The Play Therapy Circle

Kylie Ellison

Hosted by therapist and trainer Kylie Ellison, this podcast explores the heart of Child-Centred Play Therapy and the healing power of play. Each episode offers thoughtful reflections and practical insights for play therapists, students, and caregivers supporting children’s emotional wellbeing.

✨ Join the community: https://mailchi.mp/playtherapycircle.com/play-therapy-circle
✨ Podcast subscriptions: https://kylieellison.com.au/ptcsub

Play

Open in

28 episodes
weekly
Avg 35 min
English

Episodes 28

Newest Oldest Longest

All8 Unplayed8 In progress0 Played0

Counted on this page — what you have heard stays on this device, so it is not something the list can be paged by.

S1 · E42
May 14 · 55 min
Episode 42- You Are Not Doing It Wrong- The COVID Generation, the Exhaustion, and Permission to Be Good Enough
Kylie dives deep into the science behind the COVID generation - what the research is now telling us about children born between 2019 and 2022, why so many kids are struggling right now, and why that is absolutely not a reflection of your parenting. From maternal prenatal stress tripling during the pandemic, to MRI findings showing differences in brain development, to the speech delays, separation anxiety, and social-emotional gaps we're seeing play out in classrooms and therapy rooms across the country - the data is real, and so is the grace that comes with understanding it. She also unpacks why traditional behaviour strategies like sticker charts and reward systems aren't the answer for this generation of kids, and what children actually need right now: consistency, predictability, and repeated co-regulation with a calm adult over time. Not a quick fix. Not a perfect parent. You. She also takes on the myth of the Instagram parent - that curated, polished, cropped-out-the-chaos version of family life that has so many of us silently measuring ourselves against an impossible standard - and gives you full, unapologetic permission to put it down. Drawing on the work of Donald Winnicott and his concept of the good enough parent, Kylie reminds us that children don't need perfection. They need someone who gets it right most of the time, apologises when they don't, and stays in the relationship even when it's hard. That's it. That's the work. This episode is for the parents. It's for the practitioners sitting with exhausted families every day. And it's for anyone who needs to hear that the fact that you're still showing up - still trying, still caring - means you are already doing more than enough. Come as you are. You belong here. Kylie Ellison is a Counsellor and Registered Play Therapist Supervisor who has been working in CCPT for over a decade. Her vision is to see a community of play therapists supporting and encouraging each other. Join the circle for FREE - Community Circle - Circle Subscriptions - Kylie Ellison Therapy & Training •Ching, B. C. F., Parlatini, V., Zhang, S., et al. (2024). Impact of the Covid pandemic on the mental health of children and young people with pre-existing mental health and neurodevelopmental conditions: a systematic review andmeta-analysis. European Psychiatry.•Hossain, M. M., et al. (2022). Long-term physical, mental and social health effects of COVID-19 in the paediatric population: a scoping review. Italian Journal of Pediatrics.•Panchal, U., Salazar de Pablo, G., Franco, M., et al. (2021). The impact of COVID-19 lockdown on child and adolescent mental health: systematic review. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.•Stefanatou, P., et al. (2023). Play as a stress-coping method among children in light of the COVID-19 pandemic: a review. Cureus.•Vasileva, M., Alisic, E., & De Young, A. (2021). COVID-19 unmasked: preschool children's negative thoughts and worries during the COVID-19 pandemic. European Journal of Psychotraumatology.•Hashempour, N., et al. (2024). Prenatal maternal psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic and newborn brain development. JAMA Network Open, 7(6).•Manning, K. Y., Long, X., Watts, D., et al. (2022). Prenatal maternal distress during the COVID-19 pandemic and associations with infant brain connectivity. Biological Psychiatry.•Lu, Y.-C., Andescavage, N., Wu, Y., et al. (2022). Impact of COVID-19 related maternal stress on fetal brain development: a multimodal MRI study. Communications Medicine.•Landreth, G. L. (2023). Play Therapy: The Art of the Relationship (4th ed.). Routledge.•Association for Play Therapy. (2024). Evidence base for play therapy. www.a4pt.org
- Transcript
S1 · E41
May 7 · 18 min
Episode 41 - Reflections on the Road - Come with Us!
