Play Therapy Circle Podcast

Play Therapy Circle Podcast Welcome to The Play Therapy Circle Podcast! The Aussie CCPT podcast, episodes drop every Friday.

🎧 Episode 53 is now live!The first play therapy session can look simple on the outside but so much is happening undernea...
29/08/2026

🎧 Episode 53 is now live!

The first play therapy session can look simple on the outside but so much is happening underneath.

In this episode of The Play Therapy Circle, I’m exploring why that first session matters so much, and why the focus isn’t on gathering information, it’s on establishing safety.

We talk about what a child’s nervous system is taking in, how practitioners can create a safe and welcoming foundation, what parents can expect, and what to do when the first session doesn’t go quite as planned.

✨ For practitioners
✨ For parents and caregivers
✨ For anyone wanting to better understand what happens when a child first enters the playroom

🎙️ Episode 53: The First Session - What Actually Happens & Why It Matters

Available now on your favourite podcast app.

27/08/2026

A child’s very first play therapy session can look deceptively simple.

They walk into the room.
They look around.
Maybe they play straight away.
Maybe they don’t.

But underneath that first meeting, something much bigger is happening.

In Episode 53 of The Play Therapy Circle, I’m exploring why the first session matters so much, and why it’s not really about gathering information at all.

It’s about establishing safety.

We talk about:
✨ what a child’s nervous system is taking in from the very first moments
✨ why presence can matter more than technique
✨ what practitioners can do to create a safe, welcoming foundation
✨ what parents can expect from that first session
✨ how to prepare children without putting pressure on them
✨ and what to do when the first session doesn’t go quite as expected

For practitioners, this is a reminder to trust your training, trust the child and trust the process.

For parents, it’s a reassuring look at what actually happens when your child walks into the playroom for the first time.

🎧 Episode 53: The First Session: What Actually Happens & Why It Matters

Coming soon on The Play Therapy Circle Podcast.

What will you leave our conference with? ✨More than notes in a workbook. More than two days of sitting and listening.The...
25/08/2026

What will you leave our conference with? ✨

More than notes in a workbook. More than two days of sitting and listening.

The Play Therapy Circle Conference 2026 is about creating space to **learn, reflect, connect and come away feeling inspired**.

You’ll leave with:
✨ Fresh ideas to take straight back to your practice
💗 Greater clinical confidence
💬 Real-world play therapy conversations that go beyond the theory
🤝 Connection with people who truly get this work
🌟 Inspiration for Monday morning

Join us in Brisbane for two days with the play therapy community, learning together, sharing openly and reconnecting with the work we love.

📅 24 & 25 October 2026
📍 Rydges South Bank, Brisbane

Just **2 months to go** 💗

🎙️ This week's episode is still loading... and we need YOUR help to finish it!We're putting Kylie in the hot seat 🌸🔥 and...
20/08/2026

🎙️ This week's episode is still loading... and we need YOUR help to finish it!

We're putting Kylie in the hot seat 🌸🔥 and this time, YOU get to choose the questions!

Got something you've always wanted to ask about play therapy? Maybe it's a tricky situation that's come up in your playroom, how to navigate a tough family dynamic, or something about growing your skills as a therapist...

💬 Comment below with your question, or
📩 Send it to us privately

No question is too big or too small - nothing is too silly, simple or awkward. We want it all! 💕

The best questions will be answered by Kylie herself in an upcoming episode of The Play Therapy Circle Podcast.

🌅 BIG NEWS for therapists — save the date! ✨We're beyond excited to be apart of The 2027 Wellness & Thrive Therapist Get...
20/08/2026

🌅 BIG NEWS for therapists — save the date! ✨

We're beyond excited to be apart of The 2027 Wellness & Thrive Therapist Getaway 🌸

📅 February 24–27, 2027
📍 Noosa, QLD
🌊 Relax. Connect. Thrive.

This is your invitation to step away from the demands of practice and invest in you. Join us for a retreat designed specifically for therapists, where you'll:

🤝 CONNECT with like-minded professionals
💡 GAIN actionable tools to improve self-care outcomes
🗣️ PARTICIPATE in dynamic workshops
❤️ REIGNITE your passion and prevent burnout
💰 INVEST WITH A DEPOSIT — affordable monthly payment plans available if paying upfront isn't feasible

Your hosts, Kylie & Kelli, bring 20+ years of combined clinical experience, facilitation skills, and a deep understanding of therapist burnout, compassion fatigue, transference, and the realities of care work.

