347 | Sibling & Group Work in CCPT: Bringing More Than One Child Into the Playroom

0
00:00:00,419 --> 00:00:04,309
You're listening to the Play Therapy Podcast with Dr. Brenna Hicks,

1
00:00:04,469 --> 00:00:08,220
your source for centered and focused play therapy coaching.

2
00:00:08,550 --> 00:00:08,710
Hi,

3
00:00:08,750 --> 00:00:09,750
I'm Dr. Brenna Hicks,

4
00:00:09,760 --> 00:00:10,470
The Kid Counselor.

5
00:00:10,590 --> 00:00:12,590
This is the Play Therapy Podcast where you get

6
00:00:12,590 --> 00:00:14,859
a master class in child-centered play therapy

7
00:00:14,859 --> 00:00:17,190
and practical support and application for your

8
00:00:17,190 --> 00:00:18,739
work with children and their families.

9
00:00:19,079 --> 00:00:20,059
In today's episode,

10
00:00:20,270 --> 00:00:21,909
we are discussing

11
00:00:22,270 --> 00:00:24,739
group and or sibling sessions,

12
00:00:25,229 --> 00:00:26,219
and obviously,

13
00:00:26,430 --> 00:00:29,069
a sibling session is considered group play therapy.

14
00:00:29,430 --> 00:00:32,500
But sometimes you pair up unrelated children in

15
00:00:32,750 --> 00:00:34,340
a session and so

16
00:00:34,950 --> 00:00:36,250
a session with more than one child,

17
00:00:36,270 --> 00:00:39,180
basically it's what we're talking about whether they're siblings or not,

18
00:00:39,830 --> 00:00:41,509
and just some kind of considerations,

19
00:00:41,630 --> 00:00:43,619
best practices and

20
00:00:43,790 --> 00:00:46,709
management of more than one child in the playroom.

21
00:00:48,220 --> 00:00:49,310
Wanted to let you all know

22
00:00:49,529 --> 00:00:50,380
that

23
00:00:50,819 --> 00:00:52,740
there are some really exciting things

24
00:00:52,740 --> 00:00:56,490
coming in 2026 in The Kid Counselor universe,

25
00:00:56,740 --> 00:00:57,799
if that exists.

26
00:00:58,380 --> 00:01:02,009
And so I was able to share some of that at the meetup in Houston.

27
00:01:02,720 --> 00:01:04,790
And I just want you all to stay tuned.

28
00:01:04,830 --> 00:01:07,339
It's going to be a really exciting 2026.

29
00:01:07,550 --> 00:01:11,300
We are going to have another live podcasting event coming up here soon,

30
00:01:11,550 --> 00:01:12,589
so stay tuned for that,

31
00:01:12,830 --> 00:01:15,699
and there's just gonna be a lot coming your way

32
00:01:16,269 --> 00:01:17,029
and

33
00:01:17,470 --> 00:01:19,589
new options for the new year.

34
00:01:19,669 --> 00:01:21,389
So really looking forward to sharing some of that

35
00:01:21,389 --> 00:01:23,830
with you as we have more logistics ironed out

36
00:01:24,150 --> 00:01:25,099
and some more

37
00:01:25,540 --> 00:01:26,669
specificity for you.

38
00:01:26,949 --> 00:01:29,300
So let's talk through group and sibling sessions.

39
00:01:30,080 --> 00:01:30,870
I think

40
00:01:31,120 --> 00:01:34,309
one of the things that is really scary for clinicians,

41
00:01:34,519 --> 00:01:35,989
especially if they've never done

42
00:01:36,319 --> 00:01:37,750
a group play session before,

43
00:01:37,959 --> 00:01:39,269
they don't know what to expect.

44
00:01:40,470 --> 00:01:41,790
And it's actually

45
00:01:42,050 --> 00:01:44,720
a pretty common fear that you don't know what you don't know,

46
00:01:45,080 --> 00:01:48,720
and introducing a second child into the playroom changes things.

47
00:01:49,050 --> 00:01:53,129
That can seem overwhelming or concerning or it creates some hesitancy.

