229 | Why Children Ask 'How Much Time Is Left?' and Recognizing Termination Readiness

Play Therapy Podcast: A Master-Class in Child-Centered Play Therapy

In this episode of the Play Therapy Podcast, I answer two questions from Chris in the Virgin Islands. First, Chris asks about how to respond when children frequently ask how much time is left in their session. I explain how this can indicate various needs, such as a desire for control, anxiety, or simply curiosity, and share strategies for reflecting their question and, if necessary, providing a neutral, factual answer to help them feel secure.

Chris's second question focuses on recognizing when a child is ready for the termination phase. I discuss the signs that indicate a child has reached emotional stability, including resolved issues and no new play themes. I also emphasize the importance of a healthy termination process, which acknowledges the therapeutic relationship while equipping the child to move forward independently.

Sign up for my exclusive newsletter at playtherapynow.com. Stay ahead with the latest CCPT CEU courses, personalized coaching opportunities and other opportunities you need to thrive in your CCPT practice!

If you would like to ask me questions directly, check out www.ccptcollective.com, where I host two weekly Zoom calls filled with advanced CCPT case studies and session reviews, as well as member Q&A. You can take advantage of the two-week free trial to see if the CCPT Collective is right for you.

Ask Me Questions: Call ‪(813) 812-5525‬, or email: brenna@thekidcounselor.com Brenna's CCPT Hub: https://www.playtherapynow.com CCPT Collective (online community exclusively for CCPTs): https://www.ccptcollective.com Podcast HQ: https://www.playtherapypodcast.com APT Approved Play Therapy CE courses: https://childcenteredtraining.com Twitter: @thekidcounselor https://twitter.com/thekidcounselor Facebook: https://facebook.com/playtherapypodcast

Common References: Cochran, N., Nordling, W., & Cochran, J. (2010). Child-Centered Play Therapy (1st ed.). Wiley. VanFleet, R., Sywulak, A. E., & Sniscak, C. C. (2010). Child-centered play therapy. Guilford Press. Landreth, G.L. (2023). Play Therapy: The Art of the Relationship (4th ed.). Routledge. Bratton, S. C., Landreth, G. L., Kellam, T., & Blackard, S. R. (2006). Child parent relationship therapy (CPRT) treatment manual: A 10-session filial therapy model for training parents. Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group. Benedict, Helen. Themes in Play Therapy. Used with permission to Heartland Play Therapy Institute.

2024-11-13 14 min Transcript

Available Results

Generated results are saved to the knowledge database for reuse and search.

No generated results are available for this episode yet.

Extract Knowledge

Pick what you want extracted first. Model, scope, and chapter options appear after a template is selected.

Generated results for public episodes are saved to the knowledge database so they can be reused and searched later.

Transcript

0
00:00:00,409 --> 00:00:04,300
You're listening to the Play Therapy Podcast with Dr. Brenna Hicks.

1
00:00:04,309 --> 00:00:08,119
Your source for centered and focused play therapy coaching.

2
00:00:08,420 --> 00:00:10,470
Hi, I'm Dr. Brenna Hicks, The Kid Counselor.

3
00:00:10,479 --> 00:00:12,510
This is the Play Therapy Podcast where you get

4
00:00:12,520 --> 00:00:14,939
a master class in child-centered play therapy

5
00:00:15,069 --> 00:00:17,319
and practical support and application for your

6
00:00:17,329 --> 00:00:19,260
work with children and their families.

7
00:00:19,319 --> 00:00:23,780
In today's episode. I am answering a question from Chris in the Virgin Islands.

8
00:00:24,430 --> 00:00:27,270
So nice to have someone email from the Virgin Islands.

9
00:00:27,280 --> 00:00:31,770
Chris, I'm so excited about that and to all of my Virgin Islanders. Big. Hello.

10
00:00:31,909 --> 00:00:34,689
Thanks so much for being a part of the Play Therapy Podcast family.

11
00:00:35,380 --> 00:00:37,529
So Chris actually asked two questions.

12
00:00:37,779 --> 00:00:40,069
So you're gonna get a bonus freebie in this one.

