Pondering Play and Therapy Podcast

In this episode of Pondering Play and Therapy, Julie speaks with newly qualified play therapist Ellen Dempsey about her Roehampton University dissertation, “Oh, What a Mess,” exploring messy play and therapeutic presence. Ellen shares how her own preference for tidiness created tension, shame, and distraction in the playroom when children used sensory materials, and how supervision and an embodied messy-paint exercise helped her reconnect with the felt experience behind her topic. Using qualitative interviews with three experienced BAPT play therapists and thematic analysis, Ellen examines how therapists stay present during messy play, highlighting preparation, time and space constraints, emotional grounding, experience, and limit setting, as well as refocusing on the child’s needs and meaning-making. She reflects on how the research shifted her from shame to acceptance and offers training recommendations for more embodied “messy” workshops.website: https://www.embraceplaytherapy.co.uk/Send us Fan Mail Instagram, Facebook, | Linktree

Siblings, Roles, and Therapy: Connection, Conflict, and the “Pie” of AttentionPhilippa and Julie explore sibling relationships through personal experiences and clinical work, discussing how children take on roles (e.g., “good child,” eldest organiser, protector) and how grief and major life events can reshape sibling bonds. They reflect on how siblings can remember the same childhood events very differently, how play and shared memories can build belonging, and how conflict may reflect developmental negotiation or unmet needs—especially for children affected by trauma, neglect, or instability. They consider “trauma bonds,” parentification, jealousy and competition for attention using the “pie” metaphor, and the complex decisions around separating siblings in foster care/adoption. The episode also covers ways therapists assess and work with siblings (separately, together, and via family tasks like drawing), funding constraints, confidentiality, and using therapy to support felt safety and healthier family dynamics.00:00 Exploring Family Ties: Childhood, Therapy, and Sibling Bonds, With Philippa and Julie00:00 Sibling Roles and Memories15:37 Therapy Siblings and Trauma Bonds34:17 Only Child Parents And Sibling Conflict37:24 Therapy Plans MIM And Sibling WorkSend us Fan Mail Instagram, Facebook, | Linktree