Stop Guessing: 3 Keys to Decode Behavior in Play Therapy

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What do you do when your 6-year-old client is kicking things in the lobby or a 7-year-old starts using cursing in a family session?

If you've ever felt like your play therapy questions are falling flat or a client’s behavior is spiraling out of control, you aren't alone. 

After 30+ years as a child and adolescent psychotherapist, I’ve learned that these moments aren’t failures—they are data.

In this podcast, I break down a 3-step framework to help you decode dysregulated behavior using neuroscience and attachment theory so you can move past the "acting out" and access deep healing.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• Behavior as Communication: Why children don't actually want to be "bad" and how to shift your mindset from "what are they doing?" to "what is activating this response?"
• The Role of Neuroscience: How predictive processing, beliefs, and emotions influence a child's nervous system and your treatment decisions.
• Mastering Co-Regulation: How to use your own regulated state to help a distressed child feel seen, safe, and organized.
• Your Roadmap to Success: How your play therapy model (including Integrative Play Therapy) guides your decision-making in the playroom.

About Cathi Spooner: I help play therapists and mental health professionals integrate neuroscience and attachment into their practice so they can work with more confidence and help their clients achieve lasting change.

Join my free Facebook Community Play and Expressive Arts Therapy Playground.

Check out my free resources for mental health professionals working with children, adolescents, and families who want to integrate play therapy and expressive arts into their clinical work.

I work with individuals and agencies to develop successful strategies and meet the treatment needs of your child and adolescent clients and their families using play therapy & expressive arts.

Contact me to schedule a free 30-minute video call if you're ready to level up your skills