13
00:00:40,080 --> 00:00:43,919
I'll address both of his questions in this one is about

14
00:00:43,930 --> 00:00:46,490
children asking how much time they have left in their session.

15
00:00:47,080 --> 00:00:49,180
And the second is

16
00:00:49,599 --> 00:00:53,099
knowing when a child is ready for termination and

17
00:00:53,470 --> 00:00:57,409
the relationship and the attachment pieces of that specifically.

18
00:00:57,880 --> 00:01:00,470
So I will read parts of his questions

19
00:01:00,689 --> 00:01:01,659
and then we'll dive in.

20
00:01:02,810 --> 00:01:03,880
My name is Chris Wray.

21
00:01:03,889 --> 00:01:07,709
I'm a clinical social worker working in private practice in the Virgin Islands.

22
00:01:07,720 --> 00:01:10,349
I'm a consistent listener to your podcast. I'm so glad

23
00:01:10,949 --> 00:01:15,190
I found myself oriented towards CCPT since I started working outpatient.

24
00:01:15,199 --> 00:01:18,849
And I'm one of the few clinicians at the practice I work for that meets with children.

25
00:01:19,069 --> 00:01:22,650
Isn't that almost always the case? We're the, we're the lone wolves.

26
00:01:23,059 --> 00:01:24,089
I have two questions.

27
00:01:24,099 --> 00:01:24,809
First question,

28
00:01:24,819 --> 00:01:27,569
I've noticed a pattern with some children who continually ask

29
00:01:27,580 --> 00:01:29,449
how much time they have left in their session.

30
00:01:30,319 --> 00:01:33,550
I have initially understood this as curiosity of how much time

31
00:01:33,559 --> 00:01:36,449
is left and planning their play in a scheduled manner.

32
00:01:37,050 --> 00:01:38,660
However, when it becomes a pattern,

33
00:01:38,889 --> 00:01:42,339
sometimes I have felt and questioned whether they are bored of their play time,

34
00:01:42,779 --> 00:01:46,160
I've also begun to question whether they've hit their resistance threshold

35
00:01:46,830 --> 00:01:48,389
for introduction of new themes.

36
00:01:48,550 --> 00:01:51,199
I can't entirely tell. I'm curious of your thoughts

37
00:01:51,339 --> 00:01:52,580
on such a dynamic.

38
00:01:52,910 --> 00:01:53,239
All right.

39
00:01:53,250 --> 00:01:54,500
So we'll pause there and then I'll read the

40
00:01:54,510 --> 00:01:56,900
second question in a minute to not convolute everything.

41
00:01:57,330 --> 00:01:59,629
All right, Chris really thank you so much for these questions.

42
00:01:59,639 --> 00:02:04,029
So as far as a child asking how much time they have left, this is a very common

43
00:02:04,319 --> 00:02:06,279
occurrence in play sessions

44
00:02:07,150 --> 00:02:10,949
and it's important the why matters al always,

45
00:02:11,580 --> 00:02:13,880
it's important to figure out the why.

46
00:02:14,710 --> 00:02:18,250
And we can usually pre get a pretty good sense of what that looks like

47
00:02:18,419 --> 00:02:19,809
if we pause

48
00:02:20,050 --> 00:02:21,690
and interpret what's going on.

49
00:02:22,300 --> 00:02:23,169
For example,

50
00:02:23,929 --> 00:02:25,910
if the child is asking

51
00:02:26,160 --> 00:02:29,470
with the tone aura or implication

52
00:02:29,740 --> 00:02:30,270
that

53
00:02:30,410 --> 00:02:32,669
they are really hoping that time is almost up

54
00:02:34,050 --> 00:02:38,089
that likely indicates they probably want to leave the session.

55
00:02:38,529 --> 00:02:40,309
So either they

56
00:02:40,470 --> 00:02:44,470
have just done all the work that they can handle that day and they're ready for a break

57
00:02:44,630 --> 00:02:45,309
or

58
00:02:45,539 --> 00:02:48,889
they don't want to be there anymore or they've just

59
00:02:48,899 --> 00:02:51,410
kind of reached their barrier and they're just like,

60
00:02:51,419 --> 00:02:51,619
hm.

