Lessons from the Playroom

Original Air Date: July 20, 2021 Lisa is joined by guest Lynn Louise Wonders. Lynn is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Professional Mentor and Supervisor, Career, Parenting and Relationship Coach at Wonders Counseling Services, LLC. She’s an expert in navigating high conflict divorce and custody cases. Listen as Lisa and Lynn Louise discuss how to not get caught in the crossfire of high conflict divorce, what your role is as the child’s therapist, and how to be present for the child so ultimately the child can know their own self and truth in what can be a highly stressful and chaotic situation. Plus, you’ll find out how to … Be proactive and prepared so you don't find yourself stuck in these often challenging and painful situations such as getting quality training, reading articles and books, and having consultation experts and seasoned supervisors on speed dial. Keep attuned to the ever-changing status of your own "band-width" when working with high conflict casts. Learn how to put your own self-care first. Practice grounding and shifting into neutral gear. Not let parents at war hook you into the chaotic energy of their high conflict (whether they throw that hook at you intentionally or unintentionally). How to maintain the child's therapy as their “oasis” when parents are at war and be the “oasis keeper” for the child. 💗 Know your role and stay in your role, and practice this over and over again during the client case. *Lynn Louise Wonders (www.wonderscounseling.com) is a licensed and certified professional counselor supervisor in Georgia and a registered play therapist supervisor. She is an author, trainer and professional consultant to child and family therapists around the world. She has helped thousands of therapists learn how to bridge and blend non-directive and directive play therapy approaches prescriptively through her in person and online training events since 2010. She has additional background as a yoga and meditation teacher since 1995. Podcast Resources:  Synergetic Play Therapy Institute: https://synergeticplaytherapy.com/ Synergetic Play Therapy Learning Website: https://learn.synergeticplaytherapy.com/ FREE Resources to support you on your play therapy journey: https://synergeticplaytherapy.com/free-resources/  Aggression in Play Therapy: https://synergeticplaytherapy.com/books/ * 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.

Lisa’s next guest has so many amazing contributions to the field of play therapy. Terry Kottman is the founder of Adlerian Play Therapy and the League of Extraordinary Adlerian Play Therapists. She is an unbelievably fun and engaging presenter and author who teaches around the world and writes about so many different aspects of play therapy. In 2014, she was granted a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association for Play Therapy; in 2017, she was given a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Iowa Association for Play Therapy; and in 2020, she received a third Lifetime Achievement Award from the North American Society for Adlerian Psychology (…she seems to be collecting them). In this episode, Terry will take you into the world of Adlerian Therapy and share how she developed Adlerian Play Therapy. You’ll also learn: How to bring more of YOU into your client’s sessions; How to custom-design your sessions to meet your client’s unique needs; How to enhance your client’s insight into themselves and what it means to “spit in the client’s soup;” How to navigate the client’s process when phases of the therapeutic work are not discrete; and How to attune not just to your client, but to their entire treatment process (a meta-attunement of sorts). Listen to the brilliant words of Terry Kottman and feel inspired and jazzed about play therapy and the work you’re doing with your clients. Podcast Resources:  Synergetic Play Therapy Institute: https://synergeticplaytherapy.com/ Synergetic Play Therapy Learning Website: https://learn.synergeticplaytherapy.com/ FREE Resources to support you on your play therapy journey: https://synergeticplaytherapy.com/free-resources/  Aggression in Play Therapy: https://synergeticplaytherapy.com/books/ * 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 30, 2017 Play therapy is an evolving field with new ideas around every corner. And each theory - new and old - has something to offer. Seeking knowledge improves your practice and benefits your clients (and yourself). As play therapists, it is important to embrace the idea that growth really never ends. The moment we believe we have figured it out is precisely the moment that we stop growing. "The moment we believe we have figured it out is precisely the moment we stop growing" - Lisa Dion Podcast Resources:  Synergetic Play Therapy Institute: https://synergeticplaytherapy.com/ Synergetic Play Therapy Learning Website: https://learn.synergeticplaytherapy.com/ FREE Resources to support you on your play therapy journey: https://synergeticplaytherapy.com/free-resources/  Aggression in Play Therapy: https://synergeticplaytherapy.com/books/ * 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.

