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.
Episodes
32 episodes
EP32 Play and Neurodiversity
Join Julie as she interviews Simon Airey and they delve into the intersection of neurodiversity and play. In this episode, Simon shares his personal experiences as an autistic adult, discussing how everyday activities like sorting and organisin...
•
46:48
Ep31 Play and Criminal Justice an Interview with Joe Franks.
In this episode of 'Pondering Play and Therapy,' host Philippa welcomes Joseph Franks, a veteran in the field of mental health nursing since 2004. Joseph discusses his varied career, which spans working in mental health services, teaching at th...
•
53:31
Ep30 Play and Child against parent aggression; an interview with Matt.
In this episode of Pondering Play and Therapy, host Philippa welcomes Matt, a senior practitioner at CAPA First Response. Matt shares his expertise on child-to-parent aggression, detailing different forms of violence and aggression, and the imp...
•
41:18
Ep29 Play and Residential Care; an interview with Angela Griffiths
In this episode of 'Pondering Play and Therapy,' host Philippa interviews Angela Griffith, a registered social worker and independent social care consultant with over 30 years of experience in children's social care. Angela discusses her journe...
•
Episode 29
•
48:20
Ep28 Play and the nervous system; an interview with Charlotte Jenkins
In this episode of Pondering and Play Therapy, host Philippa Kelly interviews Charlotte Jenkins, founder of Beacon Family Services and co-founder of the app Looming and Us. Charlotte discusses her journey from a frustrated social worker to esta...
•
38:54
Ep27 Play and Online games; an interview with Jessica McLauglin
In this episode of 'Pondering Play and Therapy,' the host converses with Jessica McLaughlin, a senior creative director with 20 years of experience in creating digital content for children. Jessica shares her accidental journey into children's ...
•
52:54
Ep26 The child's right to play; an interview with Marguerite Hunter Blair OBE DL
In this episode of Pondering Play and Therapy, Philippa interviews Marguerite Hunter Blair, OBE, the Chief Executive of Play Scotland. Marguerite discusses her extensive career in advocating for children's play in Scotland and Northern Ireland,...
•
56:13
Ep25 Play and Sand Tray; An interview with Marshall Lyles
Podcast Episode Description:This week on the podcast, I'm joined by Marshall Lyles, an expert in using sand tray therapy to support children, adults, and families. Marshall shares his insightful experience on how this powerful the...
•
Episode 25
•
49:33
EP24 Play and Schools
In this episode of 'Pondering Play and Therapy,' Philippa and Julie dive into the critical role of play within school environments. They discuss the decline in playtime availability over the years across primary, secondary, and nursery schools....
•
Episode 24
•
1:00:13
Ep23 Play and Attachment; an interview with Colby Pearce
Podcast Description: This week, I had the privilege of interviewing Colby Pearce, who shares his wealth of experience working with care-experienced families. Colby dives deep into the importance of attachment, emphasising that connec...
•
51:56
EP22 Play and Poverty
In this episode of Pondering Play and Therapy, hosts Julie and Philippa explore how poverty affects children's ability to engage in play. They discuss the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, the definition of poverty, and the ...
•
52:10
Ep21 Play, Mental Health and CBT; An interview with Claire
Welcome to this week's episode of Pondering Play and Therapy. Claire, a clinical service lead for CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services), joins the podcast to discuss childhood mental health, CBT, and the different services tha...
•
1:07:54
Ep20 Play and Traditions
In this week’s episode, hosts Philippa and Julie ponder the playful traditions that shape who we are—past and present. From cherished family games like cribbage and Rummy to the joyful, sometimes complex dance of blending new traditions in mode...
•
49:28
Ep19 Play in an American Private Practice; an interview with Mandy Jones
Podcast Episode Description:In this insightful episode, we sit down with Mandy Jones, a skilled therapist, based in Chicago, who shares her expertise on the transformative power of play in therapy. Mandy discusses her unique appro...
•
48:47
Ep18 Play and the impact of disadvantaged communities
In this episode of 'Pondering Play and Therapy,' hosts Julie and Philippa discuss the significant reduction of play spaces for children and teenagers within communities affected by poverty and deprivation. Reflecting on changes over the past 10...
•
47:19
Ep17 Play and Cheerleading; an Interview with Tilly and Sarah
Welcome to Pondering Play and Therapy, the podcast where we ponder the worlds of play, passion, and personal growth. In today’s episode, we have the pleasure of talking to Tilly and her mum, Sarah, to explore Tilly’s inspiring journey ...
•
45:17
Ep16 Play and can it be learnt?
Podcast Description:This week, we are pondering the fascinating world of play—specifically, can play be learned? Over the past few weeks and months of recording, we've been reflecting on how play happens with children, babies and ...
•
Episode 16
•
48:23
Ep15 Play, The Importance of representation and EMDR; An interview with Dr Chanae Mayers
It was an honour to interview Dr Mayers and hear about her journey to becoming a clinical psychologist. She talked about her experience of play and the importance of having toys, books and figures in psychology to support her aspirations. She g...
•
49:48
Ep14 Play and Everyday Things
Podcast Episode Description:In this week’s episode, Philippa and Julie ponder the role that everyday things can play in fostering connection and playfulness within families. They explore how simple, daily moments can create meanin...
•
48:06
Ep13 Play and Little City; An interview with Vicki Fletcher
In today's episode, Philippa interviews Vicki, the founder of Little City, which is a mobile role-play centre for little people. She shares her love of Sylvanian families and how she wanted to move away from corporate life and spend more time w...
•
45:09
Ep12 Play and Child on Parent Violence
Welcome to this week’s episode of Pondering Play and Therapy, where Julie and Philippa think about an important and often difficult topic—child-to-parent violence. In today’s episode, we explore the complex relationship between a child’s anger,...
•
46:05
Ep11 Play and Fostering and Interview with Venny
Philippa's guest for this episode is Venny, who shares her experience as a foster carer and how important play is when fostering. She also has stepchildren, birth children, and a huge amount of, grandchildren, at least two football teams worth ...
•
37:06
Ep10 Play, Rupture and Repair - Part 2
In this week’s episode, part two of our Rupture and Repair series, we ponder how play and playfulness can be a key role in the process of repair. We explore why rupture and repair are essential, not just for child development, but also for buil...
•
41:37
Ep9 Play and Video Interaction Guidance; an interview with Hilary Kennedy
This week our guest is Hilary Kennedy. She is a leading developer of video interaction guidance called VIG in the UK, an educational psychologist and an honorary research associate at the University College of London. She has co-edited 2 ...
•
44:12