61
00:02:51,630 --> 00:02:53,380
Yeah, let's, I just wish this was over.

62
00:02:54,429 --> 00:02:59,500
So that would be a very different reason for asking how much time is up versus

63
00:02:59,720 --> 00:03:02,529
a child with really, really high levels of anxiety.

64
00:03:03,729 --> 00:03:09,309
So a really highly anxious child would likely be asking because they are trying to

65
00:03:09,419 --> 00:03:10,389
have knowledge

66
00:03:10,639 --> 00:03:12,289
because knowledge is power

67
00:03:12,809 --> 00:03:15,940
and power is the antidote to anxiety

68
00:03:17,350 --> 00:03:21,880
when you have power and control over things, nothing surprises you.

69
00:03:22,130 --> 00:03:23,580
Nothing catches you off guard.

70
00:03:23,910 --> 00:03:26,619
And that is the absolute worst scenario for a highly

71
00:03:26,630 --> 00:03:29,270
anxious kid is to be surprised and caught off guard.

72
00:03:30,139 --> 00:03:35,289
So an anxiety rooted scenario could be a reason why a child is asking.

73
00:03:35,669 --> 00:03:37,759
Sometimes they're just truly curious.

74
00:03:38,119 --> 00:03:42,009
Sometimes a child just really wants to know how much time is left.

75
00:03:42,020 --> 00:03:45,910
And it's a relatively innocent question. I think you kind of alluded to that.

76
00:03:45,919 --> 00:03:48,199
You said originally, I thought it might have been one thing,

77
00:03:48,210 --> 00:03:49,679
but then it became a pattern.

78
00:03:50,059 --> 00:03:51,199
So now I'm questioning

79
00:03:51,440 --> 00:03:55,820
if it's just kind of an outlier scenario where you only hear it once or twice.

80
00:03:55,830 --> 00:04:00,169
Sometimes it really is just curiosity. I know we have a limited amount of time.

81
00:04:00,279 --> 00:04:01,800
So how much time do we have left?

82
00:04:02,279 --> 00:04:05,860
It can also be, as you mentioned to plan accordingly

83
00:04:06,309 --> 00:04:10,050
because certain personalities of kids do not want to run out of time,

84
00:04:10,339 --> 00:04:14,000
do not want to get in the middle of something and then not be able to finish it

85
00:04:14,860 --> 00:04:16,559
and they want to manage

86
00:04:16,798 --> 00:04:20,798
how they're going to play and how much time remains in the session.

87
00:04:21,950 --> 00:04:24,839
And then as a little bit less common reason,

88
00:04:24,850 --> 00:04:28,940
sometimes kids will have an external reason for wanting to end early,

89
00:04:28,950 --> 00:04:31,510
but it's not that they're bored or that they don't want to be there.

90
00:04:31,660 --> 00:04:34,290
Maybe mom promised them ice cream

91
00:04:34,500 --> 00:04:35,769
when the session was over.

92
00:04:35,910 --> 00:04:38,130
So they're just really looking forward to ice cream

93
00:04:38,429 --> 00:04:41,929
and the sooner they can finish their play session, the sooner they get ice cream

94
00:04:42,769 --> 00:04:45,649
and it really can just be something as simple as that.

95
00:04:46,200 --> 00:04:49,750
So the goal when a child asks is number one

96
00:04:49,760 --> 00:04:52,579
to reflect the content or the feeling or both,

97
00:04:53,720 --> 00:04:55,959
you're curious about how much time we have left.

98
00:04:56,619 --> 00:04:58,070
That would be a feeling, reflection

99
00:04:58,329 --> 00:04:59,119
or

100
00:04:59,359 --> 00:05:02,820
hm, you wanna know how many minutes we still have?

101
00:05:03,079 --> 00:05:04,559
That would be a reflection of content

102
00:05:05,720 --> 00:05:08,820
and sometimes just acknowledging that the child is

103
00:05:08,829 --> 00:05:11,100
curious or thinking about it is enough.