48
00:01:53,580 --> 00:01:54,730
Understandably so,

49
00:01:54,900 --> 00:01:57,379
and that's what this podcast is designed to

50
00:01:57,379 --> 00:01:59,489
address so that you feel more comfortable if

51
00:01:59,489 --> 00:02:04,019
you think that a group or a sibling session would be beneficial to your clients.

52
00:02:04,139 --> 00:02:05,379
So let's start with

53
00:02:05,660 --> 00:02:08,059
sibling sessions because a lot of what we talk

54
00:02:08,059 --> 00:02:10,699
about in sibling session will apply to group and

55
00:02:10,699 --> 00:02:12,779
there will just be a couple of extra considerations

56
00:02:12,779 --> 00:02:14,929
that I want to share regarding unrelated children.

57
00:02:15,880 --> 00:02:17,889
If you are working with a child

58
00:02:18,520 --> 00:02:19,149
and

59
00:02:19,399 --> 00:02:20,880
parents let you know that they would like

60
00:02:20,880 --> 00:02:23,070
you to start working with the child's sibling,

61
00:02:23,279 --> 00:02:24,470
that's a very common

62
00:02:25,000 --> 00:02:26,649
request in CCPT.

63
00:02:27,089 --> 00:02:28,630
You're working with one child,

64
00:02:28,679 --> 00:02:29,910
they're seeing a lot of progress,

65
00:02:29,960 --> 00:02:30,550
a lot of change,

66
00:02:30,600 --> 00:02:31,190
a lot of growth,

67
00:02:31,240 --> 00:02:32,869
and so inevitably at a consult,

68
00:02:32,880 --> 00:02:33,589
they say,

69
00:02:33,800 --> 00:02:35,550
I think you should work with her brother.

70
00:02:36,539 --> 00:02:39,039
And so you want to keep in mind

71
00:02:39,389 --> 00:02:42,059
that at some point if you're seeing both children,

72
00:02:42,270 --> 00:02:45,380
it might make sense for them to do sibling work.

73
00:02:45,630 --> 00:02:47,669
Now this is not a universal scenario,

74
00:02:47,789 --> 00:02:50,960
not every child ends up in sibling sessions,

75
00:02:51,029 --> 00:02:52,860
even if you are seeing siblings,

76
00:02:53,250 --> 00:02:55,419
but if the issue is relational,

77
00:02:55,710 --> 00:02:57,839
if the issue is shared,

78
00:02:58,009 --> 00:03:00,259
meaning they both went through a divorce,

79
00:03:00,509 --> 00:03:02,500
they both went through a car accident,

80
00:03:02,789 --> 00:03:05,990
they both went through the death of a beloved grandparent.

81
00:03:06,500 --> 00:03:08,169
If they have a shared experience,

82
00:03:08,279 --> 00:03:11,190
it makes sense that they might do sibling sessions

83
00:03:11,479 --> 00:03:12,509
if they

84
00:03:12,720 --> 00:03:14,149
are struggling to get along.

85
00:03:14,559 --> 00:03:17,800
That's a very common reason for sibling sessions.

86
00:03:17,880 --> 00:03:19,669
They're at each other's throats all the time.

87
00:03:19,919 --> 00:03:21,800
They poke and prod and

88
00:03:22,080 --> 00:03:24,919
irritate each other and as Doctor Landreth says,

89
00:03:25,000 --> 00:03:26,229
they breathe on each other.

90
00:03:26,869 --> 00:03:27,169
You,

91
00:03:27,220 --> 00:03:32,229
you have a scenario where parents complain and complain about the dynamic between

92
00:03:32,529 --> 00:03:33,410
the siblings.

93
00:03:33,619 --> 00:03:36,460
That's a very helpful reason for a sibling session.

94
00:03:37,110 --> 00:03:37,990
And so what

95
00:03:38,220 --> 00:03:40,169
you can expect when you get into the playroom,

96
00:03:40,899 --> 00:03:43,710
you might think that if you go from 1 child to 2,

97
00:03:44,100 --> 00:03:45,500
it's twice as busy.

98
00:03:46,779 --> 00:03:49,929
This is not to alarm you or scare you away,

99
00:03:49,970 --> 00:03:51,479
it is just to be truthful.

100
00:03:52,369 --> 00:03:54,190
It is an exponential increase.

