Lessons from the Playroom

"Diet is just another partner in crime contributing to the symptoms that show up in the playroom." - Lisa Dion The connection between gut and brain is becoming more widely studied and gaining in increased importance. For children who struggle, this brings up the possibility that what they're eating is feeding underlying dysfunction. Diet might not be the sole answer, but it could play a vital role in finding a solution. Join Lisa Dion, LPC, RPT-S, and Kelly Miller, LCSW, RPT-S, as they explore this intriguing topic. 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.

"Perfectionism is the strategy the child is using to manage their anxiety and fear." - Lisa Dion Perfectionism in the playroom shows up in a variety of ways. But beneath the need to be perfect sits a child's uncertainty about themselves. The key to regulating this fear and anxiety is showing the child how to come back to who they truly are. 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 children with SPD don't want to regulate; it's that they can't." - Lisa Dion Sensory Processing Disorder is a misunderstood challenge that can show up in the playroom in a variety of ways. Often, recognizing the issue is the first step in helping the client. The second, of course, is showing these children how to regulate. 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 child's failure to notice a lack of hygiene is often a sign that they're disconnected from their bodies." - Lisa Dion Little kids aren't known for hygiene and inside the playroom is no different. However, a noticeable lack of hygiene may be the sign of something bigger. A child regressing in emotional age or reliving past trauma may engage in unsanitary behavior. When this happens, it's important that we leave shame at the door. 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.

"Broken toys may be a metaphor for how children see themselves." - Lisa Dion Little kids come with little issues, issues that might grow big if we are unsure how to handle them. In this podcast, Lisa discusses the commonly asked "little questions." Tune in as she explores what to do with broken toys, having food in the playroom, lying in the playroom, and what to do when a child tries to take a toy home. * Please note that we no longer offer the course "Growing Up In Play Therapy." This content is now part of the Introduction to Synergetic Play Therapy Program. Learn more 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.

"We all have deep within us the desire to pursue something that inspires us. We have a natural desire to evolve and grow" - Lisa Dion The brain is a high maintenance organ, one that wants a challenge! In order to stay passionate in our careers as play therapists, we must give the brain the growth it craves. But we must give ourselves permission too – the permission to be ourselves and pursue what inspires us. 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.

"Grief elicits different emotions. It's important to provide space for a child's experiences while looking at how we handle loss ourselves." - Lisa Dion When grief or loss occurs, we are culturally predisposed to expect sadness. But in and out of the playroom, children may feel a myriad of emotions ranging from heartache to happiness to suppression. How can we meet children where they are and give them the freedom to experience their loss in their own way? Tune in to explore this challenging topic. 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.

"Music makes a connection without having to say anything." - Kate Shannon, CBMT Music plays an important therapeutic role, in the playroom and in life. It creates its own expression and its own language, allowing those who hear it to feel and react deeply. Take note: music matters. 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.

"One of the best ways to reduce medical trauma is by making the unknown known. Children need information and lots of it." - Lisa Dion Medical trauma is prevalent in the majority of children who have undergone medical procedures or experienced chronic and acute conditions. This shows up in the playroom in a variety of ways, including those that can lead the therapist to jump to conclusions. Listen in to explore how to not only help children who have experienced this type of trauma but how to minimize future trauma as well. 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 isn't about being a parent or not. It's about showing up in the playroom and being real." - Lisa Dion Being a parent and a play therapist has both benefits and drawbacks. While parenthood can offer added insight, having kids doesn't translate into having all the answers inside the playroom. Why? Because like children, no two parents are exactly alike. 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.