Best Cathi Spooner Lcsw Rpt S Podcasts (2025)

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How to Use an Integrative Play Therapy Model with Traumatized Children & Teens 47:17

2d ago47:17

47:17

Send us a text What’s the best approach to using play therapy with traumatized children and teens? If you’re a play therapist or child/adolescent mental health professional, then you probably have clients on your caseload who have experienced trauma. The thing about experiencing trauma is that it’s unique to each child and adolescent. While there a…

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What’s the Connection Between Childhood Trauma and Adolescent Suicidality? 41:56

9d ago41:56

41:56

Send us a text Is there a connection between suicide ideation in adolescence for children who have experienced trauma? We know from the research that trauma has a significant negative impact on children that can contribute to mental health issues into adolescence and adulthood. So, it would make sense that trauma would have a profound impact on ado…

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5 Components to Create a Safe Space for Healing Trauma in Play Therapy 47:09

18d ago47:09

47:09

Send us a text The last several years of neuroscience research has shown mental health professionals how to better understand the role of autonomic nervous system and interpersonal neurobiology. It’s provided a wealth of information to understand the importance of creating a safe healing space for children and adolescents who have experienced traum…

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Play Therapy with Children & Teens Experiencing Eating Problems 47:56

25d ago47:56

47:56

Send us a text Have you ever had a client present to your office and you were kind of stumped about what to do? Me too. I’ve totally been there. The thing that helped me to make sure I was doing my best to help my client was having a good network of colleagues and mentors to share their knowledge and resources. That’s exactly why I’m soooooooooo ex…

1
Does Case Conceptualization Matter in Play Therapy? 42:07

1M ago42:07

42:07

Send us a text I’ve heard it said by mental health professionals and play therapists that case conceptualization doesn’t really matter when you’re working with clients. When I dig a little deeper about their reasons, the response that I get is that play therapy and counseling is intuitive and it’s about building a strong relationship with clients. …

1
What’s the Role of Parents in Play Therapy? 42:22

1M ago42:22

42:22

Send us a text Boost Parental Involvement in Play Therapy with Attachment & Neuroscience Strategies If you’re a play therapist or child/adolescent therapist, then you know children exist within the context of a family and parental involvement in the treatment process is important. But do you view parents as the therapeutic agents of change for thei…

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How Play Therapists Can Avoid Burnout 47:12

2M ago47:12

47:12

Send us a text As play therapists, we are often the ones who sit with stories of pain, loss, and struggle—walking alongside our clients during their toughest moments. But let’s face it: hearing these stories day after day can take its toll on even the most seasoned therapists. How do we keep our hearts open and our spirits strong while "holding har…

1
Want to Be Part of a Play Therapy Community? 30:58

2M ago30:58

30:58

Send us a text Are you part of a play therapy community? Are you the only play therapist in your agency? One of the things I hear ALL the time from members of my Play Therapy Academy program is how much they LOVE our community of support and amazing play therapists. (I love it too!) When someone is having a rough week and feeling like a big failure…

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How to Develop Culturally-Informed Play Therapy Case Conceptualization 43:38

2M ago43:38

43:38

Send us a text How good are you at identifying the role of culture in the problems your clients are experiencing? Have you considered the resiliency factors of your clients’ culture and how that can influence better play therapy outcomes? Play therapists work with children and their families from diverse cultural backgrounds. Using cultural compete…

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How to Get Great Results in Play Therapy 38:27

2M ago38:27

38:27

Send us a text What does clinical case conceptualization in play therapy mean and does it really matter? 🙄 Case conceptualization is your ability to ask all the necessary questions that get to the roots of the issue so you know what to focus on in play therapy to help your clients and their parents. Skipping the initial diagnostic session to gather…

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How to Write Great Play Therapy Documentation Quickly and Easily 35:47

2M ago35:47

35:47

Send us a text What’s your least favorite part about providing play therapy services to your clients? Let me tune into my mind reading skills to read your mind 💭- documentation, right? Over the last 30 years in the child and adolescent mental health field, I’ve never met a therapist who says they love writing progress notes, treatment plans, and ps…

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Why do you need strong Case Conceptualization skills for play therapy? 34:06

3M ago34:06

34:06

Send us a text Most therapists I talk with, including play therapists, want to get straight to helping their clients during the very first session so they skip the detailed information gathering needed for a thorough assessment. I get it. You want to make a difference and help your clients without wasting time. But is the information gathering proc…

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What skills are needed to be a play therapist? 37:05