104
00:05:11,369 --> 00:05:13,140
But if a child persists,

105
00:05:13,339 --> 00:05:17,140
you know that there is a reason why they're asking

106
00:05:17,269 --> 00:05:18,940
and they truly want an answer.

107
00:05:19,350 --> 00:05:25,070
We typically try to avoid providing an answer to any question that a child asks us

108
00:05:25,299 --> 00:05:26,549
three different times.

109
00:05:26,559 --> 00:05:28,369
But if they repeat it a third time,

110
00:05:28,380 --> 00:05:32,140
then we know that they likely really do want us to answer the question.

111
00:05:32,459 --> 00:05:37,799
So then at that point, we give a very factual neutral age appropriate answer.

112
00:05:38,209 --> 00:05:40,670
So when kids ask me how much time is left,

113
00:05:41,380 --> 00:05:43,670
I reflect several times and then I say,

114
00:05:43,910 --> 00:05:47,070
mm, it's really important to you that, you know how much time we have left,

115
00:05:47,079 --> 00:05:48,549
we have 14 more minutes

116
00:05:50,100 --> 00:05:54,519
and then you'll get a sense of why they were asking sometimes

117
00:05:54,869 --> 00:05:57,119
because if they go, oh man,

118
00:05:58,010 --> 00:05:59,989
you know, they wanted it to be over quickly.

119
00:06:00,170 --> 00:06:03,269
If you say 14 minutes and they go no,

120
00:06:03,630 --> 00:06:04,320
then you know,

121
00:06:04,329 --> 00:06:07,190
they were hoping it was much more than that and they want to stay longer.

122
00:06:07,559 --> 00:06:11,429
So there's a really helpful way to figure out the why

123
00:06:11,589 --> 00:06:15,429
when we reflect several times and then do provide them with an answer.

124
00:06:16,359 --> 00:06:19,980
So that is my suggestion and my thought as far as

125
00:06:19,989 --> 00:06:22,380
why a child might ask how much time is left.

126
00:06:22,679 --> 00:06:24,549
So now let's dive into the next question

127
00:06:24,790 --> 00:06:29,369
and this one is about knowing when a child is ready to move into termination.

128
00:06:29,920 --> 00:06:30,500
So

129
00:06:31,720 --> 00:06:35,510
he says, I understand the phases and tracking dynamics and behaviors.

130
00:06:35,820 --> 00:06:40,670
However, how exactly do you do this when a child is ready to transition out?

131
00:06:40,940 --> 00:06:44,230
I work with a 12 year old boy who has hit all of the milestones and goals,

132
00:06:44,239 --> 00:06:45,839
his grandmother laid out for him.

133
00:06:46,130 --> 00:06:47,440
And I feel that

134
00:06:47,980 --> 00:06:50,049
he is, she is ready to stop bringing him.

135
00:06:50,559 --> 00:06:51,100
However,

136
00:06:51,109 --> 00:06:52,980
I feel we're in the midst of processing

137
00:06:52,989 --> 00:06:56,500
relational grievances regarding his absent mother and father

138
00:06:56,940 --> 00:07:00,679
for context, I almost feel that he looks forward to our sessions all week.

139
00:07:00,690 --> 00:07:02,000
I guarantee you he does

140
00:07:02,619 --> 00:07:03,399
and

141
00:07:03,570 --> 00:07:05,089
that I am a trans

142
00:07:05,519 --> 00:07:07,119
object relations figure for him,

143
00:07:07,130 --> 00:07:09,600
which makes me feel uncomfortable to a certain degree.

144
00:07:10,130 --> 00:07:11,779
I feel uncomfortable due to the fact that I

145
00:07:11,790 --> 00:07:14,239
cannot be available for the entirety of his life.

146
00:07:14,540 --> 00:07:18,359
And I often feel pressured by the managed care aspect of clinics.

147
00:07:18,660 --> 00:07:22,000
I also feel nervous to what degree he attaches to me.

148
00:07:22,010 --> 00:07:25,480
I don't quite know what that says about me or him. Curious about your thoughts.

