Playful Beginnings

Playful Beginnings

Video Podcast

di Maggie Parker and Kristie Opiola

Salute mentale Relazioni

Stagione 1

Tales from the Field: Limit setting in Real Life

✨ New Episode Alert! ✨ In this week’s Playful Beginnings, we’re diving deeper into one of the trickiest parts of play therapy: limit setting. 🎯 We share real stories from our own practice — from facing the ultimate limits, to staying calm in the heat of the moment, to what it really looks like when theory meets practice. 💡 🎙️ Tune in for insights, laughs, and reminders that you’re not alone in navigating those tough moments. ➡️ Listen now wherever you get your podcasts! #PlayfulBeginnings #PlayTherapy #LimitSetting #ChildTherapy #TherapistLife

Encouragement vs. Praise

In this episode, we break down the differences between encouragement vs. praise. This is a helpful episode for parents, teachers, and play therapists! It is a great reminder of the importance of encouraging the effort over praising the product to increase children's grit, perserverence, and buid their internal locus of control.

Encouragement vs. Praise

From a CCPT perspective, children have an innate capacity for growth and creativity. A key skill that assists children in developing an internal locus of control (belief in self and reliance on self rather than others for evaluation), can occur through a shift from praise to encouragement. This subtle shift can assist kids in developing grit, tenacity, and reliance on self over others. This is especially important to help people keep going when it is hard and to recognize their innate value!

Returning Responsibility Part 1

Hello! We're back with a full version of the Returning Responsibility Episode. In this episode, Kristie and Maggie explore the what and why of returning responsibility for a Child Centered Perspective! Enjoy!

The How of Returning Responsibility

In this episode, Kristie and Maggie explore HOW they return responsibility, times that required pivoting slightly from the book, and the importance of always holding the relationship as the utmost important aspect of Child Centered Play Therapy.

Esteem Building Responses

You did it! You kept trying! You are determined! Esteem building skills go a long way in the playroom. In this episode, delve into these responses, the how, why, and what from a CCPT perspective! Enjoy!

Stagione 2

Working with Toddlers: Learning with Dr. Mary Bennett

🌟 New Episode Alert! 🌟 This week on Playful Beginnings, we’re joined by the incredible Dr. Mary Morrison Bennett to dive into the wonderfully messy, curious, magical world of toddlers. 👶💛 We talk all things toddler development—from big feelings and tiny attention spans to the milestones that matter (and the ones that really don’t). Whether you’re a parent, teacher, or play therapist, this episode will help you reset expectations, understand what’s developmentally normal, and respond to toddlers with more confidence, compassion, and calm. Tune in for practical tips, developmental wisdom, and plenty of reassurance that your toddler is right on track, even on the hard days. ✨🎙️ #PlayfulBeginnings #ToddlerDevelopment #MaryMorrisonBennett #PlayTherapy #EarlyChildhood #ParentingSupport #BigFeelingsLittleBodies

Adapting CPRT and CCPT for Toddlers: Featuring Dr. Mary Bennett

🎙️ New Episode of Playful Beginnings! 🎉 This week, we’re joined by the brilliant Dr. Mary Bennett to explore how we can thoughtfully adapt Child–Parent Relationship Therapy (CPRT) and Child-Centered Play Therapy (CCPT) for toddlers. 👶💛 Toddlers learn, connect, and express themselves differently—and their play therapy should reflect that. Dr. Bennett walks us through how to meet toddlers right where they are with shorter sessions, simpler language, sensory-rich play, and extra co-regulation from caregivers and therapists. Whether you’re a parent, teacher, or play therapist, this episode offers practical guidance to help you support toddlers’ big emotions, growing brains, and emerging relationships through developmentally attuned play. A must-listen for anyone working with our smallest (and mightiest!) humans. ✨🧸 #PlayfulBeginnings #PlayTherapy #CCPT #CPRT #ToddlerDevelopment #DrMaryBennett #EarlyChildhood #PlayfulParenting #TherapistsWhoPlay

What IS executive functining?

🎙️ New Episode: Understanding Executive Functioning in Kids Executive functioning isn’t just a buzzword — it’s the foundation of how children plan, organize, regulate emotions, shift between tasks, and make sense of their world. In this week’s Playful Beginnings, we break down what executive functioning really is, how it develops in early childhood, and why play therapists must understand these skills to truly meet children where they are. From impulse control to working memory to flexible thinking, we explore the brain-building that happens through PLAY — and how developmentally appropriate expectations can transform both the therapy room and the home. Whether you’re a play therapist, parent, or teacher, this episode will help you: ✨ Recognize what’s neurologically realistic for kids ✨ Understand how stress + trauma impact executive skills ✨ Use child-centered principles to support growth ✨ See play as the brain’s natural training ground If you want to deepen your clinical wisdom and support kids more compassionately, this is an episode you don’t want to miss. 🎧 Listen now on Playful Beginnings #PlayfulBeginnings #ExecutiveFunctioning #PlayTherapy #ChildDevelopment #CCPT #CPRT #ThePlayTherapySpace

How Children Experience the Holidays — and How Adults Can Support Them

✨ New Episode of Playful Beginnings ✨ How Children Experience the Holidays — and How Adults Can Support Them The holidays can be magical… and overwhelming. For children, big changes in routine, emotions, expectations, and stimulation can show up as joy and struggle. In this episode, we explore: 🎄 Why even “happy” holidays can be hard for kids 🎄 How children communicate overwhelm through behavior 🎄 What parents, teachers, and play therapists can do to support regulation and connection 🎄 How a child-centered play therapy lens helps us respond with empathy instead of urgency If you’ve ever wondered “Why is this so hard for my child right now?”—this episode is for you. 🎧 Listen in, share with a fellow caregiver or educator, and follow along for more child-centered insights that support real-life moments.

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