The Honour of the Last 7 Months: Reflecting on Our Podcast Journey
Over the last seven months, Pondering Play and Therapy has grown from a seed of an idea into a living, breathing community of conversations. What began as two friends—Philippa and Julie—pressing record on our reflective chats has turned into something much bigger than we imagined.
Philippa with AI assistance
9/4/20252 min read
Why We Started
We launched in November 2024 with no idea how steep the learning curve would be—new buttons, editing software, hosting platforms we’d never heard of!
But we knew our why:
To share the kinds of conversations that shaped our own journeys as social workers, therapists, and play advocates.
To challenge assumptions (like resistance being “won’t” instead of “can’t”).
To make our reflections accessible to parents, carers, teachers, TAs, foster carers, and professionals—without jargon or judgment.
“If I could have heard someone have these conversations when I was starting out, it would have made such a difference.” – Philippa
Looking Back: Guests & Themes
In 36 episodes, we’ve welcomed voices from across the UK and around the world:
🎙️ Policy leaders like Marguerite Hunter Blair (Play Scotland) and Eugene O’Hare (Play England).
🎙️ Therapists and practitioners exploring attachment, regulation, and play in residential care.
🎙️ Global perspectives from Bangladesh, Australia, Canada, and the US.
🎙️ Everyday champions of play in classrooms, communities, prisons, and even app design.
A theme we keep hearing is the loss of free play—in homes, schools, and neighbourhoods. Guests have spoken about how structured, “school-ready” play has squeezed out freedom, and how the closure of youth clubs and local spaces is eroding vital community connections.
At the same time, we’ve also seen hope: people finding creative ways to keep play alive—in custody suites, in disadvantaged communities, and in everyday moments of connection.
What It’s Meant for Us
This podcast has been a journey of learning and privilege.
We’ve had to master technology we didn’t grow up with.
We’ve discovered the joy of interviewing—every guest feels like our “favourite.”
We’ve been reminded that saying “yes” to connection is still powerful—every guest has given their time freely.
And we’ve been amazed at our global reach. While most listeners are in the UK and US, downloads have come from South Africa, Thailand, Egypt, Greece, Nairobi, Uruguay, and beyond.
“Knowing that someone in Uruguay is listening reminds us that play is a universal human need.” – Julie
Looking Forward
We’re not stopping here. Over the next few months:
✨ More Interviews – Two interview episodes for every reflective chat.
✨ YouTube Expansion – Video episodes, captions, and short clips for wider reach.
✨ Accessibility – Exploring ways to make the podcast more inclusive.
✨ Community Building – Blogs, newsletters, and spaces for dialogue.
How You Can Join In
💌 Sign up to our newsletter for episode updates, blogs, and resources.
📺 Subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch full interviews and clips.
📸 Follow us on Instagram & Facebook for weekly updates.
✉️ Get in touch if you’d like to share your story—whether you’re a parent, professional, or policymaker, if play matters to you, we’d love to interview you.
A Final Thank You
To everyone who has pressed play, subscribed, shared, or commented: thank you. This podcast is about connection—and each listener represents another thread in this growing community.
Here’s to the next seven months of pondering together.
🌱 Philippa & Julie