101
00:03:54,389 --> 00:03:55,389
So it is not like,

102
00:03:55,470 --> 00:03:55,619
oh,

103
00:03:55,630 --> 00:03:56,710
we go from 1 to 2,

104
00:03:56,720 --> 00:03:57,710
so everything is doubled.

105
00:03:57,789 --> 00:04:00,580
It's more like everything is a factor of 10.

106
00:04:01,539 --> 00:04:02,710
So you have

107
00:04:03,179 --> 00:04:03,910
more

108
00:04:04,380 --> 00:04:04,889
skills,

109
00:04:05,100 --> 00:04:06,240
more dialogue,

110
00:04:06,419 --> 00:04:07,320
more interaction,

111
00:04:07,539 --> 00:04:08,380
more attunement,

112
00:04:08,500 --> 00:04:09,220
more presence,

113
00:04:09,419 --> 00:04:10,449
more everything,

114
00:04:10,660 --> 00:04:12,460
but it's not just doubled.

115
00:04:12,740 --> 00:04:13,860
It's far more than that.

116
00:04:14,240 --> 00:04:14,520
There's,

117
00:04:14,600 --> 00:04:17,339
there's really a lot going on and I think back to,

118
00:04:17,440 --> 00:04:21,238
I think most of us had marriage and family training even if we were not

119
00:04:21,519 --> 00:04:22,429
LMFT

120
00:04:22,799 --> 00:04:23,390
course,

121
00:04:23,720 --> 00:04:26,279
even if we were doing just traditional therapy,

122
00:04:26,440 --> 00:04:29,209
almost all of us ended up at some point doing like a group

123
00:04:29,410 --> 00:04:33,269
therapy portion of a class or a marriage and family therapy portion of a class.

124
00:04:33,839 --> 00:04:35,630
One of the things that I remember from that.

125
00:04:36,429 --> 00:04:38,079
Is that the professor said,

126
00:04:38,269 --> 00:04:39,899
when you're counseling a couple,

127
00:04:40,100 --> 00:04:41,309
the husband is a client,

128
00:04:41,410 --> 00:04:42,630
the wife is a client,

129
00:04:42,829 --> 00:04:44,220
and their marriage is a client.

130
00:04:44,989 --> 00:04:48,790
And you have to look at it in terms of a 3 strand cord.

131
00:04:50,000 --> 00:04:51,100
And in that sense,

132
00:04:51,190 --> 00:04:56,059
it's very similar to what happens in a sibling session because you have client A,

133
00:04:56,269 --> 00:04:57,260
you have client B,

134
00:04:57,429 --> 00:05:00,959
and then you have their relationship and or engagement with each other

135
00:05:01,589 --> 00:05:04,730
as another factor and another point of focus

136
00:05:04,950 --> 00:05:05,589
in the session.

137
00:05:06,519 --> 00:05:08,760
So practical strategies for handling this,

138
00:05:08,809 --> 00:05:10,200
whether it's a group or sibling.

139
00:05:11,140 --> 00:05:13,570
You have to use the child's first name

140
00:05:14,100 --> 00:05:15,220
every time you speak.

141
00:05:16,230 --> 00:05:17,089
And here's why.

142
00:05:17,260 --> 00:05:19,230
Obviously in a

143
00:05:19,940 --> 00:05:21,890
regular session with one child,

144
00:05:22,250 --> 00:05:24,220
if you say an encouragement phrase,

145
00:05:24,299 --> 00:05:25,429
if you reflect a feeling,

146
00:05:25,579 --> 00:05:26,619
if you track behavior,

147
00:05:26,700 --> 00:05:28,809
if you use an esteem building response,

148
00:05:29,019 --> 00:05:30,100
whatever the scenario is,

149
00:05:30,140 --> 00:05:32,529
it's very clear that it's to the child.

150
00:05:32,820 --> 00:05:34,130
There are no other options,

151
00:05:34,500 --> 00:05:36,850
but when you have another child in the room,

152
00:05:37,220 --> 00:05:38,170
you might say,

153
00:05:38,600 --> 00:05:38,700
wow,

154
00:05:38,859 --> 00:05:39,510
you did it.

