134. Arielle Schwartz: Intergenerational Trauma & Play Therapy

Have you ever wondered what intergenerational trauma can look like when it shows up in a play therapy session?  If so, you have also likely wondered what you can do to support both the child and the parent to integrate the trauma.

In this episode, Lisa Dion is joined by Dr. Arielle Schwartz (you might know her from the amazing books she’s published including “The Complex PTSD Workbook” or “The Post Traumatic Growth Guidebook), to discuss this very topic.

You will learn:

• What intergenerational trauma is and what it can look like in play therapy sessions
• How to cultivate your own trans-generational resilience and develop generational empathy (that you can then model to your clients and their parents/caregivers); 
• What to do when your own intergenerational trauma shows up in a session with your clients; and
• How practicing self-care supports you in being a better steward of trauma for this kind of work (...learn Arielle’s own embodiment practice that she starts each day with and before meeting with clients). 

Join this lovely conversation and widen your lens beyond the client’s present day (or recent history) experience to what might be happening across generations in the parent/caregiver-child relationship, what’s happening in the family system, and even to the generational patterns and unresolved traumas generationally that are part of your client’s story.

*Arielle Schwartz, PhD, CCTP-II, E-RYT, is a licensed clinical psychologist, certified complex trauma professional, and Kripalu yoga teacher with a private practice in Boulder, Colorado. As an internationally sought-out teacher and leading voice in the healing of PTSD and complex trauma, she is the author of six books, including The Complex PTSD Workbook, Therapeutic Yoga for Trauma, and The Post-Traumatic Growth Guidebook. She is dedicated to offering informational mental health and wellness updates through her writing, public speaking, social media presence, and blog. As the founder of the Center for Resilience Informed Therapy, she offers integrative, mind-body approach to therapy including relational therapy, parts-work therapy, somatic psychology, EMDR Therapy, and therapeutic yoga for trauma. She believes that the journey of trauma recovery is an awakening of the spiritual heart. Learn more about Arielle at www.drarielleschwartz.com.

Podcast Resources: 

• Synergetic Play Therapy Institute
• Synergetic Play Therapy Learning Website
• FREE Resources to support you on your play therapy journey 
• Aggression in Play Therapy: A Neurobiological Approach to Integrating Intensity

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