Lessons from the Playroom

"Challenges and discomforts are necessities of growth." - Lisa Dion All of us have moments when we doubt ourselves. Moments when we shake our heads in frustration. Moments when we have no idea what we're doing. But challenges in the playroom are a necessity - they allow us to master new techniques and broaden our skills. Getting it wrong? It might just be right. 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.

"Regulating the client is the biggest challenge of teletherapy." - Lisa Dion Teletherapy allows us to reach clients regardless of distance. In play therapy, it requires modification and parental support. But the connection can be powerful and purposeful. 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.

"Working with mutism means working with the anxiety underneath the symptom." - Lisa Dion From the child who only talks to certain people to the child who doesn't talk at all, selective mutism has many faces. The playroom is a common place where it surfaces. But a silent child speaks without words, telling us to look below the surface at the nervous system underneath. 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 fear of going towards something in the playroom is a reflection of a wound in us that hasn't healed." - Lisa Dion As play therapists, we're often taught to check ourselves at the door. But, when the child's challenges reflect our own, this is difficult for even the most seasoned clinician. What happens when we embrace the mirror and tap into our humanness? You just might experience some of the most powerful sessions when you see yourself in your client's struggle. 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 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. 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 intake session isn't about data collection; it's about creating a relationship." - Lisa Dion The intake session is a vital part of play therapy. But it's not all about educating parents about the process and their involvement, it's also about the nervous system - yours and mom and dad's. 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.

"Sleep is the largest separation we go through everyday." - Jessica Schaffer, RPT, Infant Sleep Specialist From the refusal to go to sleep to an inability to stay asleep, a child’s tossing and turning speak volumes. But why do some children want to ban the bed? And how does this look inside the playroom? A play therapist who also happens to be a sleep specialist helps us uncover the answers. 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 I think of being outside, I think of free-flowing." - Avery Dion, age 12 Play therapy often happens inside of four walls, but the world outside acts as a co-facilitator. Nature is a powerful force for adults as well as kids. Embracing everything from roots to rocks helps the healing process. 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.

"Emotional flooding is a normal response; it's the shame applied to it that does the damage." - Lisa Dion Emotional flooding is often thought of as a bad thing, but this isn't necessarily true. There is knowledge in the nervous system and wisdom in the body's reaction. 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 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.