Kylie checks in live from Mildura - exhausted, dinner-less, and fresh off one of her most chaotic travel days yet (yes, there was an emergency Kmart suitcase run). But between the laughs, she unpacks the big takeaways from a massive week of Child-Centred Play Therapy training across Victoria, connecting with close to 70 practitioners in Bendigo, Ballarat, Wyndham Vale, and beyond. The conversation this week kept coming back to one powerful idea: stop talking to kids, and start understanding their play. Kylie explores why asking children questions often misses the mark, how behaviour is always a form of communication, and why the practitioners of Victoria are on the frontline of some of the most important research emerging around the mental health impact of COVID-era lockdowns on children. She also teases next week's deeper dive into understanding what kids are really communicating through play - and puts out the call for listener questions for an upcoming Q&A episode. Raw, real, and full of heart - this one's a quick but meaningful check-in. Got a CCPT question for Kylie? Email us hello@playtherapycircle.com. Join the free Circle community | Find us on Facebook, Instagram & TikTok
- Transcript
S1 · E40
April 30 · 38 min
Episode 40- More Than Mess Limit-Setting as Clinical Intervention in CCPT
Is mess in the playroom always therapeutic? In this milestone 40th episode, Kylie challenges some of the assumptions that can creep into Child-Centred Play Therapy practice - specifically around permissiveness and what it really means when a child tips into chaos and destruction during a session. Kylie unpacks why limit-setting isn't a restriction on a child's freedom - it's one of the most empathetic, clinically informed things a play therapist can offer. Drawing on Landreth's ACT model, Dr. Bruce Lipton's research on relational template-downloading in the first five years of life, and the psychoanalytic roots of CCPT through Anna Freud, Melanie Klein, and Virginia Axline, Kylie makes the case that mess is communication and our countertransference is the clinical data we can't afford to ignore. In this episode, Kylie explores: Why non-directiveness is not the same as the absence of structure How children unconsciously download their understanding of relationships — and what that means when we allow chaos to go uncontained Why countertransference is your richest clinical tool when mess shows up in the playroom How empathy, congruence, and unconditional positive regard all actively support, not undermine, therapeutic limit-setting The difference between unconditional regard for the child and unconditional tolerance of every behaviour If you've ever felt frustrated, overwhelmed, or depleted after a session where the playroom became a free-for-all, this episode is for you. That feeling? That's information. The Play Therapy Circle is hosted by Kylie Ellison — therapist, clinical supervisor, and play therapy trainer. New episodes drop weekly. Want to be part of the circle - join our FREE Community Circle here Circle Subscriptions - Kylie Ellison Therapy & Training.
- Transcript
S1 · E37
April 23 · 35 min
Episode 39- Finding Your People: Imposter Syndrome, Trusting Your Gut, and the Community That Makes You Whole
Ever had that nagging feeling that you're not quite good enough - even when the evidence says otherwise? This week, Kylie gets honest about something that came up in real time: imposter syndrome in the helping professions. And if you've ever quietly wondered whether you truly belong in this work, this one is for you. Imposter syndrome isn't new - the term emerged in the 1970s, originally observed in high-achieving women - but its grip on those in caring and helping professions runs especially deep. Unlike a builder who can point to a house they've constructed, therapists and practitioners can't always show tangible proof of their work. The work lives in the room, in the relationship, in the story of a child who finally feels safe enough to play. That invisibility, combined with the deeply personal nature of the work, creates the perfect conditions for self-doubt to take root. Kylie unpacks two distinct voices that fuel imposter syndrome: the inner critic - that familiar, often long-standing voice that whispers you shouldn't be here and the outer chorus, the hum of external expectations, comparisons, and professional pressures that can quietly shape how we see ourselves. Both feel real. Both can be damaging. But here's the thing: neither of them gets to be the final word on who you are. Drawing from her own 11 years in child-centered play therapy, Kylie walks through what it actually looks like to move through imposter syndrome - not by silencing the doubt, but by getting crystal clear on your values. What do you genuinely believe about how children heal? What do you