401 | CCPT Mythbusters: What the Child Is Doing Isn't Enough

About this episode

This episode challenges the belief that a child's actions in therapy are insufficient, emphasizing the importance of trusting the child's process.

In this episode of the CCPT Mythbusters series, I tackle a belief that quietly shows up in many therapists' thinking: that what the child is doing in session isn't enough. Whether it's a child who only draws, only colors, only builds with Legos, or simply sits quietly week after week, there is often an underlying assumption that the child should be doing more. I challenge that assumption and explore how these thoughts reveal subtle agendas, expectations, and a lack of trust in the child's process. In child-centered play therapy, every behavior, every choice, and every moment in the playroom is meaningful. What the child is doing is enough because it is exactly what the child is choosing and able to do in that stage of their therapeutic journey. I also discuss how this myth can lead therapists away from full adherence to the model. When we begin believing that children should be talking more, playing differently, or progressing faster, we risk interfering with the very process we claim to trust. Instead, I encourage therapists to view every session through a lens of curiosity and confidence. The child who draws for twenty weeks, the child who makes a mess, the child who resists…

People in this episode

Host: Dr. Brenna Hicks

Topics covered

• child-centered play therapy
• therapist assumptions
• child behavior
• trust in therapy
• mythbusting

Keywords

• play therapy
• child behavior
• therapeutic journey
• myths in therapy
• therapist expectations

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• 402 | Understanding Extreme Dysregulation and Trusting the CCPT Process · June 4, 2026 · 18 min
• 400 | 400 Episodes of CCPT: Reflections, Vision, and Live Q&A · May 29, 2026 · 1h 21m
• 399 | Signs a Child Has Too Much Screen Time: What It Looks Like in the CCPT Playroom · May 21, 2026 · 15 min
• 398 | CCPT Mythbusters: The Child Has to Talk About It · May 19, 2026 · 17 min