149
00:07:25,910 --> 00:07:27,200
OK. So

150
00:07:27,890 --> 00:07:29,839
first and foremost, let's talk about

151
00:07:30,140 --> 00:07:32,119
assessing readiness for termination.

152
00:07:32,940 --> 00:07:33,980
If you

153
00:07:34,279 --> 00:07:34,880
haven't

154
00:07:35,239 --> 00:07:39,470
listened in order, we talked about termination phase a while back.

155
00:07:39,570 --> 00:07:43,220
So if this is very foreign to you, please go back and start at episode one

156
00:07:43,429 --> 00:07:45,410
for those of you that are familiar with termination,

157
00:07:45,570 --> 00:07:47,149
what are the reasons why

158
00:07:47,260 --> 00:07:48,040
we

159
00:07:48,220 --> 00:07:51,160
decide that a child is ready to begin the termination phase?

160
00:07:53,950 --> 00:07:56,459
There you go. I'm sure you all answered appropriately.

161
00:07:56,829 --> 00:08:00,200
So they are for those of you that had no idea how to answer that question.

162
00:08:00,559 --> 00:08:04,279
They are that there is resolution of presenting issues.

163
00:08:05,279 --> 00:08:09,109
We see regulation and stability across all environments.

164
00:08:09,869 --> 00:08:11,250
We see no

165
00:08:11,750 --> 00:08:14,559
new themes being introduced into the play

166
00:08:15,769 --> 00:08:20,519
and we do not see shifts taking place within existing themes.

167
00:08:21,359 --> 00:08:23,459
So in other words, let's say the child continues.

168
00:08:23,470 --> 00:08:25,059
In, in your case, Chris, you mentioned

169
00:08:25,190 --> 00:08:27,179
he's still playing out relational

170
00:08:27,609 --> 00:08:28,230
play.

171
00:08:28,390 --> 00:08:28,779
OK?

172
00:08:28,790 --> 00:08:33,539
So if we know he's doing relational work and you are seeing things shift and change

173
00:08:33,849 --> 00:08:36,460
as he's working through that relational dynamic,

174
00:08:36,630 --> 00:08:39,460
we know that he is still actively doing work and therefore,

175
00:08:39,469 --> 00:08:41,058
we know he is not ready to terminate.

176
00:08:41,308 --> 00:08:45,020
So there are four reasons that we're constantly evaluating

177
00:08:45,030 --> 00:08:48,669
or or four criteria rather that we're constantly evaluating

178
00:08:48,869 --> 00:08:52,010
to determine if a child is ready to begin the termination process.

179
00:08:52,820 --> 00:08:57,590
What you're describing, my gut tells me he is not ready to terminate.

180
00:08:57,789 --> 00:09:02,900
Yes, he has met the milestones and goals. That means that he has regulated,

181
00:09:03,419 --> 00:09:05,859
that means that he likely has built

182
00:09:06,099 --> 00:09:08,929
an emotional vocabulary and likely has built

183
00:09:09,440 --> 00:09:10,869
uh coping skills.

184
00:09:11,080 --> 00:09:12,099
However,

185
00:09:12,760 --> 00:09:17,299
usually we see there's a hierarchy in what kids are going to process.

186
00:09:17,770 --> 00:09:20,659
So I suspect that he worked on all of the

187
00:09:20,669 --> 00:09:23,409
other things which has allowed him to better regulate,

188
00:09:23,530 --> 00:09:25,090
which is why grandma's pleased.

189
00:09:25,789 --> 00:09:28,020
But we also know that

190
00:09:28,559 --> 00:09:31,570
there's going to be harder work toward the end.

191
00:09:32,330 --> 00:09:36,520
So if he is now working on relational dynamics and aspects

192
00:09:36,659 --> 00:09:38,900
that is much harder, deeper stuff,

193
00:09:38,909 --> 00:09:43,159
so it's going to hang on longer and it will take longer for him to get there.

194
00:09:44,229 --> 00:09:45,979
So we're always going to look at

195
00:09:45,989 --> 00:09:49,169
those four criteria for preparation for termination

196
00:09:49,969 --> 00:09:52,380
if we recognize that

197
00:09:52,710 --> 00:09:57,669
he is constantly building coping skills. He's constantly building resilience.

