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Ever sit across from a teen in session, clock ticking, silence screaming… and your nervous system quietly panicking?

Yeah. This episode is for that moment.

In this week’s podcast, we’re naming the thing no one warned you about in grad school: why play therapists feel stuck with teens—and why it’s not because you’re doing it wrong.

Here’s the hard truth (said with love):

 👉 Trying harder to get teens to talk about their feelings is often the exact thing keeping them shut down.

If you’ve ever:

• Asked thoughtful, open-ended questions and gotten one-word answers
  
  
  
• Left therapy sessions wondering if you’re missing something obvious
  
  
  
• Questioned your competence because “nothing happened”
  
  
  
• Googled how to get teens to open up at 10 p.m. like an imposter
  
  
  

…pause. Breathe. You’re not failing. And they’re not resistant.

In this podcast episode, we’ll unpack what’s actually happening in the adolescent brain when teens are overwhelmed by trauma, anxiety, depression, or family stress—

and why traditional talk therapy often overloads their nervous system instead of helping it settle.

We’ll talk neuroscience (without making your eyes glaze over), development (in real-world language), and the mindset shift that changes everything:
 ✨ Stop pushing for verbal processing
 ✨ Start creating pathways for expression

You’ll learn how purposeful expressive arts—clay, art, music, sand, collage—help teens bypass cognitive overload, access safety, and express what they cannot yet put into words. 

Not because they’re immature. But because they’re human and still developing.

This is not about “playing.”

This is about working with adolescent development instead of against it.

If you’re ready to stop feeling stuck, stop blaming yourself, and start seeing teens engage in ways that actually lead to healing—come join the conversation.

Your future sessions will thank you.

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