Pondering Play and Therapy Podcast | Podcast Guru

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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.

Recent Episodes

Navigating Complex Therapies: Inside the Forensic Psychology Journey; With Matthew Wesson.

The episode features returning guest Matt Wesson discussing pragmatic EMDR practice in HMP Liverpool, a largely male remand prison where instability, noise, short stays, and missed appointments require flexible, evidence-led, short-term trauma-focused work. He challenges common assumptions about lengthy stabilization and the primacy of therapeutic relationship, emphasising building quick alliance to the model and targeting the most impairing memories first to create ripple effects and a posit...

66 MIN

The Playful Path to Connection: Unpacking Filial Therapy and Family Dynamics. With Helen Gedge

Julie interviews play therapist Helen Gedge about her background growing up in Brazil, how play remains central in her adult life, and her path from primary teaching to play therapy and a PhD. Helen describes research conducted in 2018–19 at a Brazilian shelter home in Curitiba designed to keep mothers and children together after family violence, using filial therapy to teach mothers core therapeutic play skills (structuring special playtime, following the child’s lead, reflecting feelings, a...

53 MIN

Mistakes and Missteps: The Hidden Lessons in Therapy. A conversation with Julie and Philippa.

Philippa Kelly and Julie McCann continue their discussion on “mistakes” in therapeutic work, exploring how errors feel, whether to acknowledge them, and how clients, families, and colleagues perceive them. They consider conflicts between professionals (e.g., schools and CAMHS) and how systemic shortages create “mistakes” beyond any one person, raising the challenge of advocating without giving families false hope. They share in-room examples—forgetting a washing-up bowl for messy play, bringi...

64 MIN

Understanding Bodies in Motion: Occupational Therapy for Neurodivergent Kids. With Georgie Leeson.

In this episode of Pondering Play and Therapy, host interviews Georgie, a children’s occupational therapist from Little Peaks OT, about her move from NHS roles into independent practice to address a gap in sensory processing support. Georgie explains OT as helping children overcome barriers to everyday “occupations” (e.g., dressing, handwriting, cutlery, sitting in lessons) through play-led, child-centred therapy, focusing on strengths and confidence. She describes sensory regulation as helpi...

53 MIN

Unlocking Empathy: Play as a Catalyst in Therapy and Social Work. With Pete Ayling

Julie interviews play therapist and social work lecturer Pete Ayling about how playfulness supports understanding, empathy, and perspective-taking for children and adults. Pete describes his roles teaching social work students, supervising play therapists, and quality-assuring UK play therapy training, and reflects on play in his life through relationships, arts, nature, and identity exploration. They discuss play as symbolic representation that can loosen thinking when experiences are hard t...

65 MIN