Lessons from the Playroom

Have you ever thought about where and how you most connect with your sense of self and innate wisdom?... This next Lessons from the Playroom guest has made it her life's focus to help her clients do just this (...48 years as a psychotherapist!) Marie José Dhaese is the founder of Holistic Expressive Therapy and creator of an absolutely amazing and beautiful therapeutic "play home" (See it for yourself. It's so magical!). In this episode, Marie José talks about how all of us hold within ourselves an innate kernel of wisdom that drives us to grow into our potential … This view has shaped how she then attends to the nurturing sensory qualities of all environments (indoors and outdoors) and tailors each session to her client's needs using a variety of expressive therapies. Learn this unique and special way that Marie José approaches a client's healing process and discover how to: Address the physical, emotional, cognitive and spiritual needs of the client; Go beyond a specific protocol or intervention and understand the difference between "therapy" and healing; Facilitate healing not only from the "inside/out" but from the "outside/in;" and Help clients connect to their inner strengths and resources (before engaging in a deeper exploration of the issues that bring them to therapy.) 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.

Why is it so hard to let go and surrender to the reality of WHAT IS, in your life?... Join Lisa Dion as she takes you on a reflective journey to answer this very important question (... because we know it's not easy and, let's just be honest, can be downright painful!). In this Lessons from the Playroom episode, learn: Why it's so hard to let go and surrender to what is happening in your life How to not lose yourself when you're letting go or surrendering How to become aware and work through the shoulds/unmet expectations and being in the unknown of what it is to create safety How to work with the resistance and mindfully move into a place of surrendering and letting go How to fully integrate the experience of letting go/surrendering (including a powerful technique to do so) 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 guest, from a young age, wanted to be both a philosopher and a pilot … while life took her down a different path, she has since translated the "mysteries" of EMDR Therapy when working with children for thousands of therapists worldwide ... and taken many of her clients on a journey to places within themselves, giving them wings to soar! 💖 Ana Gomez is the founder of the AGATE Institute and has focused her career on working with complex and developmental trauma, healing generational wounds, and understanding dissociative patterns. Join Ana Gomez and Lisa Dion in a discussion about EMDR Therapy with kids where Ana gives understanding to: What is EMDR Therapy and how it can be applied to your child clients; How to support your child clients in developing a relationship with their inner world; How attunement is key in the healing process; and The importance of doing your own "work" as a therapist so that you can accompany your clients on their journeys through their traumas from a more embodied perspective. Listen to today's episode and receive your "wings" from an extraordinary "pilot" who so beautifully reminds us why we do what we do, the power of this work, and why we continue to show up for our child clients day in and day out. *Ana M Gómez, MC, LPC is the founder and director of the AGATE Institute in Phoenix, AZ. She is a psychotherapist, author, and an international speaker on the use of EMDR therapy with children and adolescents with complex and developmental trauma as well as generational wounds and dissociation. Ana is the author of EMDR Therapy and Adjunct Approaches with Children: Complex Trauma, Attachment and Dissociation and several book chapters and articles on the use of EMDR therapy with children and adolescents. In addition, she is the author of multiple children's books and therapeutic tools. Check out this incredible resource formed by Ana and other amazing EMDR Therapists who are bringing EMDR Therapy into their work with children – the Global Child EMDR Alliance. 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.

We're doing something different in this episode! … This time, Lisa is joined by three important people in her life - three Certified Synergetic Play Therapists, for a discussion of some of the challenges we might face as a play therapist. Take time to pause, reflect and find out what to do when a child/client: tries to take care of the therapist; does not turn on their screen during a teletherapy session (and what is really necessary for attunement to occur - the answer might surprise you); struggles with transitions, including not wanting to leave a parent's side or not wanting to leave the playroom when it's time to go. *Special guests: Certified Synergetic Play Therapists, Andrea Davidson (Colorado), Johanna Simmons (Vancouver, British Columbia), and Rachel Freeburg (Oregon). 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 is joined by another 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: 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.

A fundamental question of your practice as a play therapist, might be - "How do I support parents/caregivers in becoming the external regulator for their child?" With this mantra in mind to "treat the parent/caregiver how you would love the parent/caregiver to treat the child," Lisa Dion tackles this very topic of how to support parents/caregivers in becoming their child's external regulator. In this Lessons from the Playroom episode, you'll learn: How to support parents/caregivers when they themselves do not already have a template for regulation, or they don't know how to do it well, or perhaps their own internal disorganization is activating their child's disorganization and dysregulation. How to help the parent/caregiver come to see that all behaviors are designed to support regulation (their child's and their own). Four things you can do to help support and set the parent/caregiver up for success in becoming the external regulator for their child. What to do if the parent/caregiver is not quite ready to develop the skills of being the external regulator. 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 102nd episode, Lisa 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.

What does it really mean to be culturally competent?... To help us kick off the next 100 episodes, Lisa is joined by a truly amazing individual who is a leader in our play therapy field - Dr. Eliana Gil. Likely you have heard of her 😉 ... Dr. Eliana Gil is the founding partner of the Gil Institute for Trauma Recovery & Education. As one of the pioneers for working with trauma in the play therapy field, she's written several books read by countless therapists worldwide. She's also the former president of the Association for Play Therapy and received APT's Lifetime Achievement award in 2011. Join Lisa and Eliana in a conversation about: What it means to become culturally competent as a therapist Steps to building an anti-racist and culturally-informed practice Ways to respond when children are exploring racism and cultural issues in the playroom How to dive deep within yourself to move from not just reflection, but ACTION! You're invited to think through how cultural issues can show up in your work as a play therapist. And to get curious about when these conversations need to happen, how to do it authentically, and based on your own training. Eliana ends with a beautiful message about growing and deepening into your experience as a play therapist. 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 100th episode, the tables are turned once again and Lisa is interviewed about being a "Third Culture Kid" (TCK), what it means, and how it has influenced the creation of Synergetic Play Therapy®. Lisa is interviewed by Judy Norman, Certified SPT Therapist and mother of two TCKs who also spent over a decade of her adult life living abroad. Join Lisa and Judy as they discuss some of the challenges faced by Third Culture Kids (e.g., identity crisis, lack of sense of belonging, and relational struggles) that can show up in your play therapy session, as well as the many beautiful strengths and gifts that can emerge from the experience of being a Third Culture Kid. They'll also give you strategies and techniques to connect more deeply with these children, and support them in cultivating a deeper relationship with themselves. Judy Norman is a Certified SPT Therapist, SPT Supervisor, SPT Consultant, and creator of the Synergetic Approach to Education. Judy is founder of the Braindrops Play Therapy & Wellness LLC. She has been working in some capacity in the field of education for over 20 years, as a School Counselor, a District Social Emotional Learning Coach, and national presenter on creating trauma-sensitive schools. Judy teaches the SPTI course - One Foot in Education: Exploring Education through an SPT Lens. And join us for the next 100 episodes - new journey, new learning, more deeper and masterful conversations. Join Lisa and special guests as they share with you some of the many lessons they've learned along the way from their own experiences and study, and the lessons they've learned from children they've worked with, so that you can support children in the best ways possible. 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 as she demystifies working with pre-teens and teens and shares how to apply your play therapy skill set to this population (hint: you actually don't need to change much of what you're already doing). She'll also tell you the reason that we might feel awkward, not good enough, unsure, and confused as therapists when working with this age group, as well as give strategies and techniques to support the pre-teen and teen to discover their authentic self. If you want more information, check out Lisa's 3-hour course on Pre-Teens and Teens in Play Therapy at https://learn.synergeticplaytherapy.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.