Original Air Date: February 7, 2020 In this episode, Lisa is joined by special guest Jen Taylor to talk about how to use cooperative games in play therapy and how in the playroom, they are used effectively with siblings and families, reminding each player that it's not about winning; it's about the experience. "The object of the game is not to win; the object of the game is to experience playing for the sake of playing." - Jen Taylor, LCSW, RPT-S *Some of you might be very familiar with Jen Taylor. She's done amazing things in this world and to support play therapists worldwide. She’s a therapist, teacher and writer. She originally launched the Play Therapy Summit a few years ago and she's been a previous guest talking about cooperative games. Find her here. 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 * If you enjoy this podcast, please give us a five-star rating and review on Apple Podcast, subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, and invite your friends/fellow colleagues to join us.

Join Lisa for a discussion to explore three different types of relationships that come into play when working with parents/caregivers … What you’re about to hear will transform your work with parents/caregivers to create a more conscious relationship that honors both you as the therapist and the parents you work with.  In this episode, you’ll learn …. The three different types of relationships (... they can actually extend beyond the playroom to any and all relationships); How these different types of relationships play out in the dynamic with parents/caregivers;  Why we sometimes experience challenging relationships when working with parents/caregivers; and How to develop and create a space that allows parents/caregivers to show up as themselves and explore who they are with us. Listen and also find out how these different types of relationships potentially impact your nervous system and what you can do to stay connected to yourself so that you can honor both yours and the parent's/caregiver's unique rhythms and needs. 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 * If you enjoy this podcast, please give us a five-star rating and review on Apple Podcast, subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, and invite your friends/fellow colleagues to join us.

Original Air Date: January 15, 2021 Join Lisa Dion and guest Sonya Joyce as they discuss perhaps one of the most important topics in the play therapy process - touch! "Whether we like it or not, touch is a part of the play therapy experience." ... With this in mind, they explore ways to become more mindful and thoughtful about how to bring healing touch to children in the playroom, how to create a neuroception of safety around touch, how to model healthy boundaries and creative ways to bring touch into the child's experience, and the ramifications if healing touch does not happen for our child clients. Guest Sonya Joyce is a Child/Adolescent Psychotherapist in Ireland, trained in Play and Art Therapy. She offers, "I noticed that children were always leading me into play in my Art therapy sessions and this led me to study play further, firstly dipping my feet in the water with a short course in Therapeutic Play Skills, and then embarking on a 4 year Masters Course in Creative Psychotherapy and Play Therapy with the Children’s Therapy Centre, County Westmeath, Ireland. During this time I began work with an organisation working with children and young people who have experienced sexual abuse." To read the Sonya's full dissertation - "What Did I Do?" - An Exploration of the Inner Experiences of Child and Adolescent Psychotherapists When Touch Arises in the Playroom: https://synergeticplaytherapy.com/what-did-i-do-when-touch-arises-in-the-playroom/ 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 * If you enjoy this podcast, please give us a five-star rating and review on Apple Podcast, subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, and invite your friends/fellow colleagues to join us.

Cathy Malchiodi, founder of Trauma Informed Practices and Expressive Arts Therapy Institute, discusses the importance of rhythmic synchronization and action-oriented interventions in trauma healing. She introduces a new method of expanding the client's 'Window of Tolerance' for trauma integration and playfulness. The episode explores the journey into expressive arts therapy, emphasizing the results and incorporating playfulness and curiosity in therapy. It also discusses using expressive art therapies to help a military veteran with PTSD, books on expressive arts therapy and understanding children's drawings, and the importance of action, playfulness, and expressive arts therapy.

Original Air Date: May 25, 2021 How do we let parents know, that we know, how important they are in their child’s life? How can we stay grounded and connected to ourselves as play therapists when we find ourselves triggered or activated when working with overwhelmed parents? And how can we offer an “I see you” relational experience for parents that are experiencing complex trauma in their family system? Robyn Gobbel joins Lisa in this episode to answer these very questions. Not only do they discuss the value of working with these parents/caregivers and what to do when we feel stuck, but more importantly how to embrace working with parents in the play therapy process, honor the role they play in their child’s lives, and move from “ I should work with parents” to loving and adoring working with parents/families where complex trauma is part of their lives. *Robyn Gobbel is a writer, trainer, speaker, and educator dedicated to understanding why humans behave the way they behave. She teaches parents of children who have experienced trauma how the brain works, why behaviors are simply an externalization of what's happening in the brain, body, and nervous system, and how to respond to children's behaviors in a way that creates healing, not just behavior change. Robyn hosts the Parenting After Trauma podcast. Find her on her website here: https://robyngobbel.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 * If you enjoy this podcast, please give us a five-star rating and review on Apple Podcast, subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, and invite your friends/fellow colleagues to join us.