🎉 Early Bird Special: Get 10% OFF with code KKWT10 when you pay in full by September 15th, 2026

Invest in you. Impact others. 💕

👉 Register now!

🎙️ New episode is live! Returning Responsibility: Handing the Power Back to the ChildEver caught yourself wanting to jum...
15/08/2026

🎙️ New episode is live! Returning Responsibility: Handing the Power Back to the Child

Ever caught yourself wanting to jump in and answer for a child, fix it, or tell them what to do? This week Kylie unpacks returning responsibility, one of the foundational skills of child-centered play therapy, and why sitting in that uncomfortable moment is actually where the growth happens.

In this episode:
🔑 What returning responsibility actually means (and why it's not withholding help)
🔑 Simple language you can use straight away, like "in here, that's something you can decide"
🔑 The common mistakes to avoid, from overusing it to missing genuine distress
🔑 How to bring this skill into your parent consultations too

Tune in now 🎧 link in bio

Got a question you’d love me to unpack on The Play Therapy Circle? 💗Maybe you’ve got a question about:✨ child-centred pl...
13/08/2026

Got a question you’d love me to unpack on The Play Therapy Circle? 💗

Maybe you’ve got a question about:
✨ child-centred play therapy
✨ something that keeps coming up in the playroom
✨ a tricky moment in session
✨ toys, skills, limits, or therapeutic responses
✨ supporting children, parents, or caregivers
✨ something you’ve always wanted to hear discussed on the podcast

No question is too small, and chances are, if you’re wondering about it, another play therapist is too.

👇 Drop your question in the comments or send us a message.

Your question might be featured in an upcoming episode of The Play Therapy Circle. 🎙️💬

12/08/2026

Returning responsibility can feel uncomfortable at first - especially when our instinct is to step in, help, fix, or answer.

But in child-centred play therapy, sometimes the most supportive thing we can do is gently hand the decision, choice, or problem-solving back to the child.

In this episode of The Play Therapy Circle, Kylie explores:
✨ what returning responsibility actually looks like
✨ why it can be so powerful for building agency and self-direction
✨ simple phrases you can keep in your back pocket
✨ common pitfalls to watch for
✨ and the important moments when a child needs support or co-regulation instead

A little reminder: stepping back doesn’t mean withdrawing warmth or connection. It can communicate, you are capable, you can decide, and I trust you.

🎧 New episode: Returning Responsibility

Save this one for your next play therapy session - and send it to a fellow play therapist who might find it helpful.

🎉 We have a winner! 🎉A huge thank you to everyone who joined in our birthday giveaway - we received an incredible 86 ent...
11/08/2026

🎉 We have a winner! 🎉

A huge thank you to everyone who joined in our birthday giveaway - we received an incredible 86 entries and loved celebrating with you all. 💗

There could only be one winner, and we’re thrilled to congratulate ! 🥳 You’ve won a 2-day ticket to The Play Therapy Circle Conference. Please send us a DM to redeem your prize.

And if you didn’t win this time, we’d still love to see you there. Limited tickets are available - don’t miss out!

📅 24–25 October 2026
📍 Rydges Southbank, Brisbane

We can’t wait to bring our Play Therapy Circle community together for two inspiring days. ✨

We’re delighted to welcome Playzenkits as an official sponsor of The Play Therapy Circle Conference 2026 ✨Playzenkits cr...
10/08/2026

We’re delighted to welcome Playzenkits as an official sponsor of The Play Therapy Circle Conference 2026 ✨

Playzenkits creates thoughtfully designed therapeutic sand tray kits filled with curated miniatures and resources to support healing, emotional wellbeing, learning, storytelling and meaningful connection through play.

And the best part? You’ll be able to see Playzenkits at the conference and discover these beautiful therapeutic resources for yourself. 💛

If you work with children, young people or adults, come along, explore the possibilities and experience the power of play.

🎟️ The Play Therapy Circle Conference 2026
🔗 www.kylieellison.com.au/ptcconf2026

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Cairns, QLD

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