413 | CCPT Mythbusters: Child-Centered Play Therapy Doesn't Work with Older Kids
About this episode
This episode addresses the misconception that Child-Centered Play Therapy is ineffective for older children, emphasizing the importance of the therapeutic relationship.
In this episode of the CCPT Mythbusters series, I tackle a misconception that exists even within the child-centered play therapy community: the belief that CCPT doesn't work with older children. Too many therapists assume that once children reach nine or ten years old, they have "outgrown" play therapy and need a more traditional talk therapy approach. I explain why this simply isn't true. While older children may express themselves differently and rely more on conversation and activity-based play, the foundational principles of CCPT remain exactly the same. Healing has never depended on toys—it has always depended on the therapeutic relationship. I also share practical insights from working with older children and adolescents, including why so many initially resist play but eventually embrace it as they experience genuine acceptance and emotional freedom. Whether you're working with a 4-year-old or a 14-year-old, the core conditions that Carl Rogers identified still apply. This episode is an encouragement to trust the model, challenge your own adulthood bias, and confidently offer child-centered play therapy to older children who need it just as much as their younger peers…
More episodes of Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in Child-Centered Play Therapy
- 418 | CCPT Mythbusters: You'll Eventually Be 100% Adherent to the Model
- 417 | Expectancy, Not Expectations: The Heart of Unconditional Acceptance in CCPT
- 416 | CCPT Mythbusters: Kids Are Manipulative
- 415 | Advanced "I Wonder" and Whisper Technique in Role Play
- 414 | When a Child Narrates Their Own Play - Trusting the Process
- 412 | When an Anxious Child Won't Stay in the Playroom
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