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 * If you enjoy this podcast, please give us a five-star rating and review on Apple Podcast, subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, and invite your friends/fellow colleagues to join us.

Original Air Date: October 12, 2021 In this episode, Lisa is joined by special therapist - a gem 💖 in the play therapy field (and he’s also a poet 😉) … Marshall Lyles joins Lisa in a discussion that brings new thought, new life, and new excitement to processes and things you may have heard about for years. Join Lisa and Marshall in conversation about … The use of Sandtray therapy in healing attachment and trauma; How attachment styles present for clients (and yourself) in the sandtray; How to go deeply within yourself through the “sandtray mirror;” Ways to navigate your own inner landscape and cultivate a “reflective practice;” and How to further develop yourself as a play therapist through the modalities that you practice. As a bonus, Marshall also shares his poem, Digging Deeper that he recently shared in the book, Advanced Sandtray Therapy. 💕 * Marshall Lyles, LPC-S, LMFT-S, RPT-S, lives in the Austin, Texas, area and has 20 years of practice in family and play therapy. Drawing on lessons learned from working with attachment trauma in a variety of mental health settings, Marshall regularly teaches on trauma, expressive therapies, and attachment-informed family work around the globe. He’s published in professional journals and magazines in addition to contributing to several books including recently co-authoring the book Advanced Sandtray Therapy (released in September 2021). Podcast Resources:  Freeman Attachment Cycle 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 * If you enjoy this podcast, please give us a five-star rating and review on Apple Podcast, subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, and invite your friends/fellow colleagues to join us.

This time Lisa has again invited two very important people in her life to join her. Two Certified Synergetic Play Therapists both residing in Canada – Helen Ritchie and Kristina Dixon. Join them in this conversation about working through the challenges and dilemmas that we sometimes have as therapists when working with the parents/caregivers. Find out: Why working with parents and caregivers can be more challenging than working just with our child clients. How to overcome some of the biggest challenges therapists have when working with parents/caregivers. How to bring a parent/caregiver into a team approach in the therapeutic process. How to support the parent/caregiver with implementing strategies in the home that might help the child client (including what to do when the parent/caregiver says, “I tried that, and it didn’t work” or “that won’t work for my child”). This podcast episode honors parents/caregivers and will open your heart around being in a therapy process together when helping your child clients heal. Podcast Resources:  Freeman Attachment Cycle 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 * If you enjoy this podcast, please give us a five-star rating and review on Apple Podcast, subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, and invite your friends/fellow colleagues to join us.

Original Air Date: November 13, 2017 A child’s refusal to speak inside the playroom can leave even the most seasoned therapist flustered. But connecting with clients involves much more than words. Silence can be golden when you know what it means and how to harness it. Join Lisa and find out how supporting a child in their healing process doesn't have to require words.  "It's the child really feeling that you're with them that heals them most. Sometimes, that just doesn't require words." - Lisa Dion Podcast Resources:  Freeman Attachment Cycle 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 * If you enjoy this podcast, please give us a five-star rating and review on Apple Podcast, subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, and invite your friends/fellow colleagues to join us.

In this episode the tables are turned and the lovely Jackie Flynn, host of the Play Therapy Community Podcast/Facebook group and the Neuroscience of Play Therapy Summits, interviews Lisa about how play therapy and being a play therapist has become a spiritual practice for her over the years.  Join Lisa and Jackie as they talk about: What spiritual practice means and how doing our own “work” as a therapist can become a spiritual practice; How the playroom is a giant "meditation cushion" for therapists to grow within themselves as human beings;  How to hold a larger perspective as a therapist and engage in a deeply self-reflective practice as a way of supporting the client in their own reflective awareness and healing journey;  How the moment itself has everything we need in order to navigate whatever is arising in the client’s therapeutic work - Nothing is missing. The Synergetic Play Therapy concept of “One Foot In/One Foot Out” and how this is a contemplative practice in action in the playroom; and How being authentically with ourselves as therapists can support us in truly helping our clients in the most profound ways possible.  In this episode, you’ll also hear how Lisa's very first play therapy session revealed to her, not only how to help children in their healing journey, but how to experience the playroom as a place of curiosity for what needs to be developed and worked within herself so that she could continue to develop herself as a therapist.  A message from Lisa to all of her listeners - Give yourself permission to find safe places and connections that allow you to look inward; get curious about what parts of you are showing up in the playroom that are asking you to be in relationship with them; and a deeper invitation to be with the parts of yourself that are emerging - because as you know, you are the most important toy in the playroom. Podcast Resources:  Freeman Attachment Cycle 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 * If you enjoy this podcast, please give us a five-star rating and review on Apple Podcast, subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, and invite your friends/fellow colleagues to join us.