In this lightning round episode, I tackle four listener questions that each highlight common pressure points in CCPT practice. First, I address a question about children who consistently want the lights turned off in session — particularly in the context of suspected trauma. I walk through the most common meanings behind darkness in play (power and control, fear, trauma associations, or simple symbolic necessity), and I explain how to honor the child's need while maintaining safety through clear "if you choose" limits.

Next, I respond to questions about dollhouse setup, competition between school-based clients, and aggressive toys. I clarify why the playroom must always reset to a blank slate, why we never concede to demands to pre-stage materials, and how to handle competitiveness when children compare sessions. I also provide practical guidance on toy guns and shooters — what is appropriate, what should be avoided, and why clearly "toy-like" features matter in a CCPT playroom.

Finally, I address two complex advocacy situations: when a pediatrician advises against CCPT during a high-conflict divorce, and when a severely traumatized child appears unable to engage in play therapy at all. In both cases, I emphasize calm, confident advocacy, collaboration over confrontation, and unwavering trust in the model. CCPT is not harmful when a child resists, dysregulates, or refuses to play — those behaviors often signal profound need. Our role is not to force progress, but to remain steady, patient, and faithful to the 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!

Topical Playlists! All of the podcasts are now grouped into topical playlists on YouTube. Please go to https://www.youtube.com/kidcounselorbrenna/playlists to view them.

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
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.
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 walk you through the Summit Framework — the developmental roadmap for mastery in child-centered play therapy that I presented at the Field of Dreams training. I believe one of the greatest challenges in our field is that we've never clearly defined how a therapist progresses toward true mastery. We learn the skills. We memorize the principles. But we're rarely shown how to stabilize under pressure and refine our foundation before moving higher. And when we skip that step, we crumble.

Mastery in CCPT is not about advancing quickly into insight-level work. It's about disciplined refinement of the fundamentals. If reflective responding breaks down when content is uncomfortable, if limit-setting collapses under chaos, if steadiness disappears when pressure rises — that's where the work is. Just like elite athletes still hit off a tee and master musicians still practice scales, we must return to basics in order to strengthen the tiers beneath us. In this episode, I outline the four levels of the Summit Framework and explain how video-based self-review becomes the pathway to real growth.

The Field of Dreams training is now available on demand. You can get more information at playtherapynow.com. If you've ever wondered where you truly are developmentally in the model — and what it would take to move toward genuine mastery — this framework gives you the path. When we build depth before height, the entire field changes.

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!

Topical Playlists! All of the podcasts are now grouped into topical playlists on YouTube. Please go to https://www.youtube.com/kidcounselorbrenna/playlists to view them.

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
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.
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 Q&A episode, I respond to a question from a school-based, mobile play therapist navigating what to do when children want to preserve, hide, or protect things they build in session. I unpack how this dynamic shifts when you are not in a static playroom and instead are setting up and tearing down each week. I explain how setting clear expectations from the very beginning protects the therapeutic relationship and prevents children from feeling betrayed when items are moved, found, or reset.

I also walk through the clinical judgment involved in deciding when something can reasonably be preserved and when it must be dismantled for the sake of other children's access. More importantly, I discuss how moments of disappointment, frustration, or perceived loss—when they arise organically—can be therapeutically meaningful. These are not agenda-driven opportunities we create, but natural experiences children sometimes need in order to build frustration tolerance, regulation, and emotional flexibility. Finally, I share practical considerations about Legos and why many CCPT playrooms choose alternative building materials.

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!

Topical Playlists! All of the podcasts are now grouped into topical playlists on YouTube. Please go to https://www.youtube.com/kidcounselorbrenna/playlists to view them.

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
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.
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.