What is Child-Centered Play Therapy and how can it help your child? In this episode, Kylie Ellison breaks down CCPT in a clear, parent-friendly way, addressing common questions like “Is it just play?”, “Will my child learn skills?”, and “How will I know it’s working?” Kylie explains how children communicate through play, why relationship comes first, and how a safe, consistent play space helps children build emotional regulation, confidence, and self-trust over time. A helpful listen for parents considering play therapy and therapists wanting language to explain CCPT.

In this episode, Kylie Ellison reflects on the real challenges of staying true to Child-Centred Play Therapy when doubt, silence, and pressure creep in. Drawing on her own practice and recent teaching, she explores why CCPT is more than a technique, it’s a way of being. Kylie normalises imposter syndrome, unpacks the urge to revert to talk-based approaches, and reminds us that the therapeutic relationship is the intervention. She also speaks to the courage it takes to sit with uncertainty, trust the child’s process, and remain grounded in the core principles of CCPT, even when it feels uncomfortable. A grounding, compassionate episode for play therapists at every stage of their journey.

Welcome back to 2026! This episode offers a calm, grounded transition back into the playroom for 2026. We explore the “fresh start” myth, the pressure to return energised, confident, and immediately ‘on’, and why many of us actually come back needing time to recalibrate. This is a reminder that doubt after a break is often state-based, not a reflection of your skills. We’ll focus on what’s enough in the first week back: a regulated nervous system, a consistent presence, and a willingness to follow the child. We also discuss what you might see from children after a break (unchanged, moving forward, or regressing) and how CCPT’s core conditions, empathy, congruence, and unconditional positive regard support reconnection. Expect practical anchors (tracking, reflecting feelings, and using silence intentionally), a gentle invitation to choose your word for 2026, and a reminder that the relationship remembers itself. Follow along on socials and send through topic requests for upcoming episodes.

In this final episode of 2025, Kylie Ellison reflects on the Play Therapy Circle podcast journey and offers sincere gratitude to the growing community of listeners. She acknowledges the emotional, often invisible work of child-centered play therapists and affirms the importance of showing up with empathy, authenticity, and care in the playroom. Kylie highlights how listening to the podcast is an act of professional self-care and validation, particularly for those working in isolation. Looking ahead to 2026, she shares excitement about continuing weekly episodes, introducing guest voices, and launching new initiatives and events to strengthen connection within the global CCPT community.

In Part Two of 10 Things Every Play Therapist Needs to Know at Christmas, Kylie speaks directly to child-centred play therapists navigating the emotional, physical, and relational load of the end-of-year period. Released during Christmas week, this episode is a compassionate reminder that therapists matter too.

Kylie explores the realities of end-of-year fatigue, compassion fatigue, and reduced capacity, normalising how layered stress builds across the year. She reframes rest as an ethical and clinical responsibility, not a reward, highlighting how therapist regulation directly impacts therapeutic presence and client safety.

Listeners are encouraged to let go of the pressure to “wrap everything up” before the year ends, to allow reflection to happen in their own time (including in January), and to embrace self-care that genuinely restores the nervous system — even if it looks simple, quiet, or “boring.”

The episode closes with a powerful message about releasing guilt, challenging productivity culture in helping professions, and viewing rest as an act of sustainability and care for both current and future clients.

This is a gentle, affirming episode offering permission to slow down, soften, and prioritise longevity in the work.

In this first part of a special two-part episode, Kylie Ellison reflects on the end-of-year intensity many play therapists and families experience and introduces 10 Things All Play Therapists Need to Know for Christmas. She explores how Christmas can amplify stress, grief, and dysregulation for children and families, and what this looks like in the playroom through play rather than words. The episode focuses on supporting clients and families during the festive season, emphasising containment, boundaries, and presence over “fixing.” Part two will shift the focus to caring for ourselves as therapists during this demanding time of year.

Kylie dedicates this episode to CCPT practitioners who feel lost, doubtful, or exhausted, especially at the end of the year. She normalises feelings of “Is this working?” and explains how they often come from caring deeply, holding a lot of grief for struggling families, and working within an over-stressed, time-poor culture. Instead of piling on strategies, she encourages going back to basics: presence over performance, tiny wins, supervision, and simple connection moments for parents and kids. Her core message: trust yourself, trust the child, and trust the process, your work genuinely matters, even when it doesn’t feel dramatic or visible.

PART TWO from Hawaii! This episode reassures CCPT practitioners who worry they’re “not doing enough,” especially when children appear withdrawn, silent, or resistant in the playroom. It explains that meaningful therapeutic change occurs through presence, safety, and the non-directive relationship, not through directing play or speeding up progress, and that children often begin to shift just when therapists start doubting themselves. Join Kylie as she normalises imposter syndrome, urges therapists to trust the child’s pace and core CCPT principles, and reminds them that their presence is the intervention.

Also..... T Shirts being made!