Lessons from the Playroom

In this Lessons from the Playroom episode, Lisa again is joined by Andrea Davidson, Johanna Simmons, and Rachel Freeburg - three Certified Synergetic Play Therapists … but this time for a discussion on messes in the playroom and messy play - ooh, so much fun! Tune in as they explore: How to explain and normalize to parents/caregivers that messes are ok; How to turn messes in the playroom into opportunities for boundaries, containment, and growth; Ways to support children when they need the expression or sensory experience of messy play; When to have a child clean up or not when messes happen (hint: it's about the child's treatment goals); Strategies for you as the therapist to stay in your window of tolerance with messes or messy play; and Understanding messes from the experience of Nervous System regulation/dysregulation. 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: September 14, 2021 Lisa Dion is joined by special guest Dr. David Crenshaw for a touching and heartfelt conversation about Finding the Hidden Gifts Within Children, especially those who have been deeply mistreated and hurt. In this episode, David reminds you that children who have been wounded so often present with many protective patterns that often hide their inner treasures, talents, strengths, and deeper qualities about themselves. And at times, these patterns are so strong in the child, that you might get easily swayed, become confused, or forget that they are protective strategies … Forgetting that under all that shutdown, back talk, aggressive behavior, or resistance, is the child's true self - their virtues, their essence, their wholeness. Listen as David shares his wisdom and some of the lessons learned from his 53 years in the field - and a key message to always look for the treasures buried within. *David A. Crenshaw, Ph.D. is Clinical Director of the Children's Home of Poughkeepsie He is Past-President of the New York Association for Play Therapy, a Board Certified Clinical Psychologist; a Fellow of the American Psychological Association, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychology, and a Registered Play Therapy Supervisor. He has received several Lifetime Achievement Awards including most recently in 2021 by the Association for Play Therapy. He is the author/editor/co-editor of numerous books, book chapters, and journal articles on child aggression, play therapy and child trauma. 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 and Carmen Jimenez-Pride in a conversation about a topic that has never been talked about so far in this entire podcast series - Internal Family Systems (IFS) and how to incorporate it in the playroom. In this episode, Carmen, a Registered Play Therapist Supervisor and an Internal Family Systems therapist herself, shares how the Internal Family Systems framework offers a really cool way to hold the client's experience in the playroom, as well as our experience as therapists. Whether you are or aren't familiar with IFS, you will definitely want to have a listen! Here's a few things you'll hear discussed in this conversation: What IFS looks like in the playroom and for our child clients; How to help your clients build a relationship with all parts of themselves (e.g., exiles, protectors, and firefighters); How to support the client in fully embracing all aspects of themselves and the experiences that made them who they are; How to share the IFS work with parents/caregivers and how to help parents understand their own parts and protective systems; How to recognize our parts as therapists and how they can show up in the playroom as well; and One of the biggest lies that play therapists may tell themselves and how this can be so challenging to our own emotional wellbeing. Plus, you'll hear a funny story about Carmen … how she did not want to be a therapist - What?! And how she did end up starting her clinical and play therapist journey. On behalf of the field, thanks Carmen for going this direction and all you've been doing for communities, families and kids! You're such an inspiration to so many! *Don't know Carmen yet? …. She's the founder and Executive Director of Outspoken Counseling and Consulting and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Registered Play Therapist Supervisor, Certified EMDR Therapist, Internal Family Systems Therapist, Registered Yoga Teacher, Registered Children Yoga Teacher, Certified Daring Way™ Facilitator, and LEGO® Serious Play® Facilitator. She's an international speaker, award-winning best-selling author, and business consultant, as well as a visionary in the play therapy community. You may also recognize her for creating the Diversity in Play Therapy Summit, which has brought together so many brilliant minds working to effect change within the practice of play therapy by increasing cultural awareness and cultural competence for healers working with diverse populations. . . * 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 our Mailing List💜 https://linktr.ee/synergeticplaytherapy * Follow Lisa Dion and the Synergetic Play Therapy Institute on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube. Lisa Dion's Book, Aggression in Play Therapy: A Neurobiological Approach for Integrating Extremes is available in English, Spanish and on Audible. *Find more information and free resources to support you on your play therapist journey at https://synergeticplaytherapy.com/ * Interested in APT Approved CE credits and courses delivered to your living room? Take a look at all our play therapy training, available on our learning website: https://learn.synergeticplaytherapy.com/

Original Air Date: February 14, 2017 Go back to the beginning in this very first Lessons from the Playroom podcast episode 💜✨ ....Because without learning about ourselves as the most important toy, we miss part of the magic in the playroom and we miss understanding how play therapy actually works. In this podcast, Lisa Dion will explore why not recognizing our own internal states cuts off access to a deeper level of intuitive knowledge available to us during the play and leaves us missing out on the ability to fully connect with the child. 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.

