I just,
I gave it a number.
I have a feeling one or more of you are going to email me and say,
well,
I thought we can also say this,
and then it's gonna be like,
oh yeah,
shoot,
there's 12.
OK,
so don't hold me to 11.
If I forgot one,
let me know and I'll make note of it in a future episode.
We'll add it.
But
from my brain
when I wrote down my list,

(10:12):
I wrote down 11 options.
Therapists make this way too hard.
It is not complicated.
It is not difficult.
It takes skill,
it takes practice,
you have to learn a new language,
you have to be adherent.
You have to put in your time.
You have to make sure that you've rehearsed muscle memory so

(10:33):
your brain and your tongue sync up appropriately in real time.
But this is not complicated,
this is not difficult,
and we make things far too hard.
We're always like,
oh my gosh,
what am I supposed to say?
Oh wait,
how am I supposed to handle that?
What am I supposed to do?
Oh,
OK,
I need to be doing this.
Look y'all,
there's 11 options.

(10:55):
Maybe
theoretically.
According to my calculations,
there are 11,
maybe 12,
I don't know,
we'll settle on a number once I hear from y'all,
but
We're looking
at a finite set of options.
So here's the beauty of it.
You need to do the work
so that you are fully versed,
fully competent,

(11:16):
and fully capable
at 11 things.
11.
We're not talking about hundreds,
we're not talking about thousands.
We're talking about 11
things.
You master 11 responses.
And
you are fully adherent to the model.
And you are meeting the child where they are and you

(11:38):
are letting the child lead and you are trusting the process
and the child will self-actualize,
and you're establishing a relationship and preserving it along the way.
11 things to master.
Why are we constantly stressed?
Why are we constantly
so worried and overwhelmed by,
gosh,
this model and CCPT and I have so much to learn and

(11:58):
I'm so green and I'm so new and I'm so inexperienced.
Can you master 11 things?
The answer is yes.
Unequivocally yes you can.
So,
here's a litmus test for you.
If you
are responding in any way
other than those 11 things that we've talked about.

(12:21):
You have to question whether or not you're deviating from the model.
And you have to determine what is driving
what you're saying instead.
So,
are you asking questions?
That's not one of the 11 options.
Are you making assumptions?
Not one of them.
Are you teaching the child something?

(12:43):
Not one of them.
Are you leading
the session in some way?
Not an option.
Are you
communicating
expectations?
Not one of the options.
And so if you are doing something other than these 11 things
at any given moment,
so not only can you assess retroactively and reflectively,

(13:05):
like,
oh,
OK,
in my session today,
did I do something other than those 11 things,
but even in the moment.
If you are in session
and you find yourself saying something and you go,
oh,
that's not one of the 11 options.
You're not adherent to the model.
So what is,
what is at the heart of that for you?
Is it a need for control?

(13:26):
Is it a need to
redirect?
Is it a need to meet an agenda?
Is it because of pressure,
internal or external?
Is it what's going on for you?
This will help you settle in
to the framework
and the structure.
We have limited options,

(13:47):
11 of them,
I think.
So
this should not be something that is overwhelming.
This should not be something that is keeping you up at night.
This is not something that should be stressing you out.
This should be so freeing and so encouraging
and so
amazing,
quite frankly,
to go,

(14:07):
oh my gosh.
I have to learn the language of 11 things,
and if I just do one of those 11 things,
I know that I'm on the right track,
and I know this kid's going to become a better version of themselves.
That's exciting.
So pressure's off y'all.
And

(14:28):
make sure that you have these 11
at your disposal,
muscle memorized,
where you don't even have to hardly think about it.
Is it,
does it going to take time?
Sure.
Do you have to work at it and practice and,
and rehearse and go over this and yeah,
you have to learn a new language,
we say this all the time.

(14:50):
Yet at the end of the day.
Our structure and our framework
gives us
a real small set.
And we just
use them as their appropriate.
If we provide a choice,
if we set a limit,
if we encourage,
if we esteem build,
if we wonder,
if we enlarge,
if we provide narrative commentary,

(15:13):
reflect feelings,
reflect content,
track behavior.
You know that you're doing what the model calls you to do.
So I hope that
that
makes you feel like you can do this.
If you've already been relatively adherent,
catch yourself maybe
not following those 11 things.
What are you doing in addition to that,

(15:34):
get to the root of why and then you can work on it.
But at the end of the day,
when we think about the Art of the Session,
and we,
we will look at all of these skills individually,
but
when we think about this broad picture,
we
are all about relationship.
That is the most important component.
The be-with attitudes are unspoken

(15:57):
but experienced for the child.
And then
we pull from a very small list.
Be encouraged,
be excited,
be amazed by play therapy
and the child-centered model.
It is truly the most incredible gift.
That we could be given and we get to do it every day.

(16:19):
That is something that is worth celebrating
and certainly something that should inspire us
to say,
yeah,
I can do this,
and I'm going to make sure
that I'm fully following the model because I believe in it that much.
Love you all so much.
We'll talk soon.
Bye.
Thank you for listening to the Play Therapy Podcast with Dr.
Brenna Hicks.

(16:40):
For more episodes and resources,
please go to www.playtherapypodcast.com.

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322 | Art of the Session: The CCPT Therapist’s Shortlist—11 Responses That Work In Any Given Moment In A Session

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.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}322 | Art of the Session: The CCPT Therapist’s Shortlist—11 Responses That Work In Any Given Moment In A Session