Next Level Play Therapy: A Podcast for Play Therapy Excellence

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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 answers yet. 

You’ll learn how to shift from being an "answer-giver" to a "container-holder," building trust and maintaining clinical authority.

In this podcast, we cover:
Step 1: Regulate First – Why one intentional breath changes your nervous system and the entire tone of the call.
Step 2: Validate Before You Explain – The #1 mistake therapists make when parents say therapy isn’t working.
Step 3: Honest Uncertainty – How to name what you know (and what you don’t) to actually strengthen a parent's confidence in you.

Stop navigating these challenging clinical moments alone. 

Learn how to transform stressful phone calls into opportunities for deeper clinical connection.

Ready to stop feeling isolated and alone as a play therapist and get access to feedback and support?

If you want to move from knowing these steps to executing them with a community of play therapists backing you up, check out the Play Therapy Elevation CIRCLE. Something exciting is coming soon—don’t miss out!

Join the waitlist for Play Therapy Elevation CIRCLE and be the first to know when enrollment opens: https://www.rhplaytherapytraining.com/f/ptec-waitlist

Connect with Cathi: www.rhplaytherapytraining.com
#PlayTherapy #ChildTherapy #ParentConsultation #TherapistTips #MentalHealthProfessionals #CathiSpooner #RenewingHeartsTraining
Join my free Facebook Community Play and Expressive Arts Therapy Playground.

Check out my free resources for mental health professionals working with children, adolescents, and families who want to integrate play therapy and expressive arts into their clinical work.

I work with individuals and agencies to develop successful strategies and meet the treatment needs of your child and adolescent clients and their families using play therapy & expressive arts.

Contact me to schedule a free 30-minute video call if you're ready to level up your skills

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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 they're doing.
And I want to lovingly, respectfully push back on that — because I think that belief is keeping a lot of really talented play therapists stuck for longer than they need to be.
During this week’s podcast episode, I want to talk about what we silently say in our minds and don’t dare talk about it for fear of judgment and rejection.
This week I want to talk about what are the beliefs and behaviors feeding the self-doubt, imposter syndrome, and second-guessing clinical decisions keeping amazing play therapists from achieving confidence.
If you’ve secretly thought experience is the only reason you’re lacking confidence as a play therapist, then you don’t want to miss this episode.
Join my free Facebook Community Play and Expressive Arts Therapy Playground.

Check out my free resources for mental health professionals working with children, adolescents, and families who want to integrate play therapy and expressive arts into their clinical work.

I work with individuals and agencies to develop successful strategies and meet the treatment needs of your child and adolescent clients and their families using play therapy & expressive arts.

Contact me to schedule a free 30-minute video call if you're ready to level up your skills

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 metaphors, it’s easy for "reflective thinking" to turn into an "anxious loop."
Today, we walk through the clinical signs of self-doubt and how to shift from isolation to confidence.
What You’ll Learn:
Sign 1: The difference between healthy reflection and the "anxious loop."
Sign 2: Why you dread parent phone calls (it’s not why you think!).
Sign 3: Why Google isn't a substitute for a play therapy community.
Sign 4: Addressing the "Am I actually helping?" doubt.
Sign 5: The "Blank Phone List" – identifying your clinical support system.
How to move from isolation to clinical confidence.

Join the Podcast (or watch the replay)
If you’re tired of carrying the full clinical burden alone, it’s time to find your people.
✨ Join the Play Therapy Elevation CIRCLE Waitlist here: https://www.rhplaytherapytraining.com/f/ptec-waitlist

Connect with Cathi Spooner - Renewing Hearts Training: www.rhplaytherapytraining.com

#PlayTherapy #ChildTherapy #TherapistSelfCare #ClinicalSupervision #MentalHealthProfessionals
Join my free Facebook Community Play and Expressive Arts Therapy Playground.

Check out my free resources for mental health professionals working with children, adolescents, and families who want to integrate play therapy and expressive arts into their clinical work.

I work with individuals and agencies to develop successful strategies and meet the treatment needs of your child and adolescent clients and their families using play therapy & expressive arts.

Contact me to schedule a free 30-minute video call if you're ready to level up your skills

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 the "solo endeavor" mindset is holding you back and how connecting with a play therapy community is the key to better clinical results and reduced burnout.
In this episode, we discuss:
The Structure of Isolation: Why graduate programs and agencies often leave play therapists without the specific support they need.
The Clinical Cost: How second-guessing your decisions and processing complex issues, like trauma, in a vacuum slows down client progress.
The Mindset Shift: Moving from "I can handle this" to "I need a community that speaks play therapy."
Clinical Confidence: How having a "backup plan" and a peer network improves the quality of your work in the playroom. 
Stop second-guessing your clinical decisions and start building the support network you deserve. Your clients (and your personal life) will thank you.
Connect with Cathi & Renewing Hearts Training: www.rhplaytherapytraining.com
#PlayTherapy #ChildTherapy #PlayTherapistSupport #ClinicalIsolation #TherapistBurnout #RenewingHeartsTraining
Join my free Facebook Community Play and Expressive Arts Therapy Playground.

Check out my free resources for mental health professionals working with children, adolescents, and families who want to integrate play therapy and expressive arts into their clinical work.

I work with individuals and agencies to develop successful strategies and meet the treatment needs of your child and adolescent clients and their families using play therapy & expressive arts.

Contact me to schedule a free 30-minute video call if you're ready to level up your skills

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 you’re in private practice in an office surrounded by adult therapists asking you to keep the noise down in your office because it’s distracting their sessions.
In today’s free podcast episode we’re talking about what’s not being talked about out loud 👇
the cost of trying to be a play therapist without a strong community to support you and the impact this has on your clinical decision-making (and if we’re being honest - your own emotional well-being).
We’re discussing The Isolated Play Therapist Syndrome.
What it is and why it’s keeping your clients from making progress and leaving you feeling overwhelmed, second-guessing your clinical decisions, and wondering if you’re good enough.
If you’re feeling isolated, overwhelmed, and frustrated as a play therapist, then you don’t want to miss this episode.  
Join my free Facebook Community Play and Expressive Arts Therapy Playground.

Check out my free resources for mental health professionals working with children, adolescents, and families who want to integrate play therapy and expressive arts into their clinical work.

I work with individuals and agencies to develop successful strategies and meet the treatment needs of your child and adolescent clients and their families using play therapy & expressive arts.

Contact me to schedule a free 30-minute video call if you're ready to level up your skills