198
00:09:58,109 --> 00:10:02,650
He's building an emotional vocabulary. He's building problem solving skills.

199
00:10:03,059 --> 00:10:05,130
He's building an emotional IQ,

200
00:10:05,309 --> 00:10:09,039
he trusts himself. He accepts himself, he values himself

201
00:10:09,429 --> 00:10:11,710
all of these things, equip him

202
00:10:11,919 --> 00:10:13,650
to do life without you, Chris.

203
00:10:13,760 --> 00:10:15,150
And this is true for all of us.

204
00:10:15,479 --> 00:10:19,929
You're absolutely right that he's not going to have you for the rest of his life.

205
00:10:20,030 --> 00:10:23,729
And that is never the premise of CCPT. And it's never the goal,

206
00:10:24,109 --> 00:10:26,989
the goal is that the child does the work.

207
00:10:27,000 --> 00:10:30,729
The child carries the skills that they've acquired with them forever

208
00:10:31,210 --> 00:10:34,409
and they are better equipped to handle whatever comes.

209
00:10:34,539 --> 00:10:36,619
We just serve as the guide rails.

210
00:10:37,059 --> 00:10:38,380
We serve as

211
00:10:38,500 --> 00:10:40,489
the therapeutic partner on the journey,

212
00:10:41,179 --> 00:10:42,640
but they're not better

213
00:10:43,049 --> 00:10:46,789
because of what we did. They're better because of the work that they did.

214
00:10:47,440 --> 00:10:53,119
So it's very important to recognize that even when you are no longer in his life,

215
00:10:53,400 --> 00:10:57,140
he has worked and built all of this stuff that he's going to need.

216
00:10:57,450 --> 00:10:57,700
So,

217
00:10:57,710 --> 00:10:59,539
while you've been a part of that and you've

218
00:10:59,549 --> 00:11:02,630
been a necessary component of his healing journey,

219
00:11:03,159 --> 00:11:05,659
you are not a requirement long term.

220
00:11:06,150 --> 00:11:07,580
And, and that's why

221
00:11:07,890 --> 00:11:11,539
Rogers, we go back to Rogers, we go back to child-centered and or sorry,

222
00:11:11,549 --> 00:11:13,250
person centered and then child-centered.

223
00:11:13,500 --> 00:11:14,440
We know

224
00:11:14,630 --> 00:11:17,650
that the whole premise is that people self actualize

225
00:11:17,840 --> 00:11:19,989
and the relationship is at the heart of that,

226
00:11:20,080 --> 00:11:23,349
but they don't need that person in their life forever.

227
00:11:23,729 --> 00:11:25,940
They need the environment and the relationship,

228
00:11:25,950 --> 00:11:28,489
they do the work and then that work carries on

229
00:11:28,690 --> 00:11:29,559
once they

230
00:11:29,820 --> 00:11:32,059
are through that part of their journey.

231
00:11:32,510 --> 00:11:36,150
So it's really important that we recognize that he will

232
00:11:36,289 --> 00:11:39,039
do what he needs to do and then take that with him.

233
00:11:39,760 --> 00:11:43,559
And you mentioned that you feel that he might have some attachment to you.

234
00:11:43,799 --> 00:11:44,669
He should

235
00:11:45,109 --> 00:11:47,080
let, let's think about this for a second.

236
00:11:47,359 --> 00:11:50,190
What is the most important component of CCPT?

237
00:11:51,590 --> 00:11:53,169
Yes. Thank you. The relationship.

238
00:11:53,469 --> 00:11:55,250
So we understand

239
00:11:55,489 --> 00:11:59,080
that this relationship that this 12 year old has built with you, Chris,

240
00:11:59,349 --> 00:12:02,000
it is extremely significant to him.

241
00:12:02,280 --> 00:12:07,010
It is extremely important to him. It is valuable, it is meaningful. It is necessary,

242
00:12:07,869 --> 00:12:10,119
especially in the absence of a mom and dad.