want to be known for at the end of your career? What makes you feel most alive in this work? When you lead from those answers, the outer chorus starts to lose its power. And then there's community. Kylie makes the case - strongly - that finding your people is one of the most protective factors in your entire career. Isolation feeds imposter syndrome. Connection quietens it. Whether you're just starting out and feeling overwhelmed, or you're further along and still navigating moments of self-doubt (because yes, it doesn't just go away), your community exists. The practitioners who see you, believe in you, and want you to flourish. they're out there, and often, they're looking for you too. This episode is a little different in flavour. It's reflective, honest, and came straight from the heart. But sometimes the unplanned episodes are the ones that land the hardest. If today has been a tough one, if you've been questioning where you belong or whether you're enough, this episode is your reminder that the answer is yes. You are enough. Your path is valid and your community is waiting. In this episode: What imposter syndrome is and where the term originally came from Why the helping professions are particularly vulnerable to self-doubt The inner critic vs. the outer chorus and how to tell the difference Why your values are your most powerful anchor Reflective questions to help you get clear on what matters most to you Why community is your greatest professional protective factor against burnout and imposter syndrome How to recognise the right community when you find it A reminder for every early-career practitioner feeling lost: your people exist Play Therapy Circle drops every Friday on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and wherever you listen. Follow along so you never miss an episode, and come find us on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. If you're looking for your community, Kylie's free Circle community is open - check the socials for details.
- Transcript
April 16 · 51 min
Episode 38- Big Feelings, Small Bodies: What Emotional Dysregulation Really Looks Like
Big Feelings, Small Bodies: What Emotional Dysregulation Is Really Telling Us | Ep. 38 When a child explodes, shuts down, bolts from the room, or cries at everything, what is their nervous system actually communicating? In this episode, Kylie Ellison breaks down the neuroscience of emotional dysregulation in children, unpacking the four key presentations play therapists and caregivers see most: the fight response, the flight response, emotional flooding, and the freeze shutdown. Kylie explores what each behaviour is communicating at a nervous system level, why consequences and logical reasoning fail when the thinking brain is offline, and how child-centred play therapy is designed by its very nature to meet these unmet needs. This episode connects the nervous system content from last week's episode into a practical, science-backed framework for understanding children's big behaviours — and responding in a way that actually works. In this episode: Why dysregulation is not a choice, and why it's not misbehaviour The four dysregulation expressions and what each one is communicating What children need in each state (and what makes it worse) Why the CCPT playroom is a regulation environment before anything else Practical takeaways for play therapists, parents, and caregivers Whether you're in the playroom, the classroom, or the living room, this one is for anyone who wants to understand what children's big feelings are really trying to say. Play Therapy Circle is hosted by Kylie Ellison, play therapist and clinical trainer at Kylie Ellison Therapy & Training. New episodes drop weekly.
- Transcript
S1 · E37
April 2 · 50 min
Episode 37 - The Nervous System and the Play Room
In this episode, Kylie breaks down polyvagal theory and its three key nervous system states - safe and social, fight or flight, and freeze/shutdown and explores what each one actually looks like when a child walks through the playroom door. Because understanding which state a child is in changes everything about how you respond to them. From neuroception (that unconscious, automatic threat-scanning happening in every child's nervous system, every moment of every day) to the neuroscience of co-regulation, Kylie unpacks why you simply cannot reason, teach, or connect with a child whose thinking brain is offline and what to do instead. Spoiler: it starts with you. One of the most powerful ideas in this episode is this - your regulated presence as a therapist isn't just good practice, it's the actual mechanism for change. The nervous system is a social organ, designed to be regulated by another nervous system. Which