In this episode, Lisa talks about a most tender subject- the "shoulds" and "should nots" that we all have as clinicians – you probably know what we're talking about … they show up in the playroom, when working with parents and caregivers, and in our personal lives. It's our own judgments of ourselves, and the sometimes constant brain noise that we have. Once again, Lisa has invited two very important people to join her – Helen Ritchie and Kristina Dixon, two Certified Synergetic Play Therapists. Join in this deeply personal conversation about exploring our shoulds and should nots (you know - "I should stay calm when a child is dysregulated," "I should not emotionally flood," "I shouldn't feel lost or confused in the play," or "I should be able to manage the collective nervous system of the world"). Here's what you'll hear in this episode: Why shoulds and unmet expectations register as a threat to the brain; The different "shoulds" that relate to the experience of being a clinician (…you'll hear several, but what are your own that come up in your practice and life?); What to do when we experience a "should" or "should not" (in our therapy sessions, with parents/caregivers, etc.) and how to take care of ourselves in those moments; Explore the "shoulds"/"should nots" for newer therapists and how to overcome the "Am I ok?" challenges of starting out in the field; and Find out how the "shoulds"/"should nots" even show up for seasoned therapists (… Lisa even shares some of her own) Listen and come back to a more deeply rooted trust in yourself as a play therapist and the amazing work that you do each and every day. Big hugs and much love on the journey! 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 16, 2017 Dustin Baker joins Lisa to talk about sexual identity and sexual orientation in the playroom - a topic not discussed often enough in the field of play therapy. Learn how embracing these topics benefits our clients. After all, children are colorful (and so are we). Here's what you'll hear in this episode: 1:45 Lisa introduces Dustin Copenhefer 2:49 The need for more play therapy resources on gender orientation and identity 3:15 Sexual identity versus sexual orientation 4:15 The importance of multi-cultural counseling 6:10 The importance of staying curious 7:45 How play appreciates the uniqueness of people 8:36 Different is normal 9:56 What does this look like in the playroom? Where can play therapists start? 10:50 How can you let children know that they're in a safe place? 11:40 "All of you is welcome" 12:30 The importance of dress-up items 13:30 What you make available in the playroom is a message to kids on where you're willing to go 15:40 "Knowing" and "investigating" on your part aren't important - allow the process to unfold on its own 17:00 Addressing these issues in adolescence 17:15 The gender abacus 20:15 How can you help create the resources that are needed? 20:30 Working with parents 21:30 How can you avoid assumptions and diversify your thoughts? 23:15 What happens when the parent or parents struggle? 24:10 Why is timing between you and your client so important? 26:00 Acknowledging where the parents are in the process 27:00 Serving as a model for the parent 28:05 Kids are colorful - embrace that color in them and in yourself 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 has a really special guest joining her for this episode and they're doing something different today … It's time to talk about business! - One of the most important topics we don't talk much about as therapists. And to help Lisa out with this conversation, she has Jen Taylor who's going to be interviewing her on her business journey. If you've ever wondered about Lisa and her entrepreneurial journey, what it took for her to build the Synergetic Play Therapy Institute or create this podcast, get ready for an insightful and inspiring conversation where you'll get to know Lisa a little more and get some business insights along the way. Tune in and hear the answers to some very fun questions such as: What was Lisa like as a child and how did this influence her becoming a business owner and entrepreneur? How did Lisa hone her craft as a teacher (...and some tricks she uses to manage the anxiety she has before she teaches or gets on stage- yes she still gets anxious!)