3M ago37:05

37:05

Send us a text What does it mean to be a play therapist and what skills are needed to provide play therapy? Understanding fundamental principles for play therapy ensures child and adolescent therapists recognize the difference between using games in therapy versus play therapy. There are specialized skills child and adolescent therapists need to de…

1
What is Bias in Play Therapy? 40:43

3M ago40:43

40:43

Send us a text Mental health professionals are human beings who bring all of themselves into the counseling process to walk alongside their clients in the healing process. Humans are prone to biases and imperfection, including those in the mental health field. Play therapy is no different. Maybe that’s one of the reasons we tend to be a little neur…

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4 Basic Skills for Play Therapists 37:45

3M ago37:45

37:45

Send us a text What are the four basic play therapy skills every play therapist needs to master to competently provide play therapy that gets real results for your clients? The Association for Play Therapy has identified several play therapy core competencies necessary for becoming a Registered Play Therapist ™ These core competencies identify what…

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What’s the Backbone of Great Play & Expressive Arts Therapy? 39:48

4M ago39:48

39:48

Send us a text What’s the Backbone of Great Play & Expressive Arts Therapy? Any really great therapist will tell you that one the foundational elements of providing excellent psychotherapy to clients is … … Clinical Case Conceptualization. Are you having flashbacks to graduate school and rolling your eyes at me as you read this? Hang in there a min…

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Clinical Decision-Making in Play Therapy: What’s in Your Toolbox? 31:25

4M ago31:25

31:25

Send us a text What are the clinical tools in your play therapy and expressive arts toolbox and how do you use those tools effectively with your young clients? Engaging strong clinical decision-making skills when using an integrated approach in play therapy and expressive arts treatment is just as important as if you are applying one specific play …

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Is Sandplay Therapy Effective? 33:40

4M ago33:40

33:40

Send us a text Does sand tray therapy in play therapy work? What’s the difference between sandplay therapy and sand tray therapy? Aren’t they the same thing? Words matter when thinking about what you do in play therapy and communicating to others what you’re doing. After all, can you clearly communicate to others if you don’t really understand the …

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How to Help Bereaved Children in Play Therapy 43:47

4M ago43:47

43:47

Send us a text Children feel grief deeply and their grieving process looks different depending on a variety of factors, including their age and developmental level. How can play therapists help children navigate their grief in a way that is unique to their developmental needs in treatment? Play therapy has become the “go-to” approach to help childr…

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Can Children Heal in Play Therapy without Parents? 42:52

5M ago42:52

42:52

Send us a text What’s the best way to make the biggest and most long-lasting impact using play therapy? After all, that’s the goal of play therapy - to make a lasting difference in the lives of children. The question we need to consider is - who is the therapeutic agent of change for the child? Play therapist or parents? You can make the case that …

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What’s the Secret to Use Family Play Therapy Confidently? 42:52

5M ago42:52

42:52

Send us a text Usually when I suggest play therapists use family play therapy sessions, their facial expression says it all. Anxious, surprised, overwhelmed, and sometimes amused or curious. It makes sense when you think about it because most play therapy training is focused on individual counseling sessions and very little training is focused on h…

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How to Engage Challenging Parents in Play Therapy 34:20

5M ago34:20

34:20

Send us a text If you’re a play therapist or work with children and adolescents in the mental health field, then you know children do not exist in their own little vacuum. When you think about what’s going on with your clients from a systems and attachment lens, then you know parents and family have a big influence on children and their ability to …

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How to Build Strong Rapport in Play Therapy 35:54

5M ago35:54

35:54

Send us a text While I believe that learning a play therapy model so you can effectively apply the model with a variety of children through all the stages of the play therapy change process is critical, 👇 Facilitating deep healing in play therapy is not possible without a strong therapeutic relationship with clients. We know from neuroscience resea…

1
Using Play Therapy to Help Children with Anger Problems 36:42

5M ago36:42

36:42

Send us a text Emotion regulation problems, such as anger outbursts, are a big reason parents seek counseling for their children. Parents aren’t sure what to do so they seek help from you. Anger outbursts/tantrums can be frightening for parents as well as the child. What’s a play therapist to do? How can play therapy help children rein in those big…

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What’s the Best Approach for Play Therapy? 37:35

6M ago37:35

37:35

Send us a text If you’re a child and adolescent therapist, it’s probably because you want to make a difference in the lives of children. That’s what drives most of you to pursue your master’s degree in counseling and spend endless hours trying to learn how to help your clients heal. Pretty much all of the child and adolescent therapists I’ve spoken…

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What is Bibliotherapy in Play Therapy? 45:14

