Next Level Play Therapy: A Podcast for Play Therapy Excellence

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Are you feeling stuck in your play therapy sessions… unsure what to do next or why your play therapy interventions aren’t working?

You might be missing the most important step in the entire play therapy treatment process: case conceptualization in play therapy.

In this episode, you’ll learn what case conceptualization actually is (without the grad school confusion) and how it becomes your clinical roadmap for helping children and teens heal.

Because here’s the truth—when you skip this step, you’re not just guessing… you’re treating the 
🎯 In this episode, you’ll learn:
✔️ What case conceptualization in play therapy really means
✔️ How to identify the root causes behind a child’s behavior
✔️ Why information gathering alone is NOT enough
✔️ How your play therapy theoretical model shapes what you see (and miss)
✔️ How to create a working hypothesis that guides your sessions
✔️ Why strong case conceptualization

🧠 Why this matters:
Case conceptualization isn’t just a clinical task—it’s the foundation of effective play therapy.
When you understand what’s happening underneath the behavior, you can:
→ Target the right play therapy interventions
→ Stop feeling lost in play therapy sessions
→ Build confidence in your clinical decisions
→ Actually see meaningful change in your clients

The mistake most play therapists make:
They jump into play therapy sessions without fully understanding the why behind the child’s struggles.

And that’s when therapy starts to feel confusing, overwhelming… and ineffective.

Ready to go deeper?

If you want a clear, step-by-step framework for building strong case conceptualizations:
👉 Check out Getting Grounded in Play Therapy Case Conceptualization
https://www.rhplaytherapytraining.com/courses/case-conceptualization
👉 Learn more about Play Therapy Academy (advanced consultation & skill-building)
https://www.rhplaytherapytraining.com/play-therapy-academy

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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What do you do after you’ve identified the symptoms in a struggling teen?
Failing grades. Emotional withdrawal. “I don’t care.”
High-conflict divorce. Estrangement from a parent. Identity confusion.
It’s one thing to recognize the patterns.
It’s another to know how to turn that understanding into a clear, effective plan to help your teen clients heal.
In this week’s podcast episode, I walk through a case example of “Ethan,” a 16-year-old navigating academic decline and emotional shutdown in the aftermath of parental conflict and attachment rupture. 
Using a neuroscience and attachment-informed lens, we explore how case conceptualization directly shapes clinical decision making in adolescent play therapy.
You’ll learn:
How your play therapy theoretical model influences what you prioritize in treatment
How to sequence expressive arts interventions instead of reacting to symptoms
What progress actually looks like when working with withdrawn teens
How to avoid pulling random expressive arts activities “hoping something works”
I’ll also share two attachment-based sand tray interventions designed specifically for adolescents — grounded in nervous system regulation and identity integration.
Because effective treatment planning isn’t about doing more play therapy techniques.
It’s about choosing expressive arts interventions that align with your clinical hypothesis.
Join me for this week's podcast!
When your play therapy theory guides your decisions, your sessions become intentional, strategic, and far more impactful.
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
What do you do when a 16-year-old walks into your office, shrugs, and says, “I don’t care”?
Low motivation. Failing grades. Emotional shutdown. Estrangement from a parent after divorce. On the surface, it can look like depression, defiance, or typical teen apathy.
But what if those symptoms are telling a much more layered story?
In this free livestream episode, I’m walking you through a real-world adolescent case study to demonstrate why case conceptualization is the backbone of effective play therapy with teens. 
Without a clear framework, it’s easy to chase symptoms, try random expressive arts interventions, or second-guess every clinical decision. 
With a solid case conceptualization, your play therapy sessions become intentional, focused, and grounded in theory.
Before you pull out your best expressive arts activities – like art or the sand tray – you need to get clear on what’s at the root of the problem and that’s your case conceptualization (aka - working hypothesis)
We’ll explore:
Why symptom-based thinking keeps play therapists stuck
How your theoretical lens shapes the way you interpret adolescent behaviors
Practical tips for formulating a culturally relevant case conceptualization
Key questions to ask before choosing expressive arts or play therapy interventions
If you’ve ever left a session with a teen wondering, “What just happened—and what do I do next?” this conversation is for you.
Case conceptualization isn’t paperwork. It’s your clinical GPS.
Learn how to move from reacting to symptoms… to leading with clarity and confidence in your adolescent play therapy work.
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
Can you really use sand tray therapy with adolescents?

Absolutely—and when you understand how to adapt it developmentally, sand tray becomes one of the most powerful expressive arts tools to use with teens.

In this podcast episode, I’m diving into how to use sand tray with teens in a way that respects their autonomy, supports emotional regulation, and deepens therapeutic insight. 

If you’re a play therapist who has ever wondered whether sand tray feels “too young” for adolescents—or you’re unsure how to introduce it without resistance—this conversation is for you.

You’ll learn:
Practical tips for introducing sand tray therapy to adolescents

How to frame sand tray in a developmentally appropriate way

Sand tray prompts designed specifically for teens

Adolescents often struggle with traditional talk therapy when their nervous system is overwhelmed. 

Sand tray therapy provides a non-threatening, expressive pathway that allows teens to communicate complex internal experiences without relying solely on words.

Join me for this free weekly podcast!

Whether you’re new to sand tray therapy or looking to strengthen your clinical confidence using sand tray with teens, this episode will give you practical strategies you can use immediately in your next play therapy session.

If you work with adolescents in play therapy and want fresh sand tray ideas that actually engage teens, join us for this training.
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
This week I’m sharing one of my favorite ways to help teens access the therapeutic powers of play using poetry.
Yes - poetry!
If you’re rolling your eyes and remembering your high school English class feeling tortured by reading poetry, then rest assured - this is not your high school English class version of poetry.
Poetry is an expressive arts modality that allows clients to use words and language for expression - like the lyrics of your favorite songs.
This week I’m sharing my favorite ways to use poetry with my adolescent clients to help them access the therapeutic powers of play
Join me for this free weekly podcast!
If you work with adolescents and want some great strategies using expressive arts then you don’t want to miss this week’s free podcast 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