Show notes
In this episode of the CCPT Mythbusters series, I tackle one of the most widely accepted assumptions in children's mental health today: that diagnosing and medicating children is the best path to helping them. I explain why child-centered play therapists often find themselves working against systems that prioritize labels and prescriptions before fully understanding the whole child. While there are rare situations where diagnosis and medication are appropriate, I challenge the idea that they should be the default response. Instead, I share why CCPT begins with trust—trust in the child, trust in the therapeutic relationship, and trust in the child's innate capacity for growth when the right conditions are provided. I also discuss how to navigate conversations with parents who are considering evaluations or medication, and why I encourage families to pursue a full course of child-centered play therapy before making those decisions whenever appropriate. Drawing on more than two decades of clinical experience, I explain why so many children experience remarkable transformation without diagnoses or medication, and why preserving a child's identity and emotional development should remain at the center of our work. This episode offers practical talking points and reinforces the role of the CCPT therapist as a compassionate advocate for the whole child. Podcast Meetups! Come hang out with me. I'm hosting casual Play Therapy Podcast listener meetups in Denver and Seattle on Aug. 4th and 6th. I'd love to connect with you in person! Learn more and RSVP at https://www.playtherapypodcast.com/meetup/ New Live Training Events Announced: Indiana, New Jersey & Tampa dates are locked in and registration is open for Indiana. Go to iamccpt.live for more information. New Resource for Play Therapists: The Parent Companion for Play Therapy is now available at author pricing for therapists. Created specifically to help parents better understand the child-centered play therapy process, this book is designed to support parent engagement, improve buy-in, and reduce attrition throughout the therapeutic journey. As a listener of the Play Therapy Podcast, you can order a copy for just $8 (our cost plus shipping). Click here to order your author-priced copy. ** Limit 1 per therapist, offer valid in the Continental U.S. only. Order copies for your practice and save with discounted bulk pricing. Bulk ordering makes it easy to place Parent Companion for Play Therapy directly into the hands of the parents you serve. 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: [email protected] 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.