Wondering what bibliotherapy is or how to incorporate it in your client sessions? Lisa has invited another special guest to talk about using bibliotherapy with kids. Althea T. Simpson is the founder of Brighter Day Therapeutic Solutions and Unicorn Life Training. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor, Certified LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® Facilitator, and host of the podcast Chronicles of a Play Therapist. She's all about innovative solutions for mental health and her creativity has been such a blessing and inspiration to the play therapy field (thank you Althea!).  In this episode, discover how all books can be therapeutic and the many ways to be creative in using bibliotherapy with your clients including:  How bibliotherapy helps children find their way through psychological, emotional, and social problems; How to choose books relevant to a client's personal situation and developmental needs;  How to use bibliotherapy through a Teletherapy platform; and How to engage children in activities that help them reflect on what they read, including art-based expressions, LEGO, sand tray, journal writing, and group discussion. Althea also shares some of the books that she loves to have in her playroom including the book she would have if she could only have one book. Plus, learn about her own recently published book - "Hurt to Healing: Child Witnesses of Domestic Violence and Their Invisible Injuries" and how it blended her professional and personal life experiences.   Podcast Resources:  Synergetic Play Therapy Institute: https://synergeticplaytherapy.com/ Synergetic Play Therapy Learning Website: https://learn.synergeticplaytherapy.com/ FREE Resources to support you on your play therapy journey: https://synergeticplaytherapy.com/free-resources/  Aggression in Play Therapy: https://synergeticplaytherapy.com/books/ * 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: May 31, 2018 As play therapists, we're often taught to check ourselves at the door. But, when the child's challenges reflect our own, this is difficult for even the most seasoned clinician. What happens when we embrace the mirror and tap into our humanness? You just might experience some of the most powerful sessions when you see yourself in your client's struggle. "The fear of going towards something in the playroom is a reflection of a wound in us that hasn't healed." - Lisa Dion Podcast Resources:  Synergetic Play Therapy Institute: https://synergeticplaytherapy.com/ Synergetic Play Therapy Learning Website: https://learn.synergeticplaytherapy.com/ FREE Resources to support you on your play therapy journey: https://synergeticplaytherapy.com/free-resources/  Aggression in Play Therapy: https://synergeticplaytherapy.com/books/ * 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.

Explore how families have their own collective nervous systems, creating a web of emotional support and regulation. Discover how even seemingly dysfunctional behaviors serve a purpose within the family unit. Learn strategies to become an external regulator, helping to calm and balance family dynamics. The discussion highlights the interconnectedness of individual nervous systems and offers transformative tips for therapeutic practices. This conversation is sure to reshape your understanding of family interactions!

Original Air Date: June 3, 2020 "To overcome systems of oppression that want institutional racism to be invisible, we need to name it! ... And make it explicit!" - Nora Alwah What is social justice?  What is oppression?  What is intersectionality?  Join Lisa Dion and as she invites Nora Alwah, social justice educator and therapist, to explore these questions and offer guidance to therapists on how they can support children and families in ways that create connection, attunement and empowerment.   *Nora Alwah is a queer cis-woman of color, and an immigrant from Denmark and Comoros. Nora is passionate about fiercely challenging systemic oppression and empowering people to reclaim their unapologetic truth and innate power. She is a somatic psychotherapist, a social justice educator and adjunct faculty at Naropa University. In her private practice, Nora specializes in working with marginalized populations, including people of color, bilingual individuals, immigrants, queer people, and transgender and gender non-conforming individuals. Visit her website: www.noraalwah.com Podcast Resources:  Synergetic Play Therapy Institute: https://synergeticplaytherapy.com/ Synergetic Play Therapy Learning Website: https://learn.synergeticplaytherapy.com/ FREE Resources to support you on your play therapy journey: https://synergeticplaytherapy.com/free-resources/  Aggression in Play Therapy: https://synergeticplaytherapy.com/books/ * 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.

Author, podcaster, and speaker Jayson Gaddis joins the host to discuss conflict in relationships. They explore why conflict is difficult to talk about, the importance of embracing conflict, and how to navigate hard conversations. They also discuss the significance of repair in relationships, navigating difficult conversations with parents, and the parent-child dynamic in play therapy.

Original Air Date: February 19, 2020 "Whatever the lie a child tells, it's all part of a protective pattern. And protective patterns are never right or wrong." - Lisa Dion While lying often gets a bad rap, everybody lies (yep, even you!). In fact, it has less to do with manipulation and more to do with protection of self. In other words, lying has a purpose. As therapists, it's up to us to recognize the feelings underneath the fib. 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.

Lisa is joined by Cary Hamilton, another amazing guest, for a conversation that will transform your work with parents/caregivers who have children with neurodiverse or sensory processing challenges.  Cary is the Director of Play Therapy at Antioch University in Seattle, Owner of a group practice clinic - Olympia Therapy and current President of the Washington Association for Play Therapy. She is an author and international presenter on Neurodiversity, Sensory Sensitivities and Play Therapy for the last 10 years. Also check out her educational platform called Playful Wisdom that offers real-world guidance to help parents develop their inner know-how and bring back the joy of being a parent.  Hear how to take parents and caregivers from a place of overwhelm, confusion and disempowerment to a place of curiosity and deep connection to their child. Plus, hear some of Cary (and Lisa’s) lived experiences, while learning: How to support parents/caregivers in trusting their intuition about what their child needs and empower them in their child's healing process; How to engage parents/caregivers when they are feeling shutdown, hopeless, or scared to engage (...Cary gives us an amazing question to ask parents/caregivers that helps them feel complete support and acceptance in spite of their struggles);  How to address systemic challenges in the family (e.g., differences in understanding/opinion between partners, sibling perceptions, marital stress, etc.); and How to trust the child's lead in knowing what their body needs to regulate their own dysregulation. Understand neurodiversity and sensory processing challenges at a much deeper level and grab some beautiful nuggets/insights in this most heartfelt and honest conversation. 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.