243
00:12:10,729 --> 00:12:12,500
I'm sure he absolutely

244
00:12:12,650 --> 00:12:15,270
is attached to you and values coming to see you

245
00:12:15,500 --> 00:12:16,510
and he should

246
00:12:16,929 --> 00:12:21,989
because we understand that the relationship is at the heart of everything.

247
00:12:22,940 --> 00:12:26,979
And so that's why we have to have a termination phase.

248
00:12:27,390 --> 00:12:28,929
That's why it is a process

249
00:12:29,250 --> 00:12:32,890
because we allow him to have a healthy and happy goodbye.

250
00:12:34,090 --> 00:12:35,710
So when he is ready,

251
00:12:36,159 --> 00:12:37,599
I would argue, he's not yet.

252
00:12:37,989 --> 00:12:38,950
When he's ready,

253
00:12:39,940 --> 00:12:42,739
you're going to go through the termination process with him.

254
00:12:43,359 --> 00:12:46,469
And it is a phase so that he can prepare

255
00:12:46,650 --> 00:12:50,500
to do this without you and he can feel ready to handle it

256
00:12:50,659 --> 00:12:53,820
and he can say goodbye and know that it's not a forever goodbye.

257
00:12:54,200 --> 00:12:54,859
We,

258
00:12:55,179 --> 00:12:58,580
we make it very clear that a child can always come back and see us.

259
00:12:58,849 --> 00:13:02,739
Why? Because the relationship persists even if we're not meeting with them weekly.

260
00:13:03,700 --> 00:13:07,070
So that's really important to be mindful that we have

261
00:13:07,080 --> 00:13:09,400
to keep the relationship at the heart of it,

262
00:13:09,409 --> 00:13:11,190
which means attachment takes place,

263
00:13:11,500 --> 00:13:12,320
it should

264
00:13:12,690 --> 00:13:15,830
and then it actually allows them to understand what

265
00:13:15,840 --> 00:13:18,599
it means to say goodbye in a healthy way

266
00:13:18,929 --> 00:13:22,440
and know that that relationship and that person is still there for them,

267
00:13:22,539 --> 00:13:26,320
even without consistency in or, or frequency in sessions.

268
00:13:27,270 --> 00:13:30,010
So Chris from the Virgin Islands, thank you so much for the question.

269
00:13:30,020 --> 00:13:31,640
I'm really excited to hear from you

270
00:13:31,890 --> 00:13:35,520
and I hope that was helpful to kind of have a bonus in that one.

271
00:13:35,530 --> 00:13:37,179
You got two questions for the price of one.

272
00:13:37,500 --> 00:13:40,059
But I think both of these issues are something that we,

273
00:13:40,070 --> 00:13:41,450
we really need to be mindful of.

274
00:13:41,460 --> 00:13:45,469
We need to know that kids are going to ask how much time is left and what's behind that.

275
00:13:45,659 --> 00:13:46,679
And then also

276
00:13:46,840 --> 00:13:50,130
that we need to be mindful of when a child is ready to terminate.

277
00:13:50,140 --> 00:13:52,489
So, really appreciate that if you all would.

278
00:13:52,580 --> 00:13:54,380
Thanks to reach out to me, I'd love to hear from you,

279
00:13:54,390 --> 00:13:56,380
brenna@thekidcounselor.com.

280
00:13:56,609 --> 00:13:57,679
If you

281
00:13:57,840 --> 00:14:00,900
are signed up for the conference in Australia,

282
00:14:00,909 --> 00:14:04,200
please go to www.playtherapypodcast.com/meetup

283
00:14:04,309 --> 00:14:07,679
and reserve your spot for the meet up when we're in Brisbane

284
00:14:08,119 --> 00:14:11,469
and otherwise I love you all. We'll talk again soon. Bye.

285
00:14:12,159 --> 00:14:16,140
Thank you for listening to the Play Therapy Podcast with Dr Brenna Hicks.

286
00:14:16,150 --> 00:14:18,299
For more episodes and resources.

287
00:14:18,309 --> 00:14:23,219
Please go to www.playtherapypodcast.com.

Chapters

No chapters available.