Play Therapy Parenting Podcast
The path to calm, confident, and in-control parenting starts now
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Listen to the Latest Episode
Latest Podcast Episodes
S3E18 – Parent Companion for Play Therapy: The Nature/Nurture Balance Behind Kids’ Behavior
In this episode of the Parent Companion for Play Therapy series, I talk about nature versus nurture and how both play a meaningful role in the behaviors parents often seek therapy for. I explain the difference between a child’s inborn personality traits (nature) and...
S3E17 – Why Your Child Fights for Control — and How to Respond
In this episode of the Parent Companion for Play Therapy series, I talk about how many challenging behaviors in young children can be traced back to one core issue: power and control. Melanie wrote in with concerns about her two-and-a-half-year-old nephew — picky...
S3E16 – Parent Companion for Play Therapy: “Snowball Effect” and the Power of Momentum in Child-Centered Play Therapy
In this episode of the Parent Companion for Play Therapy series, I explain the idea of snowball momentum — how one area of growth in child-centered play therapy naturally leads to progress in other areas. Children rarely work on just one issue in isolation. As they...
S3E15 – How Medical Trauma Impacts Power and Behavior in Kids
In this episode, I respond to a parent who’s navigating a long list of confusing behaviors with her six-year-old — from struggles with socks and underwear to bedtime battles, toileting challenges, emotional outbursts, and power struggles throughout the day. I explain...
S3E14 – Parent Companion for Play Therapy: How One Child in Therapy Changes the Whole Family
In this episode of the Parent Companion for Play Therapy series, I talk about how your child becomes the “identified change agent” in the family once they begin child-centered play therapy. When a child starts growing, regulating better, and acting differently, it...
S3E13 – Parent Companion for Play Therapy: Why Kids Fight for Control (and What to Do About It)
In this episode of the Parent Companion for Play Therapy series, I talk about one of the biggest underlying causes of difficult behavior — a child’s need for control. When kids feel like they have very little say in their world, they look for places where they can...
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Foundational Play Therapy Parenting Concepts
S2E8 – Encouragement vs. Praise: The Key to Nurturing Self-Esteem in Your Child
I can't emphasize enough the profound impact of encouragement on a child's self-esteem, self-worth, and overall development. Unlike the other pillars we've discussed, encouragement stands alone as a powerful tool that shapes a child's understanding of their identity,...
Play Therapy Fundamentals
Below is a compilation of my best podcasts covering the most fundamental play therapy skills.All Feelings Are ValidThe Four "Pillars" of Play TherapyThe Importance of Learning to “BE” With Your KidThe “Magic” of Play TherapySay Goodbye to Power Struggles with your...
Rules of Thumb Podcasts
One of the services I offer at The Kid Counselor Center is a 10-week course called Child-Parent Relationship Therapy (CPRT). Each week of the course I cover a "rule of thumb" that is a little nugget of wisdom that gives you something to think about as you parent....