means a calm, warm, attuned adult can literally help a child's nervous system return to safety in real time. That's not a metaphor. That's neurobiology. Kylie also shines a light on the children who often get missed, the quiet ones, the compliant ones, the ones flying under the radar in the classroom and why a child in freeze or shutdown can actually be more concerning than the one having the explosive meltdown. And for the parents listening? There's a whole section for you too. Why talking to your child mid-meltdown doesn't work (and never will), what co-regulation actually looks like in practice, and why your number one job in those hard moments is to regulate yourself first. Whether you're a seasoned play therapist, a student just starting out, or a parent trying to make sense of the big behaviours happening at home, this episode offers a new lens for understanding what children are really communicating and why the playroom might just be the most neurologically sophisticated therapeutic environment we have for children. In this episode: The three states of the nervous system and what they look like in the playroom Why the quiet, withdrawn child can be more concerning than the explosive one Neuroception — why children can't simply choose their reactions The neuroscience behind co-regulation and why it's biological, not optional Why your own regulation as a therapist is a clinical skill, not a nice-to-have Practical guidance for parents navigating dysregulation and big emotions at home Why CCPT isn't "just play" it's the most neurologically aligned therapeutic approach we have for children The Play Therapy Circle is now listened to in 55 countries. Wherever you are in the world — welcome to the Circle. 🎙️ Play Therapy Circle | Hosted by Kylie Ellison Free community forum: ⁠JOIN OUR FREE COMMUNITY HERE⁠
- Transcript
S1 · E36
March 26 · 39 min
Episode 36- Holding Hope | Play Therapists in Times of Global Uncertainty
Holding Hope in the Playroom | Play Therapy Circle In one of her most personal episodes yet, host Kylie Ellison pauses to name what so many play therapists are quietly carrying, the weight of showing up for children and families during a time of profound collective anxiety and global uncertainty. This episode is for you, the therapist in the trenches. Kylie explores how the state of the world filters into the playroom - from children presenting with themes of chaos and loss of control, to parents arriving more activated and depleted than ever. She unpacks the very real psychological labour of holding hope when that hope feels genuinely hard to access, and what it means when hope is part of your professional identity. In this episode: Why children are neurologically wired to track caregiver anxiety and what that means for what you're seeing in sessions right now The difference between burnout and compassion fatigue, and how to recognise the signs in yourself The compassion satisfaction, fatigue continuum, and why collective global stress shifts the whole scale Vicarious anxiety: the less-talked-about cousin of vicarious trauma Practical anchors for holding hope, supervision, containment rituals, community connection, and returning to your why A gentle reminder that the therapeutic relationship itself is one of the most radical acts of hope that exists right now This one's raw, honest, and a little bit like a therapy session - and that's exactly the point. You matter. What you do matters. And you are not alone. 🎙️ Play Therapy Circle | Hosted by Kylie EllisonFree community forum: JOIN OUR FREE COMMUNITY HERE
- Transcript
March 19 · 33 min
FLASHBACK EPISODE - #7 Understanding the Child's World Through Play
🎙️ FLASHBACK EPISODE — Episode 7: Understanding the Child's World Through Play Play is children's universal language — and once you understand it, you'll never look at it the same way again. In this flashback episode, we explore how children use play to communicate what they can't express in words, and what that means for us as CCPT practitioners, parents, educators, and caregivers. We dive into: • Why play is a child's primary mode of communication • What common play themes like shop and hide & seek are really telling us • How sand tray and art reveal a child's inner world • The power of observing without rushing to fix or interpret • Why validating feelings is the first step toward healing and growth Whether you're a seasoned play therapist or someone who simply works with or loves children, this episode will shift the way you see and respond to the children in your life. As Gary Landreth reminds us - toys are their words and play is their language. 🧸 #PlayTherapy #CCPT #ChildCentredPlayTherapy #PlayTherapyCircle
- Transcript

Showing 21–28 of 28 episodes