Lessons from the Playroom

Countertransference is not something we can avoid, get out of, check at the door, or even separate from ourselves ... In this episode, Lisa discusses how transference and countertransference is really the therapeutic landscape from which to support our clients in a process of deep integration and healing. Using a lens of Synergetic Play Therapy®, Lisa offers an understanding of how countertransference is not something to be afraid of, but something that offers incredible wisdom and a window into the inner experiences of our clients. It gives us an opportunity to become curious about our beliefs, both that keep us from being fully present and authentic, and that support us in being more deeply present, more deeply resonant, and ultimately, more deeply attuned. As beautifully stated by Sebern F. Fisher in her book, Neurofeedback in the Treatment of Developmental Trauma: Calming the Fear-Driven Brain, "Countertransference and transference are always co-arising & co-constructing at the place where the therapist's experience meets that of the patient." 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.

"With the understanding that a toy can be anything at all, we transcend cultural barriers and socioeconomic status to focus on the relationship and use whatever is in the environment. We also honor that the greatest toy in the playroom is really you, the therapist!" -Lisa Dion ARE TOYS NECESSARY IN PLAY THERAPY ... In this latest Lessons from the Playroom, we ask the question, are toys really necessary in play therapy? .... Join Lisa in this podcast episode dedicated to therapists around the world who may have limited access to toys. In this episode of Lessons from the Playroom, Lisa helps us understand what is really at the root of play therapy, what is the purpose of the toy, how to facilitate a child's process even if toys in the traditional sense are not available, and what it really means as the therapist to be the "most important toy 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.

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." Sonia is also a mother to 4 children, aged 17, 14 and 11 year old twins and describes this as "the greatest learning experience of all!" 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.

"The dysregulation in our body is information about the congruency of our decisions." - Lisa Dion As you enter into 2021, explore how to manifest decisions that are congruent and in alignment with your authentic self. Join Lisa in this unique Lessons from the Playroom podcast that's not just about play therapy ... She'll help you explore how to plan, reflect and make decisions that integrate the left- and right-brain, how to know if you are making a congruent decision, and why there's no such thing as a "bad" decision. 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.

"Often the question is, 'Why would we include digital tools in play therapy?" ... But the more important question is, 'Why wouldn't we?!'" -Dr. Jessica Stone * Join Lisa Dion and special guest, Dr. Jessica Stone, PhD in a lively conversation about demystifying the world of digital play therapy. They explore what digital play therapy is all about, how to speak the digital language of your clients, why we would even include digital tools in our work as play therapists (or more importantly, why wouldn't we?!), and how to take the fundamental tenets of play therapy and apply to the digital world. Dr. Jessica Stone, PhD is a psychologist, international speaker, sought after clinical supervisor, and renowned play therapist. She is the co-creator of The Virtual Sandtray, a best-selling author, and developer of Digital Play Therapy. Dr. Stone has been featured for her work throughout the virtual world as an innovator, ambassador of play, and stalwart advocate for the use of digital technology in the field of psychology. 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've all experienced the "test" in the playroom. Is it personal? Is it not personal? How do we make sense of it? Lisa discusses this natural occurrence that happens in relationships, the importance of authenticity and congruence (and what that even means), and ultimately how to "show up" when the therapist is "tested." Tune in as we discuss what the "test" is really all about and the two very important questions that children are asking – "Can I be me?" and "Will you be you?" 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.

"When children are disengaged from learning, there is a disconnect between what they are being asked to learn and their interest level, style/way of learning." - Lisa Dion As we all know, not all children are thriving with online learning. Many children are really struggling as their routines, ability to engage with their peers and so much more has been disrupted. Symptoms such as resistance to schoolwork, boredom, depression, lack of engagement and anger are leaving parents and clinicians scratching their heads trying to help these children who really do want to learn! Tune is as we discuss what this lack of engagement is really all about and how important it is to address learning styles, a child's interests, and of course, regulation. 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.

"Sensory work requires a co-facilitator and co-regulator, and can be very workable and adaptable even via tele-therapy." -Robert Jason Grant Join Lisa and special guest Robert Jason Grant as they demystify the world of teletherapy when working with clients that have sensory and neurodevelopmental challenges. Discover why working with this population doesn't require as much adjustment from in-person to on-line as you might think, as well as how to do a pre-assessment that can be imperative to your success in the process, learn creative strategies and interventions to engage and treat, and why bringing parents into the process is so important. Dr. Robert Jason Grant, LPC, NCC, Registered Play Therapy Supervisor, and Advanced Certified Autism Specialist specializes in working with children, adolescents, and families affected by autism spectrum disorder (ASD), ADHD and other neurodevelopmental disorders. He is the creator of AutPlay® Therapy, an ASD and neurodevelopmental disorders approach incorporating play therapy, behavioral therapy, and relationship development approaches. Dr. Grant is an international speaker and keynote presenter having presented for the American Counseling Association, Association for Play Therapy, American Mental Health Counselors Association, and The World Autism Congress. He is a multi-published author of several articles, book chapters, and books. He is currently serving on the board of directors for the Association for Play 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.

To her thousands of listeners around the world, Lisa expresses in gratitude, "Thank you for providing me with a sense of home." ~ It's time to turn the tables! For 80 episodes, Lisa has shared play therapy knowledge and insights, interviewed special guests and helped create discussion and new learning for clinicians all over the world. But who is this person behind the microphone? In this episode, Lisa is the one in the hot seat as she is interviewed by Katherine Eastlake, Certified Synergetic Play Therapist. Katherine takes Lisa all the way back to her very first play therapy session, the play therapy influences in her life, why she created the Lessons from the Playroom podcast, how the podcast helps her connect to a global feeling of home, and so much more. 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.

"It's about the therapist's ability to attune in order to facilitate a process of attunement and playful touch between caregiver and infant." - Janet Courtney Traditional play therapy targets children ages 3 and older, but what about the children who aren't yet three? How do we help these children? Join Lisa as she talks about infant mental health with special guest, Dr. Janet Courtney- founder of FirstPlay Therapy. Together they explore the biggest myth related to infants, the significance of implicit memory and most importantly, how clinicians can support healing and re-patterning for these very special little people. Janet Courtney, PhD, LCSW, Registered Play Therapy Supervisor, is Founder of FirstPlay® Therapy which is offered for two different developmental levels including "FirstPlay® Developmental Infant Play Therapy" for ages birth to 2 years, and FirstPlay Kinesthetic Storytelling®" for children ages 3 years and older. Dr. Courtney is author and Editor of the groundbreaking books, "Infant Play Therapy: Foundations, Models, Programs, and Practice," "Touch in Child Counseling and Play Therapy: An Ethical and Clinical Guide," and "Healing Child and Family Trauma through Expressive and Play Therapies: Art, Nature, Storytelling, Body, and Mindfulness." Dr. Courtney specializes in the areas of attachment and infant mental health and infant play therapy and offers a certification training to practitioners in FirstPlay® 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.