A child uses technology to fulfill a need. We must meet that need before turning off the TV. You can't take away someone's boat without giving them another one." -Lisa Dion Children scream for ice cream and screen time too. But is technology as harmful as many assume or is it a necessity? Does using it mean a child is zoning out or could it mean they're engaging? In this podcast, we discuss why screen time isn't a clear cut issue: inside the shades of gray is a child meeting his or her 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.

"Sand doesn't just help regulate the child; it helps regulate the therapist too." - Lisa Dion There are so many ways to use sand in a play therapy session, but have you ever considered turning your sand tray into a regulation device? The key to this is the right tools. So, shift towards the sifter and explore the many ways sand helps tell us all about the state of the nervous system. 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.

Whether we remember before the age of two or three is still misunderstood and even debated, so understanding the different types of memory helps us understand that memory does indeed exist at early ages. It helps us understand that even if the mind doesn't remember, the body does. 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.

"Maybe the goal is not to calm. Maybe the goal is to connect." Lisa Dion Often, it's our natural inclination to ask children to calm down. This happens inside playrooms, classrooms, and on top of jungle gyms. But is this the best solution? Or should we focus less on the idea of calmness and more on the idea of connection? 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 not that 'I know better.' It's that 'I know different.'" - Dave Garrison Working with dads in the playroom isn't always the same as working with moms. It takes understanding the psychology of men, learning how to communicate in a way that is meaningful, and proving that you are a partner who doesn't know "better", you just know "different." 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.

"Rejection is one of the most challenging experiences we can have as humans. But behind rejection lies acceptance and growth." - Lisa Dion Rejection is something we look upon negatively, both in the playroom and in our personal lives. But, here's a secret: behind rejection is always, always acceptance. This is one of the many reasons rejection is a boost rather than a barrier. 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 the child really feeling that you're with them that heals them most. Sometimes, that just doesn't require words." - Lisa Dion 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. 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 moment we believe we have figured it out is precisely the moment we stop growing" - Lisa Dion 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. 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 important message to our kids: 'All of you is welcome.'" - Lisa Dion Sexual identity and sexual orientation are not discussed often enough in the field of play therapy. But embracing these topics benefits our clients. So does refraining from black and white thinking. After all, children are colorful (and so are we). 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.

"Boredom in the playroom may be a messenger. This turns it from something negative into your greatest friend." -Lisa Dion Boredom in the playroom is something most therapists experience  - from an unyielding yawn to counting the ticks of a slow-moving clock, we've all found ourselves less than enthused in one session or another. But boredom isn't always a negative thing. Sometimes, it's a gentle reminder that it's time to grow. 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.