Next Level Play Therapy: A Podcast for Play Therapy Excellence

Send us a textHappy holidays!!  I’ve decided to take two weeks off to spend the holiday season focusing on my family.So – I went back into my livestream vault and found this oldie but goodie!Check out this podcast discussing some interesting information I gleaned from research and what it means for play therapists.How does being trained to use a specific play therapy model influence clinical decision-making vs clinical decision-making of child/adolescent therapists using play in therapy?Hmmmmm.  What the heck does that question even mean?Essentially clinical decision-making involves our expertise and training in a play therapy model and how play therapists engage in the decision-making process to get excellent treatment results for their clients.Is the clinical decision-making skill level of play therapists who are trained to use specific play therapy models better than child/adolescent therapists not trained who are using play in sessions?A study by Baker-Ericzen, Jenkins, Park, and Garland (2015) explored the quality of clinical decision-making for child/adolescent therapists who were trained in an evidence-based treatment model (EBT) versus therapists who were not.This study- Clinical Decision-Making in Community Children’s Mental Health: Using Innovative Methods to Compare Clinicians With and Without Training in Evidence-Based Treatment 👇🏼Had some interesting results.I’ll discuss the findings of their study and how it relates to play therapy.  There are several play therapy models considered to be EBT models, so this study provides some interesting points for child and adolescent therapists to consider when working with children using play.Join me for this free podcast!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 a text🎶 This Week’s Podcast: How Music Helps Kids Heal — A Heartfelt Conversation with Crystal Luk-WorrallIf you’ve ever watched a child hum softly during play…tap a rhythm while they’re telling a story…or light up when you mirror the beat they’re creating……you already know music has its own kind of magic in the playroom.This week, we’re going deeper into that magic with a guest whose work is as grounded as it is breathtaking — Crystal Luk-Worrall, a London-based music therapist and service manager who supports adoptive and bereaved families with a trauma-informed, attachment-centered approach.Crystal is the founder of Clap and Toot (yes, cutest name ever), where she uses musical connection to rebuild safety, trust, and emotional expression. She also works with bereaved families through Shooting Star Children’s Hospice — walking with children and parents through some of the most tender moments imaginable.And she’s bringing her wisdom straight into our play therapy community.  You’re not gonna want to miss this one.Here’s what we’ll explore together:🎵 What Is Music Therapy Really About?Crystal will demystify what music therapy actually is — how it works, why it works, and what makes it such a powerful therapeutic language for children.🎵 How Music Supports Trauma, Bereavement, and Adoption JourneysCrystal will share stories and insights from her work with adoptive and bereaved families — showing how rhythm, sound, and attuned presence help kids process what words can’t reach.Expect goosebumps. The good kind.🎵 Simple Ways to Integrate Music into Play TherapyWe’ll wrap things up by connecting the dots with the Therapeutic Powers of Play.Plus — we’ll share easy, low-pressure ways to bring music into your play therapy sessions (no musical talent required, promise).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 a textIf you’ve ever wondered how to set up a sand tray during play therapy sessions in a way that feels intentional, grounded, and supportive of your client’s nervous system, this episode is your new BFF.We’re diving into the essentials — starting with how to introduce the sand tray using child-centered, non-directive prompts and when to lean into thoughtful directive prompts that still honor the client’s process.Then we’ll get real about boundaries (aka the invisible safety net of every play therapy session). You’ll hear the simple sand tray rules I use with kids that protect the relationship, keep the playroom regulated, and prevent chaos like nerf-gun warfare or miniature avalanches.We’ll also look at how to organize your miniatures so the unconscious can actually grab what it needs — from category-based shelving to keeping everything clean, visible, and intentional.And of course, we’ll dig into choosing your sand and trays — from why high-quality sand matters for sensory regulation to how the shape and size of your tray changes the experience for your client.Whether you’re setting up your first sand tray or refreshing your current setup, this episode gives you the practical foundations that help clients go deeper, feel safer, and engage more meaningfully in the sand.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 a textIf I say play therapy treatment plans, what’s the first thing that pops into your brain?“Aaaaagh! I hate writing treatment plans! They’re just more paperwork to make insurance happy.”“Ugh, they’re so complicated and confusing.”“Treatment plans are pointless. I never use them and they take forever.”“I get why we need them… but writing them for play therapy clients? Overwhelming.”If you’re in the mental health world — even in the play therapy realm — you’ve probably thought one of these at least once. Maybe twice. Maybe last week. 😅Here’s the twist: What if I told you treatment plans and treatment planning aren’t the same thing… even though they’re BFFs?What if I told you treatment planning is the real MVP — the part that actually helps you think clinically — and 👇🏼👉🏻 a solid play therapy treatment plan has to align with your play therapy theoretical model?Yeah… I know. Your head might be screaming. Your eyes might be doing a full Olympic-level backflip.Totally valid.But I promise — this episode makes it all make so much more sense.And because it’s the Thanksgiving holiday season, I pulled this one straight out of the vault. It’s an oldie but a goodie, and honestly? It hits even harder the second time around.In this replay, I’ll walk you through how to turn that frustrating, overwhelming “writing treatment plans” chore into something that actually feels meaningful —Something that helps you laser-focus on what’s really happening with your clients… so you can help them heal with clarity and confidence.You’ll learn: ✨ Why treatment planning gives your work direction ✨ How your play therapy theoretical model shapes what goes into the play therapy treatment plan ✨ What makes a play therapy treatment plan purposeful instead of just paperworkImpossible? Stick around. Let’s find out together. 🤓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 a textWhen kids can’t find the words, the sand tray speaks for them in play therapy sessions.In this week’s podcast episode, we’ll look at how sand tray therapy taps into the implicit memories stored beneath language — The attachment patterns, emotional imprints, and unspoken stories that surface symbolically before they ever become verbal.If you’ve ever felt goosebumps watching a client create a scene that “says everything without saying anything,” this one’s for you.✨ Let’s nerd out together about how neuroscience helps play therapists understand how healing happens inside that little wooden box filled with sand and miniatures.Join me and I’ll share how your theoretical lens using neuroscience and attachment theory points the way toward deeper understanding of the power of the sand tray in play therapy. I’ll also discuss three ways using the sand tray in play therapy helps children heal.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