155
00:05:40,679 --> 00:05:41,820
And without a name,

156
00:05:42,029 --> 00:05:45,200
both kids turn and look at you because they're not sure who you're speaking to.

157
00:05:46,649 --> 00:05:49,529
It's really important that you start every sentence with a name.

158
00:05:50,750 --> 00:05:51,720
So you might say,

159
00:05:52,130 --> 00:05:52,480
Jack,

160
00:05:52,529 --> 00:05:53,600
you got it.

161
00:05:54,250 --> 00:05:54,670
John,

162
00:05:54,760 --> 00:05:56,000
you figured that out,

163
00:05:56,290 --> 00:05:59,119
and every single phrase is going to have a

164
00:05:59,119 --> 00:06:01,619
first name attached to it for clarity's sake.

165
00:06:02,390 --> 00:06:04,269
You also have to document differently,

166
00:06:04,390 --> 00:06:06,380
so as you're taking in session notes,

167
00:06:06,950 --> 00:06:08,579
you can't just write down

168
00:06:08,790 --> 00:06:09,540
random

169
00:06:10,029 --> 00:06:14,019
entries because you need it to refer back to which child.

170
00:06:14,589 --> 00:06:16,820
If you're going to document symbolic play,

171
00:06:16,869 --> 00:06:19,190
if you're going to document something that was noteworthy,

172
00:06:19,230 --> 00:06:21,160
if you're going to document a shift,

173
00:06:21,390 --> 00:06:23,470
if you're going to identify a theme.

174
00:06:24,190 --> 00:06:26,049
It needs to be clear on your notes

175
00:06:26,350 --> 00:06:28,019
to whom that is referring.

176
00:06:28,829 --> 00:06:29,779
My strategy

177
00:06:30,029 --> 00:06:32,390
is the first initial in front of each entry.

178
00:06:33,170 --> 00:06:35,359
So I might write an A

179
00:06:35,660 --> 00:06:38,519
dash and then my entry and then I might write B

180
00:06:39,250 --> 00:06:40,350
if I was working with

181
00:06:40,570 --> 00:06:41,519
Abby and Brian.

182
00:06:42,089 --> 00:06:45,160
So you're going to have to indicate on your notes as well

183
00:06:46,049 --> 00:06:46,600
who

184
00:06:46,809 --> 00:06:48,540
you are writing about

185
00:06:48,850 --> 00:06:50,959
as you're putting that entry in your notes.

186
00:06:51,630 --> 00:06:55,529
And another component is your head really has to be on a swivel.

187
00:06:56,600 --> 00:06:57,959
In a sense that.

188
00:06:58,989 --> 00:07:01,339
It's easy with one child in the room

189
00:07:01,989 --> 00:07:02,579
to

190
00:07:02,829 --> 00:07:07,429
have a little bit of a slower pace and just attend to that child for the 50 minutes.

191
00:07:08,160 --> 00:07:09,630
When you have another child in the room?

192
00:07:10,609 --> 00:07:11,579
One's in one corner,

193
00:07:11,649 --> 00:07:12,320
one's in the other,

194
00:07:12,410 --> 00:07:13,369
one's playing calmly,

195
00:07:13,489 --> 00:07:14,529
one's playing aggressively,

196
00:07:14,730 --> 00:07:15,290
one's yelling,

197
00:07:15,380 --> 00:07:16,119
one's quiet,

198
00:07:16,769 --> 00:07:19,040
and you're just having to keep it all

199
00:07:19,329 --> 00:07:20,190
in check.

200
00:07:20,570 --> 00:07:22,260
And toes follow your nose,

201
00:07:22,410 --> 00:07:23,769
that's a really important strategy,

202
00:07:23,869 --> 00:07:25,399
so you kind of have to be

203
00:07:25,730 --> 00:07:28,170
at every point in the room the whole session.

204
00:07:29,279 --> 00:07:29,700
It's,

205
00:07:29,739 --> 00:07:30,929
it's a lot to manage,

206
00:07:31,100 --> 00:07:34,410
and it is not something that should scare you off,

207
00:07:34,779 --> 00:07:35,209
or

208
00:07:35,420 --> 00:07:39,100
that you might feel concerned that it would be too much or too overwhelming.

