How To Tell If Clients Are Just Playing in Play Therapy

Next Level Play Therapy: A Podcast for Play Therapy Excellence

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Is this just a flower… or a window into healing using play therapy?

How do you know if your client is ‘just playing’ or doing deep therapeutic work in play therapy sessions?

Ever stared at a child’s drawing of a flower and thought:
“Is this meaningful… or are we just passing time?”

You’re not alone.

As play therapists, we’re trained to honor the child’s process—but let’s be real:

There are times when it’s hard to tell the difference between meaningful play and… filler.

In this week’s podcast episode, I’m cracking open the essential (and often misunderstood) question:

👉🏽 How do you know if your client is doing healing work—or just doing an activity in play therapy sessions?

We’ll explore:

• The real difference between activity and process (and why it matters).
  
  
• What to look for when it seems like “nothing is happening.”
  
  
• When drawing flowers might be avoidance… and when it’s deep grief in disguise.
  
  
• The five play therapist check-in questions to help you decode what’s really going on.
  
  

Whether you’re brand new to play therapy or you’ve logged hundreds of play therapy sessions, this convo will sharpen your clinical lens—and help you show up with more clarity and confidence.

Because knowing how to see beneath the surface?

That’s where the healing begins. 💛

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

פרקים

1. How To Tell If Clients Are Just Playing in Play Therapy (00:00:00)

2. Intro (00:00:01)

3. Today's topic overview (00:00:54)

4. Activity vs. Process: What’s Really Going On? (00:13:09)

5. When Play Feels Like It’s “Just an Activity” (00:19:59)

6. When Play Transforms into Process (00:24:54)

7. How to Tune In (Even When You’re Not Sure) (00:27:52)

8. When You're in the Gray Area (00:32:01)

9. Recap of today's discussion (00:38:55)

10. Resources - PTEC Waitlist (00:42:37)

11. Outro (00:46:01)