388 | Why Are These Kids So Happy?: What I Learned About Parenting (and CCPT) from Japan
About this episode
Dr. Brenna Hicks shares insights from her observations of children and parents in Japan, reflecting on the implications for child-centered play therapy.
In this episode, I share some observations from my recent trip to Japan and reflect on what I noticed about children and their parents. What stood out to me most wasn't a specific experience or attraction—it was the consistent presence of calm, content, and genuinely happy children. Over the course of two weeks, I observed something very different from what we often see: children who were regulated, autonomous, and simply enjoying being kids, alongside parents who were calm, neutral, and highly engaged without being reactive. I process what these observations might mean for us as child-centered play therapists. While I don't claim to have all the answers, I connect what I saw back to the foundational principles of CCPT—especially the role of relationship, autonomy, and parental regulation. This episode is a reminder that the work we do extends beyond the playroom. As we support parents in interacting differently with their children, we are contributing to something much bigger: helping create environments where children can thrive. What I witnessed reinforced the long-term vision we all share—a world where children are supported well enough to grow into healthy, well-adjusted…
More episodes of Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in Child-Centered Play Therapy
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- 392 | CCPT Mythbusters: The "Innovation" Myth in Play Therapy
- 391 | When a Child Doesn't Want to Stop: Navigating Termination in CCPT
- 390 | Room Wrecks: The Moment That Tests Every Child-Centered Play Therapist (A CCPT Guide for Understanding and Handling Them)
- 389 | Building Buy-In for CCPT with Teachers and Staff
- 387 | Stop Overloading Parents: How to Drip Feed CCPT Skills
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