209
00:07:39,980 --> 00:07:41,989
Sibling sessions and group sessions are fun

210
00:07:42,440 --> 00:07:45,320
and they allow incredible things to happen

211
00:07:45,519 --> 00:07:47,510
when you have multiple kids in a playroom.

212
00:07:48,160 --> 00:07:48,790
However,

213
00:07:48,920 --> 00:07:52,390
it does require us to be at the top of our game.

214
00:07:53,299 --> 00:07:54,510
And the more you do it,

215
00:07:54,519 --> 00:07:55,350
the easier it gets.

216
00:07:55,429 --> 00:07:57,619
The first time is always the hardest for everything.

217
00:07:58,230 --> 00:08:00,269
That's true of group and sibling sessions.

218
00:08:01,089 --> 00:08:04,869
I just think that there's a lot of benefit to the extra amount

219
00:08:04,869 --> 00:08:08,390
of work and attention and engagement and everything that is required of us.

220
00:08:09,079 --> 00:08:11,549
So that's when you have siblings in the room.

221
00:08:11,700 --> 00:08:11,709
And,

222
00:08:11,720 --> 00:08:13,440
and here's what's noteworthy about siblings,

223
00:08:13,519 --> 00:08:15,269
they come with a built-in relationship.

224
00:08:15,970 --> 00:08:16,589
In other words,

225
00:08:16,640 --> 00:08:18,149
if you start work with

226
00:08:18,709 --> 00:08:19,630
a second child,

227
00:08:19,670 --> 00:08:20,380
for example,

228
00:08:20,869 --> 00:08:23,859
you have to build rapport and relationship with them,

229
00:08:24,070 --> 00:08:27,459
and then each child has to build a relationship and rapport with the other.

230
00:08:27,670 --> 00:08:29,709
If you put two unrelated children in the playroom,

231
00:08:29,790 --> 00:08:32,909
they each have to build relationship and rapport and trust with you,

232
00:08:33,070 --> 00:08:34,820
but then they have to build that with each other.

233
00:08:35,590 --> 00:08:36,520
Siblings come in,

234
00:08:36,669 --> 00:08:37,750
they already have history,

235
00:08:37,830 --> 00:08:39,419
they already have shared experience.

236
00:08:39,590 --> 00:08:40,909
They already care and love each other.

237
00:08:40,989 --> 00:08:41,479
I mean,

238
00:08:41,750 --> 00:08:43,539
albeit sometimes begrudgingly,

239
00:08:43,750 --> 00:08:46,780
but they at least have that sibling history and connection.

240
00:08:47,070 --> 00:08:49,539
So it's easier and quicker for siblings

241
00:08:49,750 --> 00:08:52,539
to jump into sibling work than it is for strangers

242
00:08:52,539 --> 00:08:54,750
to meet in a playroom for a group play session.

243
00:08:54,950 --> 00:08:56,580
So that's something to keep in mind as well.

244
00:08:56,909 --> 00:08:57,059
Now,

245
00:08:57,070 --> 00:09:00,739
the only other things to consider for a group session

246
00:09:00,989 --> 00:09:04,229
is you need to think about matching children up appropriately.

247
00:09:04,830 --> 00:09:07,650
You don't want more than a 2 year age gap

248
00:09:08,109 --> 00:09:08,539
for

249
00:09:08,750 --> 00:09:09,340
children,

250
00:09:09,750 --> 00:09:13,059
so you would never want a 4 year old and a 10 year old playing together.

251
00:09:13,150 --> 00:09:15,780
Developmentally they're just at completely different places

252
00:09:16,150 --> 00:09:18,950
and they're not going to be able to engage on the same level.

253
00:09:19,049 --> 00:09:22,429
So you want to keep the age range within 2 years ideally.

254
00:09:23,159 --> 00:09:24,950
And you want to think about

255
00:09:24,950 --> 00:09:28,289
complementary personalities and complementary issues.

256
00:09:28,390 --> 00:09:29,309
In other words,

257
00:09:29,549 --> 00:09:32,340
you don't want to put two highly anxious kids in a room together.

258
00:09:32,710 --> 00:09:35,739
You don't want to put two highly aggressive kids in a room together.

259
00:09:36,510 --> 00:09:38,059
That's a recipe for disaster.