6M ago45:14

45:14

Send us a text What the heck does bibliotherapy mean? It’s a really fancy term for using stories to help clients heal. Most play therapists incorporate some version of bibliotherapy in the play therapy process. To be honest, I’ve used bibliotherapy with adolescents and adults to help them heal. I use it ALL the time in family play therapy sessions.…

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How to Create Your Sand Tray Miniature Collection 34:03

6M ago34:03

34:03

Send us a text I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE using sand tray therapy with my clients of all ages. I’m obsessed with it because I’ve witnessed the power of the sand tray therapy process to access deep healing for clients. I also know that getting started can be overwhelming because it can be expensive. So what’s a play therapist to do? Join me for thi…

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Best Ever Sand for Sand Tray Therapy! 26:03

6M ago26:03

26:03

Send us a text Wondering how to find great sand to use for sand tray therapy with NO DUST? One of the most challenging things about using sand tray therapy with children is sand that’s dusty. Dusty? Can sand be dusty? YES! It’s the worst when the sand is dusty because there's a cloud of dust lingering over the sand tray when kids sift and play in t…

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What Kind of Sand Tray Miniatures Are Best 34:51

7M ago34:51

34:51

Send us a text What kind of sand tray miniatures do you need? Are there miniatures that are better than others so your clients get what they need in your play therapy sessions? These are frequent questions I’m asked by play therapists who want to learn how to use sand tray therapy in play therapy. They’re really good questions when you think about …

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How to Provide Sand Tray Therapy in Play Therapy 43:42

7M ago43:42

43:42

Send us a text Have you heard of sand tray therapy? How do you provide sand tray therapy? What do you need to provide sand tray therapy with clients? If you’re a play therapist then you’ve probably heard of sand tray therapy. In play therapy, there are specific types of toys and supplies needed in the playroom to provide play therapy. The same is t…

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How Do Play Therapists Understand Themes in Play Therapy? 36:24

7M ago36:24

36:24

Send us a text One of the biggest struggles for play therapists is understanding and recognizing themes in play therapy. Play therapists use themes in play therapy sessions to help them understand what’s going on with their clients and how they are progressing in play therapy. Join me for this free podcast, I’ll share highlights from the study and …

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Identifying Play Dynamics in Play Therapy 44:49

7M ago44:49

44:49

Send us a text How do you make sense of what’s going on in play therapy sessions and figure out if your clients are making progress? This is a question that comes up A LOT in my play therapy trainings and play therapy consultation groups. It’s a great question. Underlying this question is the understanding that play therapy sessions are not traditi…

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How To Develop Culturally-Informed Play Therapy Case Conceptualization 43:40

8M ago43:40

43:40

Send us a text How good are you at identifying the role of culture in the problems your clients are experiencing? Have you considered the resiliency factors of your clients’ culture and how that can influence better play therapy outcomes? Play therapists work with children and their families from diverse cultural backgrounds. Using cultural compete…

1
How To Use Neuroscience & Attachment Theory in Play Therapy to Heal Trauma 41:00

8M ago41:00

41:00

Send us a text I discovered neuroscience and attachment theory as a play therapist about 15 years ago and was immediately a fan because I recognized how attachment theory and neuroscience relate to play therapy. Understanding behaviors, and especially trauma, from this lens was a game-changer for me. It made so much sense, especially for someone wi…

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How To Take a Strategic Approach to Play Therapy with Traumatized Children 33:48

8M ago33:48

33:48

Send us a text Have you ever wondered which approach works best with children who are traumatized? Or maybe you’ve wondered what techniques are used in trauma therapy? Working with children and adolescents who have experienced trauma requires child and adolescent mental health professionals to understand a variety of factors impacting treatment dec…

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What is Sand Tray Therapy? 29:16

8M ago29:16

29:16

Send us a text If you’re a play therapist you’ve probably heard of sand tray therapy. Maybe you’re using sand tray therapy now with your child and adolescent clients or maybe you’ve been really curious about it. There’s a lot of confusion about using sand tray in play therapy and that impacts the quality of the experience for your clients. What is …

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How to Engage Reluctant Parents in Play Therapy 40:12

9M ago40:12

40:12

Send us a text Have you ever felt super frustrated trying to get engagement from parents for their child’s play therapy treatment? Feeling like you are “chasing” parents to get them to schedule an appointment with you to discuss how to help their child make progress in play therapy. Feeling tired and a little burned out responding to phone calls, e…

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What Are the Current Trends and Growth in the Field of Play Therapy? 45:17

