Next Level Play Therapy: A Podcast for Play Therapy Excellence

Episodet

• 
  Explosive Emotions in Kids: A Brain-Based Approach for Play Therapists 17.09.2026 46min

  Send us Fan Mail Free Podcast Training for Play Therapists: How the Brain Constructs "Explosive" Emotions in Kids Join Renewing Hearts Play Therapy Training with Cathi Spooner, LCSW, RPT-S podcast as we go beyond simple redirection strategies to explore how the brain actually constructs emotional experiences in dysregulated children and why it matters for play therapists. If you're a child and adolescent therapist working with kids who have "explosive" emotions — the "angry tornado" in your p...
• 
  Stop Guessing: 3 Keys to Decode Behavior in Play Therapy 10.09.2026 44min

  Send us Fan Mail What do you do when your 6-year-old client is kicking things in the lobby or a 7-year-old starts using cursing in a family session? If you've ever felt like your play therapy questions are falling flat or a client’s behavior is spiraling out of control, you aren't alone. After 30+ years as a child and adolescent psychotherapist, I’ve learned that these moments aren’t failures—they are data. In this podcast, I break down a 3-step framework to help you decode dysregulated...
• 
  Stop Processing Your Hardest Play Therapy Sessions Alone 03.09.2026 36min

  Send us Fan Mail Have you ever finished a challenging play therapy session, watched the child walk out the door, and then just sat there — processing everything alone with no one who truly understands what happened in that room? If that feels familiar, this free weekly podcast episode is for you. Most play therapists think of community — a membership, a consultation group, a peer network — as emotional support that’s optional. A nice-to-have. A place to vent. More of a luxury than a neces...
• 
  Stop Guessing: 3 Indicators Play Therapy is Working 26.08.2026 37min

  Send us Fan Mail Tired of feeling like you’re just "playing" without a clear way to track progress in play therapy? As play therapists, we often hear the same question from parents: "How is my child actually doing?" And maybe you’re struggling to answer that question yourself, let alone explain it to parents. If you find yourself unsure how to tell if your clients are progressing in play therapy or if play therapy is working, this free weekly podcast episode is for you. In this episode,...
• 
  How to Stop Dreading Your Complex Play Therapy Cases 20.08.2026 34min

  Send us Fan Mail Are you dreading that "challenging" case on your schedule? The client who wreaks your room or doesn’t talk during their play therapy session? Or the parent session with a parent that seems to avoid you yet calls you frequently between sessions telling you everything that’s not working? As play therapists, we often define a challenging case by the severity of the trauma, the intensity of the behaviors, or the complexity of the family system. But what i...
• 
  5 Ways Community Improves Play Therapy Results, Especially When Clients Wreck Your Playroom 13.08.2026 47min

  Send us Fan Mail Stop clinical isolation and help your play therapy clients progress faster. What does that mean? A classic example of working in isolation and figuring things out on your own is figuring out what do you do when your client “wrecks” your playroom? Do you set limits? Do you let them wreck your playroom week after week after week? Do you refer them to someone else? Are you a play therapist or RPT feeling the weight of clinical isolation? This...
• 
  The Dangerous Lie Every Isolated Play Therapist Believes 06.08.2026 41min

  Send us Fan Mail Do you ever feel like the only play therapist who hasn’t figured it out? You’re not alone—and that thought might be exactly what’s keeping you stuck. In this week’s podcast episode, we’re exposing the "dangerous lie" of play therapy isolation. When you're the only kid therapist in your building, it's easy to look at social media "wins" and conclude that everyone else has it together while you're struggling. I’m here to tell you: that feeling isn’t a "you" problem;...
• 
  The #1 Mistake Play Therapists Make on Parent Calls 28.07.2026 40min

  Send us Fan Mail Getting frantic phone calls from parents about meltdowns, outbursts, and behavior problems is a stressful reality for play therapists. When a parent says, “My doctor (or therapist) said play therapy isn’t working,” it’s easy to feel the weight of responsibility to fix everything immediately. In this week’s podcast episode, Cathi Spooner of Renewing Hearts Training teaches you how to handle these "dreaded" calls with confidence, even when you don't have all the answe...
• 
  More Years of Experience Won't Fix What's Actually Making You Doubt Yourself as a Play Therapist 16.07.2026 39min

  Send us Fan Mail I want to talk about something that a lot of play therapists are silently betting their entire career on — the idea that *more time and more experience* is what's going to eventually make them feel confident and capable in the play therapy room. That one day they'll hit some magic number of years and the self-doubt will just... disappear. The second-guessing will stop. The anxiety before parent calls will go away. They'll finally feel like they know what the...
• 
  5 Signs You’re a Play Therapist Struggling with Clinical Isolation 09.07.2026 40min

  Send us Fan Mail Do you find yourself replaying play therapy sessions on your drive home, wondering if you made the right clinical decision? You aren't alone. In this free weekly podcast episode, we’re diving into the 5 signs you’re second-guessing yourself as a play therapist and why clinical isolation might be your biggest hurdle. Being the only play therapist in your building can be incredibly lonely. When you don't have a peer group who speaks the language of sand trays and me...
• 
  Why Play Therapists Shouldn't Work Alone: Overcoming Clinical Isolation 02.07.2026 39min

