Next Level Play Therapy: A Podcast for Play Therapy Excellence

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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 labeling to help traumatized children differentiate between real and perceived threats.

What you’ll learn:
What is Emotional Granularity? Why the ability to distinguish "frustrated" from "sad" is a predictor of better mental health and regulation.
Affect vs. Emotion: Exploring Lisa Feldman Barrett’s research on how emotions are mental constructions based on past experience and culture.
The Role of Emotions in Play Therapy: Using strategies that promote resilience in play therapy
Common Mistakes with Trauma: Why we must address the belief systems (cognitions) tied to emotions to avoid over-focusing on the feeling alone.
Predictive Brain & Safety: Using the therapeutic relationship and co-regulation to help children rewire their brain's predictive responses to trauma.

About Cathi Spooner: I help play therapists and mental health professionals master the art of play therapy with children and families. 
Subscribe for weekly discussions on building resilient hearts through play therapy.

Citation:
Feldman Barrett, L. How Emotions Are Made: The Secret Life of the Brain (2017)

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
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 role of parents (caregivers) in the trauma healing process. 

I’ll walk you through a fictitious case study (Carla) to show you exactly how to move from case conceptualization to successful treatment planning, including parent integration.

🎯 In this week’s episode, we discuss:
The Conceptualization Process: How to identify the "what" and "how" of parent inclusion.
Neuroscience & Attachment: Understanding the parent's role through a biological and relational lens.
Practical Strategies: Key things to consider when bringing parents into the playroom.

Stop feeling overwhelmed and start building a clear plan for your clients' success. 
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’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-old child in foster care (fictitious client), you’ll learn how trauma, attachment disruption, and the nervous system shape behaviors like clinginess, withdrawal, food hoarding, and sleep difficulties — and how to respond in a way that actually promotes healing.

Because here’s the shift:
 👉 Behavior isn’t the problem. It’s the clue.

🎯 In this week’s podcast episode, we’re discussing:
What case conceptualization in play therapy actually is (and why it changes everything)
How to move from surface behaviors → root causes using a trauma-informed lens
How the nervous system drives behavior in children with trauma histories
How attachment patterns show up in the playroom and at home
What to look for in play themes and symbolic expression
How to stop guessing in play therapy sessions — and start making confident clinical decisions

🧠 Why This Matters
Without a clear case conceptualization, it’s easy to:
Chase behaviors
Second-guess your interventions
Feel like your sessions lack direction

But when you understand the why behind the behavior, everything shifts.

You become more grounded.
 More intentional.
 More effective.

👩‍⚕️ Who This Is For:
✔ Play therapists working with traumatized children and teens
 ✔ Child therapists feeling unsure what’s happening in play therapy sessions
 ✔ Clinicians wanting to integrate neuroscience + attachment into play therapy
 ✔ Play therapists ready to move beyond “just using activities”

If you’re ready to stop guessing in the playroom and start seeing what’s really happening beneath the behavior…
This is where it starts.
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
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 teaching it to parents — you’ve probably felt that quiet question in the back of your mind:
 “Am I explaining this accurately… or just repeating what I was taught?”
You’re not alone.
In this podcast episode, we break down the current Polyvagal Theory debate in a way that actually makes sense — without requiring a neuroscience degree or a second cup of coffee just to survive it.
Because here’s the truth:
Even when theories are debated, your clinical work still needs to be grounded, ethical, and effective.
🎯 In this week's episode, you’ll learn:
✔️ A clear, simplified explanation of Polyvagal Theory
 ✔️ The main scientific critiques of PVT (what’s being questioned—and why)
 ✔️ What parts of Polyvagal Theory still hold clinical value
 ✔️ How to responsibly use nervous system concepts in play therapy
 ✔️ How to explain regulation and safety to children and parents with confidence
💡 Whether you’re feeling confused, curious, or slightly betrayed by your favorite theory (yeah… we went there), this episode will help you separate what’s useful from what’s uncertain — so you can keep showing up as a grounded, confident play therapist.
👇 Tell me in the comments:
 Are you using Polyvagal Theory in your play therapy sessions? What questions has this debate brought up for you?
Here are some resources if you’d like to explore the issues in more depth:
Grossman, P., et. al. (2026). Why Polyvagal Theory is untenable. Clinical Neuropsychiatry, 23,(1), 100-112.  doi: 10.36131/cnfioritieditore20260111
Porges, W. S. (2026). when a critique becomes untenable: a scholarly response to Grossman et al.’s evaluation of Polyvagal Theory. Clinical Neuropsychiatry, 23(1), 113-128.  doi.org/10.36131/cnfioritieditore20260111
Ana Lund Substack articles are an interesting read from a clinician’s perspective
Scientists vs. The Polyvagal Industrial Complex is 
Autonomic Nervous System Literacy for Therapists: The Lowdown
Dr. Birthe Macdonald has also written and shared some interesting articles on Substack (my new nerdy place to get some neuroscience scoop from the scientific community)
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
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—or shut it down.
In this free podcast episode, you’ll learn how to hold the sand tray process in a way that protects the therapeutic space while strengthening your clinical decision-making.
🎯 In this episode, you’ll learn:
• The real role of interpretation in sand tray therapy
• Why timing matters more than insight
• 3 key factors to consider before sharing what you see
• How to avoid disrupting the child’s internal healing process
• What to do when you’re tempted to say something
🧠 This is for play therapists who:
 • Second-guess what to say in play therapy sessions
 • Feel unsure about interpreting sand tray scenes
 • Want to move beyond “just observing” into intentional, theory-driven work using play therapy
 • Are ready to trust their clinical judgment with more confidence
✨ Whether you’re new to sand tray therapy or refining your skills, this episode will help you stay grounded, intentional, and aligned with the healing process—without rushing to interpret.
🔔 Subscribe for more play therapy trainings on sand tray, trauma, attachment, and working with children & teens.
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