The "With That In Mind" Podcast · Red Bird Mental Health Services

Episode 40: With That In Mind | The Power of Trauma-Informed Play Therapy: Helping Children Heal

·1 hr 2 min·4 clips

Confusion, chaos, and custody conflict show up in play before children can explain them.

Dr. Megan opens the conversation by welcoming Samantha Wolkopolsky and introducing the topic of trauma informed play therapy. She also describes Redbird Mental Health as a psychotherapy practice in Northeastern Pennsylvania with offices in Wilkes-Barre and Hazleton, along with telehealth throughout Pennsylvania. The practice serves kids, teens, adults, families, and couples, with a strong focus on trauma, PTSD, anxiety, and depression. From there, the discussion turns to how play can help children feel better. The episode keeps returning to the idea that play is not only about toys or structured activities. It can be a coach driving to soccer, a car ride without screens, or a few minutes of shared attention in a packed day. Samantha and Dr. Megan talk about how children often do not get enough individual time. They compare that need to the one on one attention a child receives in a therapy room. That attention can feel unusually powerful for a child who is used to sharing caregivers, space, and time with siblings or other kids. The conversation notes that a child in that setting gets a safe adult's full focus for a set period, and that can build trust. It also acknowledges how busy family life is and how hard it can be to protect that kind of time every day. Still, the episode makes room for small, realistic examples. A parent can play soccer as a coach, turn off screens on a drive, or use a game like 20 Questions to connect. The hosts treat those moments as real play, not as an extra task. They also point out that play therapy is not only for the office. It can shape the way caregivers show up in ordinary routines. The tone stays gentle and validating, especially around how exhausting parenting can be. The discussion leaves space for imperfect effort rather than insisting on ideal conditions. It also suggests that children benefit when adults keep making room for connection even when the schedule is crowded. Toward the end, the conversation widens into the idea that kids grow and then face new challenges, which means adults have to keep adapting too. The episode closes by inviting listeners to like, subscribe, review, and reach out with questions or topic ideas. That ending keeps the focus on ongoing conversation and care rather than a one time fix.

As heard by us

A calm, practical look at how play can help children feel better.

The episode frames trauma-informed play therapy as a practical path to helping children feel better, not just as a clinic-based method. It keeps the focus on one-on-one attention in the therapy room and on ordinary family moments, where play can show up during a soccer practice,…

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Why you'd press play

If you want simple ways to use play to help your child feel better, press play.

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