? How did Lisa give herself permission to go after her dreams? (and ways you can too!) How did Lisa learn to tackle and work with her fears? How did Lisa reconcile the challenge and conflicting feelings of wanting to be of service and make money at the same time? How did Lisa come to learn about the ins-and-outs of business as a therapist? (...because it's not something we learn in graduate school) Why does she spend money on learning about business (the same way we do as therapists for training and certifications) and why did she take the same business course 4 times? What was the most valuable lesson Lisa learned as she reflected on some of the biggest unsuccessful business decisions she's ever made on her entrepreneurial journey? Plus, hear answers to some more personal questions like: What is one of her favorite business books; Her biggest pet peeve on the business journey; The worst business advice she's ever received; and The best advice she would give her younger self now. Listen to this episode and learn insight's from Lisa's journey on how to manage some of the learning curves, detours, and clunkiness of having a business, while continuing to stay focused on your dreams as the deepest expression of yourself. And if you want more, join Lisa for The Business of Therapy, a 2.5 day live (and virtual hybrid) course on Nov 11-13, 2022. Lisa is so excited to get therapists in a room to teach them, not only the nuts and bolts of the business of therapy, but the psychology of being an entrepreneur - come learn how to write the book, launch the podcast, start your private practice or take your existing business to the next level! And something we do well as therapists is be in community - rallying around each other, playing, and bringing the conversation of business to life. *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.

Original Air Date: May 16, 2018 "We can't promise to keep kids safe from tragedy, but we can promise to have a plan." - Lisa Dion Tragedy is an inevitability of life, no matter how much we wish it wasn't. No one is immune, including kids. But heartbreak can bring about a myriad of emotions, inside and outside of the playroom. We can't always keep kids safe, but we can reduce their fear of the unknown. Here's what you'll hear in this episode: 1:40 How do we help children who have lost their sense of safety or the sense of safety in the community? 2:25 How do we help parents allay their own fears? 3:24 The importance of not rescuing 3:50 What are some dangers of rescuing the child? 5:42 We can't always keep kids safe no matter how much we wish we could 6:45 How can we help a child find safety internally? 7:49 The goal of healing is to empower and help the child regain their neuroception of safety 8:50 Why should we avoid making assumptions that people feel a certain way about tragic events? 10:30 Tragedy comes with a full range of emotions, both expected and unexpected 12:18 Encouraging parents to discuss the full range of emotions 12:42 Emotions are fleeting and can change day by day or many times a day 13:20 Parents and therapists must honor whatever feelings emerge 14:20 How do we discover what part of the tragedy is most traumatic for the child? 16:24 Helping a child integrate means avoiding blame 18:00 How do we allow children to access their deeper level of emotions? 18:39 Giving yourself permission to be open to different reactions 21:19 Why is having a plan so vital? 21:45 How can we help parents form this plan? 22:50 How do we maximize the sense of safety? Episode resource: Tragedy: Why No One-Emotion-Fits-All Blog 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.