260
00:09:38,630 --> 00:09:41,700
And so when we think about putting kids together,

261
00:09:41,989 --> 00:09:42,859
your hope

262
00:09:43,109 --> 00:09:47,119
is that you can find kids with complementary issues and personalities.

263
00:09:47,549 --> 00:09:48,250
Here's why

264
00:09:48,590 --> 00:09:50,880
kids have a natural checks and balances system.

265
00:09:51,840 --> 00:09:52,789
I liken it to,

266
00:09:52,840 --> 00:09:55,080
they kind of slough off each other's rough edges.

267
00:09:55,979 --> 00:09:59,340
So a child that's around peers that's really bossy,

268
00:09:59,419 --> 00:10:00,450
no one plays with them.

269
00:10:00,859 --> 00:10:01,890
kid that's really aggressive,

270
00:10:01,940 --> 00:10:02,700
no one plays with them,

271
00:10:02,859 --> 00:10:03,700
kid that's really quiet,

272
00:10:03,780 --> 00:10:04,609
no one plays with them.

273
00:10:04,780 --> 00:10:05,039
Kids,

274
00:10:05,099 --> 00:10:06,330
that kid that's really

275
00:10:06,729 --> 00:10:08,780
emotional all the time and cries at the drop of a hat,

276
00:10:08,820 --> 00:10:09,780
no one plays with them.

277
00:10:10,099 --> 00:10:11,830
So they learn they're conditioned

278
00:10:12,299 --> 00:10:14,250
through the social framework.

279
00:10:14,659 --> 00:10:16,289
I can't be an extreme

280
00:10:16,539 --> 00:10:17,169
or

281
00:10:17,460 --> 00:10:18,140
no one

282
00:10:18,419 --> 00:10:19,479
wants to be around me.

283
00:10:20,099 --> 00:10:22,059
They kind of naturally become better

284
00:10:22,059 --> 00:10:23,979
versions of themselves through peer interaction.

285
00:10:25,119 --> 00:10:26,030
Similarly,

286
00:10:26,239 --> 00:10:28,640
when you have two kids with complementary personalities,

287
00:10:28,719 --> 00:10:30,929
if you have a more anxious and shy kid

288
00:10:31,359 --> 00:10:35,070
paired with a more aggressive and bold kid,

289
00:10:35,679 --> 00:10:36,919
they will learn from each other.

290
00:10:37,809 --> 00:10:38,630
In other words,

291
00:10:38,859 --> 00:10:40,580
the bold aggressive kid

292
00:10:40,830 --> 00:10:43,770
learns to be a little bit more regulated and controlled.

293
00:10:44,179 --> 00:10:45,099
The anxious,

294
00:10:45,140 --> 00:10:46,070
timid kid

295
00:10:46,419 --> 00:10:48,409
learns to be a little bit more assertive.

296
00:10:48,780 --> 00:10:50,619
They actually build each other up,

297
00:10:50,739 --> 00:10:50,859
you know,

298
00:10:50,900 --> 00:10:52,409
it's like iron sharpens iron.

299
00:10:52,830 --> 00:10:57,140
There's a sense of I'm becoming a better version because I can see what

300
00:10:57,140 --> 00:11:00,419
it looks like and I'm learning from what's going on in the playroom.

301
00:11:01,419 --> 00:11:05,169
That's a very powerful component to group work.

302
00:11:05,859 --> 00:11:07,369
This is true of siblings as well.

303
00:11:07,500 --> 00:11:09,260
Siblings are often polar opposites,

304
00:11:09,419 --> 00:11:10,940
especially same-sex siblings,

305
00:11:11,020 --> 00:11:12,690
and I don't have time to get into birth order,

306
00:11:12,859 --> 00:11:13,400
but man,

307
00:11:13,460 --> 00:11:17,289
it's fascinating when you know how much birth order influences personality.

308
00:11:17,780 --> 00:11:19,450
Same-sex siblings close in age,

309
00:11:19,539 --> 00:11:22,530
they're going to be 180 degrees opposite each other,

310
00:11:22,820 --> 00:11:25,409
so that benefits siblings in the playroom as well.