9M ago45:17

45:17

Send us a text If you’re in the child and adolescent mental health field then you’ve likely heard of play therapy, but why is it so effective? How is it possible that play therapy has become the go-to treatment approach for children to address their mental health challenges? What is it that sets play therapy apart from other treatment modalities? H…

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What’s the Role of Parents in Play Therapy with Anxious Children? 41:44

9M ago41:44

41:44

Send us a text In the play therapy profession, the focus is typically on the children and providing play therapy sessions only with the child to facilitate healing. Makes sense when you think about it because parents bring their child to you for help overcoming their mental health challenges. But is it really the most effective way to conceptualize…

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How to Balance Case Conceptualization, Treatment Planning, and Therapeutic Relationship in Play Therapy 43:45

9M ago43:45

43:45

Send us a text As a play therapist or child/adolescent therapist, 👇 Have you ever thought there is no way to balance a strong therapeutic relationship with clients and parents with the more clinically technical aspects of case conceptualization and treatment planning? Therapeutic rapport is relational, right?. It’s personal and dynamic. Case concep…

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How to Work with High Conflict Families in Play Therapy 49:30

9M ago49:30

49:30

Send us a text If you’re a play therapist then you’ve probably had children from high conflict divorced families on your caseload at some point, or maybe even now. These families can present very challenging issues to navigate in play therapy. If you’ve worked with children in high conflict family systems then you’ve probably felt helpless, frustra…

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How Can the AAI Be Used in Play Therapy to Create Secure Attachments? 40:20

10M ago40:20

40:20

Send us a text One of the things I regularly hear from play therapists is their frustration knowing what is the most effective way to work with parents in play therapy. This is especially true when working with children in families that are very challenging. Children exist within the context of their families and supporting parents to be the therap…

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How to Set Up Play Therapy for Success 39:33

10M ago39:33

39:33

Send us a text From an attachment theory standpoint, structure is an important part of parenting. It helps children understand relationship boundaries, protects them from possible harm, provides a sense of safety and order, and allows them to understand how actions impact them and others. How we provide structure is very important - Not too rigid a…

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What is Imposter Syndrome in Play Therapy? 35:53

10M ago35:53

35:53

Send us a text If you’re a play therapist, especially new to play therapy, I’m going to share a secret with you. You may not believe me when I tell you this. If you feel like a fraud using play therapy … If you feel overwhelmed and struggling with thoughts that you suck using play therapy and that your clients are probably suffering because of your…

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How to Get Unstuck in Play Therapy 40:54

10M ago40:54

40:54

Send us a text Have you ever felt like you’re lost and not sure what to do when you’re providing play therapy? Maybe you’ve secretly thought that you aren’t cut out to be a play therapist because you’re terrible at it. At some point in your learning journey to help your clients heal using play therapy, you’ve probably felt lost, overwhelmed, and fr…

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How Do You Know if Play Therapy Works? 35:59

11M ago35:59

35:59

Send us a text What’s the point of learning to recognize themes in play therapy sessions? Does it really matter? Play therapists often talk about what play themes occurred in their clients’ play therapy sessions. Are play themes even real or are we just making them up to justify that play therapy is actually working? We know that play therapy has b…

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How Can Play Therapy Heal Preverbal Trauma? 41:17

11M ago41:17

41:17

Send us a text Do children who’ve experienced trauma prior to developing language have the capacity to remember what happened to them? Does the traumatic experience go away on its own? I’ve often heard people, including child serving professionals, dismiss the possibility of the negative impact of neglect and early trauma on infants and young child…

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What Are the Best Play Therapy Techniques for Connection 43:11

11M ago43:11

43:11

Send us a text Using play therapy effectively requires child and adolescent therapists to know how to use a theoretical play therapy model to access the therapeutic powers of play. When choosing play therapy to facilitate healing, it’s important to consider what your clients need and how you will use play therapy to accomplish that goal. Want some …

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What are the Therapeutic Powers of Play in Play Therapy? 35:37

11M ago35:37

35:37

Send us a text Play therapists often talk about the therapeutic powers of play. But what exactly does that mean and why are they so important in play therapy? How do you explain play therapy to others? Actually, knowing the answer to these questions are core competencies for play therapists because 👇 The therapeutic powers of play are what set play…

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How to Write Effective Play Therapy Documentation 33:40

12M ago33:40

33:40

Send us a text Writing play therapy documentation is hands down the least favorite task for play therapists, myself included. It’s overwhelming, confusing, and exhausting. It can feel never ending and burn you out. It’s often avoided altogether, which is never good. Avoiding it just creates more stress because you feel like you’re always behind or …

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Cathi Spooner Lcsw Rpt S Podcasts

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