Another amazing guest is joining Lisa Dion for this Lessons from the Playroom episode - Dr. Bonnie Goldstein. As a faculty member at Pat Ogden's Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute, she's taken Sensorimotor Psychotherapy and applied it to children* …. Fun story - Bonnie and Lisa had a random (but not random 😉) meeting in Melbourne, Australia in 2019 at the Australian Childhood Foundation's world-renowned trauma conference. They both found themselves at the same dinner one night, and by the end, the two were cuddled up, holding hands and laughing - it was an immediate "Hi! I like you"- connection ✨ Join Bonnie and Lisa as they talk about how to bring the body more into your therapy practice to empower your child clients. You'll hear: How to utilize your own sense of self in your work with clients through embedded relational mindfulness techniques; How the body influences the mind and how mindfulness and mind-body awareness come together to shift a client's narrative; How to bring in collaborative curiosity into your therapeutic work with children; Different techniques to help clients get into their bodies after experiencing trauma including the "choo-choo train" activity; How to read the client's story through the aliveness of the body; and How to more accurately attune to your body to then be able to attune to your client's body as the most important "toy" in the room. Throughout, you'll hear so many client stories that will really help give you a sense for how you can bring sensorimotor work into your therapeutic practice. And you'll also get to meet Bonnie's co-therapist who helps her out in some of her client sessions. 💕 *The focus of Dr. Bonnie Goldstein's work is to foster and heal relationships through the lens of attachment theory, somatic and mindful awareness, and the dynamic interaction of group psychotherapy. Dr. Goldstein is the founder/director of the Lifespan Psychological Center and a faculty member at the Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute. She's authored and co-authored several publications over the years and, what's really cool is that she has a manuscript right now at Norton Publishing where she and Pat Ogden wrote a book on Sensorimotor Psychotherapy with Children. 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.

This next Lessons from the Playroom topic is near and dear to Lisa's heart as she is a Certified Gestalt Therapist and Gestalt is one of the root theories of Synergetic Play Therapy. And not only is the topic important to Lisa, but so is her guest. She is one of the Gestalt Play Therapy experts on the planet. Yes, we're talking about Felicia Carrol. Felicia Carrol is a LMFT, RPT-S, and founder/director of the West Coast Institute for Gestalt Therapy with Children and Adolescents - she is an international educator and the list of countries where she has done training would take the entire podcast to share. She's published several chapters and articles to support the play therapy field. Felicia was also a direct student and dear friend of Violet Oaklander who passed away in 2021. Join Lisa and Felicia in a most grounding and heartfelt conversation where you'll: Hear the background story of Gestalt Play Therapy including Violet Oaklander's amazing contributions to the field of play therapy; Become familiar with the wisdom of Gestalt Play Therapy, it's paradigm, and the 4 Pillars that Violet Oaklander created to form its structure; Discover (or rediscover) some often overlooked and powerful concepts that you might not be including in your therapy practice such as "being for" your client, the "self-nurturing" technique, and the benefit of establishing a dialogic relationship with your client; Learn one of the biggest misconceptions for Gestalt Play Therapy, as well as in the field of play therapy that continues to prevail today (hint: it's about directive vs. non-directive modalities); Hear some personal and professional stories about Violet Oaklander - Get to know this lovely human being that made such an impactful difference in the play therapy field! This podcast is dedicated to Violet Oaklander who took her final breath on September 21, 2021 at the age of 94. She was a child and adolescent therapist known for her method of integrating Gestalt Therapy theory and practice with play therapy. She wrote the groundbreaking book, "Windows to Our Children," which put the play therapy world on its side. Listen to today's episode and come back to your roots as a play therapist. Thank you, thank you, thank you Felicia! * 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 our Newsletter💜 https://linktr.ee/synergeticplaytherapy * Follow Lisa Dion and the Synergetic Play Therapy Institute on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube. Lisa Dion's Book, Aggression in Play Therapy: A Neurobiological Approach for Integrating Extremes is available in English, Spanish and on Audible. *Find more information and free resources to support you on your play therapist journey at https://synergeticplaytherapy.com/ * Interested in APT Approved CE credits and courses delivered to your living room? Take a look at all our play therapy training, available on our learning website: https://learn.synergeticplaytherapy.com/