Stop leaving play therapy sessions wondering what just happened.
Play Therapy is Powerful - but only when you truly understand what's happening in the playroom.
You don't need more techniques. You need the clarity to understand what children are communicating through play, the confidence to act on it, and a community that supports you every step of the way.
Stop leaving play therapy sessions wondering what just happened.
Play Therapy is Powerful - but only when you truly understand what's happening in the playroom.
You don't need more techniques. You need the clarity to understand what children are communicating through play, the confidence to act on it, and a community that supports you every step of the way.
Two communities. One clear path forward.
Find the Play Therapy Community That Meets You Where You Are
Whether you're looking for a place to belong and grow alongside other play therapists, or you're ready for the kind of deep, structured support that transforms how you work — there's a community here for you
Play Therapy Elevation CIRCLE (PTEC)
Waitlist open — relaunching August 2026
More than a free group — a strategically guided community where committed play therapists come together to grow. Cathi structures and leads monthly CIRCLE Mastermind calls and book club discussions so every session moves you forward clinically, not just emotionally. Between calls, our online chat space means you're never figuring it out alone.
The place to belong while you grow.
Play Therapy Academy (PTA)
Limited to 10 members — spots available now
For play therapists ready to fundamentally transform how they practice. At the heart of PTA are twice monthly group consultation calls where — in a group of just 10 — you feel safe enough to bring your hardest cases, be honest about what you don't know, and receive strategic feedback that builds real clinical skill and confidence. A structured curriculum and direct access to Cathi support your growth every step of the way.
The place to transform how you practice play therapy.
Not ready yet? Start with a free play therapy resource.
The Approach Behind Everything At Renewing Hearts
At the heart of Cathi Spooner, LCSW RPT-S's 30+ years of clinical work is a simple but powerful belief — that before you can know how to help a child, you first need to understand why the problem is happening and what is sustaining it.
That's where neuroscience and attachment theory come in. Not as buzzwords or add-ons to existing techniques, but as a genuine lens for understanding what's happening beneath the surface of a child's behavior and play. When you can see the roots of a problem clearly — what's driving it neurologically and relationally — the path forward becomes less about guessing and more about knowing.
Because effective play therapy isn't about guessing what to do next — it's about knowing why you're doing it.
The Story Behind Renewing Hearts
Over 30+ years of clinical work — especially with complex cases — Cathi Spooner, LCSW RPT-S learned that to help children heal deeply, you have to find the root of the problem. And to find the root, you have to think like a clinical detective — investigating not just what's happening in the play room, but why, within the context of a child's entire family system.
What drove her to create Renewing Hearts was a gap she kept seeing in the play therapy field. Most training taught therapists what to do. Very little taught them how to think. Helping children heal isn't just a profession for Cathi — it's a calling. And the most powerful way to honor that calling is to teach other play therapists who feel it too.
Renewing Hearts exists for play therapists who feel that calling — and are ready to answer it.
What Play Therapists Are Saying
From the Play Therapy Academy:
"I walked away with a more intentional framework for my sessions and greater confidence in my clinical decision-making — especially in how I set expectations with parents and involve them in the process."
— Jessica B., Play Therapy Academy Member
From the Play Therapy Elevation CIRCLE
"I created PTEC because the need for community and strategic support doesn't depend on where you are with your RPT credential — whether you've already earned it, you're still deciding, or you've chosen a different path altogether. This community exists for all of you. Because that kind of support changes not just how you practice, but how you feel about your work."
— Cathi Spooner, LCSW RPT-S, Founder of Renewing Hearts
You Don’t Need More Play Therapy Techniques.
You Need a Community That Helps You Think Like a Clinical Detective.
The Play Therapy Elevation CIRCLE reopens in August 2026. Join the waitlist now for early access and first notification when doors open.
This is your invitation.
Ready to go deeper now? A small number of PTA spots are available for play therapists ready to transform how they practice.
Not ready for community yet? Start with an on-demand course.