311
00:11:25,890 --> 00:11:28,250
And essentially what you're looking for is

312
00:11:28,630 --> 00:11:29,219
they

313
00:11:29,669 --> 00:11:31,099
model each other's behavior,

314
00:11:31,309 --> 00:11:31,859
they

315
00:11:32,179 --> 00:11:32,780
change

316
00:11:33,109 --> 00:11:36,020
to leave one extreme and find balance center.

317
00:11:36,549 --> 00:11:38,750
You can't be the aggressive kid all the time,

318
00:11:38,830 --> 00:11:39,659
you can't be the shy,

319
00:11:39,669 --> 00:11:40,750
anxious kid all the time.

320
00:11:41,530 --> 00:11:44,299
The center is going to be more balanced and regulated,

321
00:11:44,380 --> 00:11:46,700
which both of them will move in that direction

322
00:11:47,099 --> 00:11:48,929
after having done play sessions together.

323
00:11:49,919 --> 00:11:52,859
So those are my thoughts on group and sibling sessions.

324
00:11:52,940 --> 00:11:54,619
It's actually so enjoyable.

325
00:11:54,700 --> 00:11:56,429
It's a little exhausting in truth,

326
00:11:56,580 --> 00:11:56,890
but

327
00:11:57,380 --> 00:12:02,770
it's so enjoyable and I have seen such success when pairing kids up for group play,

328
00:12:03,380 --> 00:12:03,969
and

329
00:12:04,099 --> 00:12:07,260
I've seen such success in sibling sessions as well.

330
00:12:07,619 --> 00:12:09,809
There's something special about

331
00:12:10,099 --> 00:12:10,849
having

332
00:12:11,419 --> 00:12:13,719
another relational component in the playroom.

333
00:12:13,780 --> 00:12:16,659
We know how important relationship is between us and the child.

334
00:12:17,090 --> 00:12:20,650
But when the children are grounded in their relationship with us,

335
00:12:21,219 --> 00:12:21,500
we,

336
00:12:21,539 --> 00:12:25,340
we have to establish relationship with each person before we do group sessions.

337
00:12:25,710 --> 00:12:29,049
We would never not have a therapeutic alliance with

338
00:12:29,460 --> 00:12:32,239
both of those children before we would throw them into a session

339
00:12:32,820 --> 00:12:33,210
together,

340
00:12:33,460 --> 00:12:36,489
but we know that they rely on us

341
00:12:36,619 --> 00:12:38,469
and the relationship they have with us,

342
00:12:38,780 --> 00:12:41,020
but then they also come to rely on the relationship

343
00:12:41,020 --> 00:12:42,859
they have with the other child in the room.

344
00:12:43,390 --> 00:12:44,510
And it's powerful.

345
00:12:44,770 --> 00:12:48,900
It's a very interesting tool to have in your toolbox as a CCPT.

346
00:12:49,419 --> 00:12:51,739
So I hope that encourages you if you've never tried it

347
00:12:51,739 --> 00:12:54,570
and you have two kids on your case load that you think

348
00:12:54,859 --> 00:12:56,619
would benefit from group sessions,

349
00:12:56,700 --> 00:12:59,059
you may want to pose that to parents

350
00:12:59,299 --> 00:13:00,729
and see if they're open to it

351
00:13:01,059 --> 00:13:01,289
and,

352
00:13:01,349 --> 00:13:02,099
and give it a shot.

353
00:13:02,179 --> 00:13:02,340
I,

354
00:13:02,419 --> 00:13:06,119
I think most of the time you can very quickly see how powerful it is

355
00:13:06,380 --> 00:13:07,989
and how much gains can be made.

356
00:13:08,500 --> 00:13:09,020
I love y'all,

357
00:13:09,140 --> 00:13:09,940
thanks for hanging out with me.

358
00:13:10,020 --> 00:13:10,859
We'll talk again soon.

359
00:13:11,020 --> 00:13:11,219
Bye.

360
00:13:12,299 --> 00:13:15,159
Thank you for listening to the Play Therapy Podcast with Dr.

361
00:13:15,320 --> 00:13:16,239
Brenna Hicks.

362
00:13:16,400 --> 00:13:18,359
For more episodes and resources,

363
00:13:18,479 --> 00:13:23,239
please go to www.playtherapypodcast.com.