  Send us Fan Mail Are you the only play therapist in your agency? Or perhaps you're in private practice and feel like you're navigating complex cases entirely on your own? Many play therapists accept isolation as "just the reality" of the field. We push through, hoping that with enough time and experience, we’ll eventually "figure it out." But here is the honest truth: Clinical isolation is a liability—for you and your clients. In this free weekly podcast, we’re breaking down why t...
• 
  The Isolated Play Therapist Syndrome: Why You’re Feeling Burned Out 25.06.2026 38min

  Send us Fan Mail If you're a play therapist — especially in your first few years — and you're the only one in your agency or you're in private practice figuring this out by yourself, this is for you. You went into this work because you genuinely believe in the power of play therapy to heal kids. You're passionate about this. You're not here because it was easy — you're here because it matters to you And the reality is that you’re probably the only “kid therapist” in your agency or maybe...
• 
  Jungian Play Therapy 101: Symbols, Archetypes & Clinical Ideas 18.06.2026 40min

  Send us Fan Mail What is Jungian Analytic Play Therapy, and how does it actually work in the playroom? In this podcast, we dive deep into the symbolic world of Jungian theory with guest Jared Andes, LCSW, RPT-S. We explore how Jungian Analytical Play Therapy uses archetypes and other concepts to facilitate healing, and we compare this model to other popular play therapy approaches. Join us for an insightful conversation as we explore the transformative power of Jungian Play ...
• 
  The Trauma Roadmap: Using Neuroscience & Attachment in Play Therapy 11.06.2026 38min

  Send us Fan Mail Are you tired of leaving your play therapy sessions wondering if you’re actually helping or just "playing"? You’ve invested in the play therapy training, you’ve gathered the strategies, and you have a playroom full of tools. But if you’re like many play therapists, having more information has only led to more confusion. When you’re in the middle of a play therapy session with a traumatized child or teen, it’s easy to second-guess your decisions and feel over...
• 
  Is Trauma Really Stored in the Body? New Science for Play Therapists 04.06.2026 49min

  Send us Fan Mail Is trauma actually "stored" in our organs, or have we been looking at it all wrong? For years, play therapists have repeated the mantra that "trauma is stored in the body," but a groundbreaking 2026 peer-reviewed article is challenging this foundational belief. If you’ve ever felt like the "storage" explanation didn't quite click, this episode is for you. Join me, Cathi Spooner, for this week’s podcast as we explore the evolution of trauma research and what it means for y...
• 
  Beyond Labeling: Why Emotional Granularity is the Key to Resilience in Play Therapy 28.05.2026 49min

  Send us Fan Mail Helping children and teens identify and label their emotions is a core therapeutic goal in play therapy, but simply naming a feeling isn't enough. In fact, an overfocus on "feeling good" can sometimes hinder the healing process. To build true resilience, we need to help clients move from basic affect to high emotional granularity. In this free weekly podcast, we dive into the science of how emotions are constructed and how play therapists can move beyond simple labe...
• 
  The Missing Piece: How to Include Parents in Play Therapy for Children with Trauma 21.05.2026 42min

  Send us Fan Mail Using play therapy with traumatized children and teens is complex, and many play therapists find themselves asking: "Where do the parents fit in?" “What do I do if my client is in foster care? How do I include parents?” Too often, parents or caregivers are left out of the process or integrated without a clear plan. This can lead to missed healing opportunities or accidentally triggering trauma. In this free weekly podcast, we’re diving deep into the critical r...
• 
  Play Therapy Case Conceptualization: Trauma, Attachment & Behavior 14.05.2026 43min

  Send us Fan Mail If you’ve ever left a play therapy session thinking… “I see the behaviors—but what’s actually driving them?” You’re not alone. And more importantly—you’re not supposed to stay stuck there. In this podcast episode, we break down how to use case conceptualization in play therapy through a neuroscience and attachment lens so you can finally understand what’s at the root of a child’s behavior — not just what’s showing up on the surface. Using a case study of a 7-year-...
• 
  Polyvagal Theory Is Being Challenged… What Play Therapists Need to Know 07.05.2026 40min

  Send us Fan Mail Is Polyvagal Theory still valid? And what does the latest scientific debate mean for your play therapy practice? Polyvagal Theory (PVT), developed by Stephen Porges, has become one of the most widely used frameworks in trauma-informed therapy. But recent critiques from neuroscientists and researchers are challenging key assumptions about the vagus nerve, autonomic nervous system hierarchy, and the evidence behind PVT. If you’re a play therapist using Polyvagal Theory — or tea...
• 
  Sand Tray Therapy: Should You Interpret a Child’s Play? (3 Things to Consider) 30.04.2026 39min

  Send us Fan Mail You just know what your client’s sand tray means… but should you say it? In this episode, we dive into one of the biggest clinical dilemmas in play therapy: 👉 Do you share your interpretation of a child’s sand tray scene—or hold it? If you’ve ever felt that pull—the moment where everything clicks and you want to connect the dots for your client—this conversation is for you. Because here’s the truth: What you say (and when you say it)… can either deepen the healing...