Pondering Play and Therapy Podcast
In a world where play can be seen as frivolous or unnecessary, Julie and Philippa set out to explore its importance in our everyday lives.
Pondering play and therapy, both separately but also the inter-connectedness that play can in its own right be the very therapy we need.
Julie and Philippa have many years of experience playing, both in their extensive professional careers and their personal lives. They will share, ponder, and discuss their experiences along the way in the hope that this might invite others to join in playfulness.
Pondering Play and Therapy Podcast
EP62 When Adults Push Back - Therapy Resistances;
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Philippa and Julie continue their conversation on resistance, focusing on the adults around a child—parents, carers, and professionals—and how “putting the brakes on” can be protective, necessary, or linked to safeguarding concerns like hidden compliance. They explore how mandated therapy, ongoing assessments, shame, fear of judgment, and the realities of trauma-informed parenting can fuel pushback, and share examples from TheraPlay and play therapy, including parents declining therapy after gaining clarity and parents feeling pain when a child engages more easily with the therapist. The episode also looks at systemic resistance in schools, CAMHS pathways, and processes like EHCPs, and how practitioners often spend as much time navigating systems and relationships as working in the room. They end by emphasising curiosity, validation, and respectful challenge—placing the “gritty” issue in the middle so adults can work together—then invite listeners to subscribe, comment, and follow the podcast.
